Discus thrower Vikas Gowda has won India's first gold medal in athletics at the 2014 Commonwealth Games
Glasgow: Discus thrower Vikas Gowda won India's first gold medal in athletics at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Hampden Park Stadium on Thursday night.
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The 31-year-old Gowda converted the silver he had won four years ago in New Delhi to the yellow metal with a best throw of 63.64 metres.
With the achievement, Gowda became India's only second male athlete to win a gold at the Commonwealth Games after the legendary Milkha Singh won the 440 yard gold way back in 1958 at Cardiff.
Vikas Shive Gowda of India throws the discus in the men's discus final at Hampden Park Stadium during the Commonwealth Games 2014 in Glasgow, Scotland, on Thursday.
Cypriot Apostolos Parellis took the silver with 63.32m and Jamaican Jason Morgan held on to the bronze with a best throw of 62.34m.
Gowda, who also an Asian Games bronze to his name, bettered his throw each time on his first three attempts from 60.63m to 62.09 to 63.64. But his fourth and sixth attempts were disqualified with the fifth reading 62.17m.
This is India’s 13th gold medal at the Games.
Two days ago, Gowda had put on impressive show and finished on top in the qualifying to seal his place in the final.
Gowda, who is India's first ever CWG medallist in discus throw, managed a distance of 64.32m in his first attempt during qualifying and was way ahead of second-placed Apostolos Parellis (61.91m) from Cyprus and Jamaica's Chad Wright (61.08m).
Gowda's personal best is 66.28m.
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