Lewis Oliva rides to Commonwealth Games keirin silver on the Gold Coast, plus day two round-up

Oliva, from Devauden, produced a superb ride in the final to split Australian gold medallist Matt Glaetzer and New Zealand’s Ed Dawkins, who took bronze ahead of Scot Jack Carlin.

The Welshman (pictured in red above sealing second place) had to win a repechage to reach the semi-finals after only finishing third in his first round heat.

He then qualified for the medal race in third place behind eventual winner Glaetzer and Malaysia’s Mohd Azizulhasni Awang.

Oliva, 25, who defended his British keirin title in January, rode a near-perfect race in the final, getting himself into a position to clinch silver.

“I can’t believe it,” he said. “Everything over the last two years has been building up to this and to be up with these guys in the final is brilliant.

“If you’re going to come all this way to Australia you want to get your money’s worth, so go through the repechage and get an extra ride, as if that was the plan, but it’s absolutely brilliant.

“The lads are on fine form. Matt Glaetzer just won the sprint worlds beating Ed Dawkins, who has proven his strength time and time again, and Aziz goes well in the keirin, winning the worlds last year, so to be up with those boys is brilliant.”

Oliva is currently studying medicine at Cardiff University and is on their sporting high performance programme.

Stuart Vanstone, head of sport at the university, said: “Lewis is a model student balancing his academic work and sport at the highest level.

“A silver medal is a great achievement and testament to the hard work he has put in over the years.”

Dr Andrew Daniel, headmaster at Monmouth School for Boys, where Oliva was a pupil, added: “Lewis is a fantastic role model for the students at Monmouth and this great achievement is the result of many years of hard work and dedication.

“Lewis balances his cycling with his studies at Cardiff University and everyone at Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools is very proud of him.

“Lewis is an inspiration to the boys and a fantastic ambassador for the school.”

Today's medal at the Anna Meares Velodrome came 24 hours after Ponthir’s James Ball had also taken silver in the men’s B&VI 1000m Time Trial.

Elsewhere on the track on day two of the Games, Abergavenny’s Rachel James and Newport’s Ellie Coster bowed out of the women’s sprint at the last 16 stage, while Sam Harrison (below), of Cross Keys, was 10th fastest in qualifying for the men’s 4000m individual pursuit.

Gymnast Maisie Methuen went agonisingly close to a bronze medal in the women’s team competition.

Wales finished fourth behind Australia, England and winners Canada, but Pontypool teenager Methuen (below) did qualify for the individual all-around final and finals on the bars and beam.

There were mixed emotions in the boxing ring as Rosie Eccles reached the 69kg quarter-finals but Kyran Jones lost his opening 75kg bout.

Chepstow ace Eccles comfortably outpointed Cameroon’s Aubiege Azangue to go through, but Northern Irishman Steven Donnelly got the better of Jones, from Newport, on points.

Over at the lawn bowls, Wales’ men’s triples featuring Newport-based Jonathan Tomlinson and Ebbw Vale’s Stephen Harris, beat Papa New Guinea 27-10 to remain top of their group.

Meanwhile, Wales’ netball and women’s hockey teams both succumbed to defeats against higher-ranked opponents.

The netballers put up a brave fight before going down 70-44 to New Zealand in Pool B, surprising many with how long they stayed in touch with the Kiwis.

And after a stunning victory over India on Thursday, the hockey team suffered a 5-1 reverse against England. Eloise Laity scored Wales’ only goal in the Pool A fixture.

Table tennis aces Charlotte Carey and Chloe Thomas will switch their focus to the singles and doubles competitions after Wales were knocked out of the women’s team event in the quarter-finals.

Carey, Thomas and third team member Anna Hursey were bidding to take Wales into a first ever Games team semi-final but slipped to a 3-1 defeat to hosts Australia.

A last four berth seemed possible when Ebbw Vale’s Carey put the Welsh trio into an early lead courtesy of a victory over Jian Fang Lay (4-11, 11-6, 11-8, 15-13).

Tredegar’s Thomas was up next against Melissa Tapper but suffered a straight-sets reverse (8-11, 4-11, 3-11) as the Aussies levelled the match.

Thomas and 11-year-old Hursey then lost their doubles rubber to Miao Miao and Lay (8-11, 2-11, 2-11).

It was left to Carey to keep Wales in the clash but a titanic tussle with Miao ended in a deciding-set loss for the 21-year-old.

She won the opener 11-5, lost the second 11-4 and third 13-11, won the fourth 11-8 but had no answer to her opponent’s power in the decider, losing it 11-3.

Wales had set-up the Australia encounter following a 3-1 group stage triumph against Sri Lanka.

Carey got her team off to the perfect start by beating Erandi Warusawithana 11-4, 11-6, 11-7.

Hursey showed great character in her singles match, coming from two sets down to make it 2-2, before Ishara Manikku Badu got the better of her in the decider.

However, Hursey bounced back as she and Thomas overcame Hansani Kapugeekiyana and Badu 11-8, 11-9, 11-6.

And the triumph was completed by Carey, who saw off Kapugeekiyana in straight sets 11-4, 11-5, 11-8.

Carey and Thomas will now compete in the singles and team up for the doubles.

Weightlifter Gareth Evans had the honour of winning Wales' first gold medal of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games with victory in the men's -69kg class.

North Walian Evans (below), 31, who finished fifth in the 62kg category at Glasgow 2014, took the top prize after recording a total of 299kg.

Sri Lanka's Dissanayake Mudiyanselage picked up the silver and the bronze went to India's Deepak Lather.

"It was hard not to get a bit teary, if I'm being completely honest,” said Evans. “Like every Welshman, I'm ridiculously proud.

"To stand up there with the gold medal is special. I dread to think what's going on at my mum and dad's house at the moment."

Evans who made his Games debut in Delhi eight years ago, added: “I missed out on a medal in Glasgow and vowed I would never miss a medal again.

“I have let that spur me on for the past four years.

"I don't know what the future holds to be honest, I have done everything I set out to do as a weightlifter.”