Rose Davies has made Commonwealth Games history by winning both the 5000m and 10,000m races, a feat no woman had previously accomplished. The 26-year-old secured her second gold medal in Glasgow after a thrilling duel with her friend and training partner, Jess Hull.
Davies crossed the finish line in the 5000m final in 14 minutes 44.53 seconds, with Hull finishing a close second at 14:45.01. Megan Keith of Scotland took the bronze medal with a time of 14:49.10.
"I can't believe it. I'm so, so happy," Davies stated after the race. "To win in the 10k was a dream and then I knew I had to refocus, and to win in the 5k is just crazy."
Davies, who also won the 10,000m on the opening day of the athletics program, demonstrated remarkable resilience in the final meters of the 5000m race. Despite Hull's strong sprint, Davies found another gear to secure the victory. "It means the world to me," Davies added. "As a little girl you watch the Commonwealth Games and you see your idols on the screen and you want that to be you. I just can't believe that I've achieved that."
Davies' victory marks the first time an Australian has won the women's 5000m since Kate Anderson in 1998. The race saw strong competition from the African contingent, who attempted to push the pace early on, particularly targeting Hull's finishing speed.
"I was already thinking, 'I wish this was only a mile'," a fatigued Hull reflected. "But realising with 150 metres to go that we were going to go one-two was pretty incredible. I don't know too many people that would've said Australia one-two in the 5000 - so for us to do it is very special."
Linden Hall also competed for Australia, finishing seventh in the race. Hull praised the strong performance of Australian middle-distance runners at the Games, saying, "So I think it's incredible to just see the medal rush that we've created and hopefully we can have some more."
Davies described the final stretch as a "scary" moment with Hull close behind but focused on her effort. "I was honestly just blacked out and was running as hard as I could," she said. "When I crossed the line I was just so, so happy." She acknowledged Hull's significant influence on her career, noting, "Jess has obviously been a massive inspiration for me. She's done so much and she's such a good role model for the sport. To be in a sprint finish with her is crazy. We both train at the same track in Newcastle and I see her week to week. So to have two Newcastle girls gunning for the line in Commonwealth Games and to come first and second is insane."