Three Hawkesbury athletes have competed in this year’s Commonwealth Games — Daniel Lewis (boxing), Ian Dewhurst (athletics) and Shane Parker (freestyle wrestling).
Dewhurst, a 400m hurdler, recorded a time of 50.45 seconds last Tuesday night, July 29 in a heat two event.
Dewhurst’s coach, Marilyn Pearson from Kurrajong-Bilpin Little Athletics, said it was a hard road for Ian to get to the finals.
“Because there were no semis, it made it extra difficult to make the finals,” she said.
Pearson said that Dewhurst had completed a personal best within the first eight hurdles,with his time placing him third in his heat.
“He needed to finish second in his heat for an automatic qualifier; he was so close,” she said.
Richmond wrestler Shane Parker competed last Tuesday night in the 57kg freestyle wrestling quarter final against Pakistan, but found his opponent A. Hussain was just too good.
Parker told the Gazette he had been eagerly anticipating this year’s re-match, but his lack of focus led to his one-to-four-point loss.
“There was a four-year wait for this match as I had faced him at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, so I went in this match with too much emotion, and was unable to take the match with a clear head,” he said. “I felt disappointed and that I could have done a lot more in my match, but I feel honoured to have been able to represent my country in the games.”
The 25-year-old became the first indigenous wrestler to represent Australia at the Commonwealth Games in 2010.
Next, he plans to pursue his dream of landing a UFC contract, and will push on to qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
But for Londonderry resident Daniel Lewis, it was injury that stopped him going on to the next round.
Lewis received a cut to his eyelid in his fight against Nigeria last Monday night, July 28. Doctors told him on Wednesday morning that his campaign for the gold medal was over.
“I feel like the first two fights weren’t very difficult at all; I won one by TKO (technical knock-out) and the other one was a comfortable win and then I got the cut and was unable to continue to win gold...it was such a disappointment because I felt so relaxed and focused in the ring,” Lewis told the Gazette.
With speculations spreading that his opponent had given Lewis the cut on purpose, Lewis said it wasn’t the first time he was targeted during the fight.
“I’m not sure if it was on purpose but he definitely was leading in with head butts and elbows and didn’t get warned by the ref,” he said.
“I felt heartbroken and shattered to hear that I couldn’t continue my journey to my dream when I know I could have got that gold.”
But Lewis still has a positive outlook, saying he plans to train hard to get to the Olympic Games in 2016.
“The future is bright, there is so much to come — Olympic Games and the World Championships — but that doesn’t help me right now because I’ve got to start all over again,’’ he said. ‘‘But that’s boxing.
‘‘I might have to stick around until the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in 2018. Winning gold there would be amazing.’’
