Multi-talented Delta Amidzovski has got the Australian track and field campaign off to a flying start at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago.
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The 16-year-old from NSW claimed gold in the women's long jump with a personal best (PB) of 6.34 metres, ahead of hometown favourite Janae DeGannes and Australian Grace Krause.
Next on the agenda for Amidzovski is the 100m hurdles, the event in which she broke the great Sally Pearson's longstanding Australian junior record earlier this year.
"It was a PB (in the long jump), and I knew I had it in the bag. My training for this has paid off," Amidzovski said.
"I can relax a bit now as I've (got) my nerves out and am now really excited to see what I can do in the hurdles.
"I've run around the Games record back home so I hope I can do that here."
Australia's other gold medal on day one of the athletics competition at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain came from George Wells in the discus.
Wells topped the podium with a best throw of 56.75m, well clear of minor medallists Hencu Lamberts from South Africa (53.00m) and St Lucia's Denzel Phillips (47.77m).
"It's been a roller-coaster. I went into this without knowing what everyone was throwing, but I've come away with the gold and that's the main thing," Wells said.
"I was hoping to crack 60 metres if I'm honest, but you can't come away with everything. That's the next target."
Xylavene Beale from NSW was second in the women's shot put with 16.31m behind gold medallist Alicia Khunou from South Africa (17.97m).
Para-athletes Indi Cooper (14.01 seconds) and Akeesha Snowden (14.53) were second and third in the women's T38 100m, while fellow Australians Ori Drabkin (13.30) and Jackson Love (13.33) filled the same positions in the corresponding men's race.
At the pool, Zoe Ammundsen added gold in the women's 50m backstroke to the silver medal she won in the 100m backstroke a day earlier.
The mixed 4x200m relay team of Inez Miller, Mikayla Bird, Harvey Larke and Jye Bennion won gold in 7:45.74.
Miller also pocketed the silver in the women's 100m freestyle in a time of 55.59.
Australian cyclists Keira Will and Lauren Bates claimed gold and silver respectively in the women's road race.
The green and gold duo crossed the line holding hands, with their medals after 55 kilometres split by a photo in 1:29:00.
Both cyclists now boast a gold and silver medal from Trinbago 2023, with Bates the winner of the time trial two days ago.
The women's rugby 7s team continued their unbeaten streak, taking down Wales 26-7 in the first match of their day, followed by a dominant 45-0 win over Kenya.
Australian Associated Press
