The road to Delhi: Blazing a trail

As the road to Delhi continues, bowslaustralia.com.au revisits the past with a look at some of the nation’s finest Commonwealth Games moments.

Since 1930, Australia has collected nine gold, 15 silver and six bronze medals, providing some of the game’s most unforgettable memories in the process.

In part four of the series, we take a look at the 2006 Melbourne Games and the successful partnership of Lynsey Armitage and Karen Murphy, who rode a wave of support to scale the dais in the women’s pairs.

Traditionally the Commonwealth Games have not been a happy hunting ground for Australia.

In the 14 campaigns leading into Melbourne, just six gold had been secured, highlighting the treacherous nature of the game’s marquee event.

Nonetheless, an air of optimism surrounded the Australian contigent some four years ago, and as history will show, rightly so.

In the women’s pairs, Queensland young gun Lynsey Armitage was asked to unite with NSW powerhouse Karen Murphy, who was participating in her third Games.

Having captured bronze in the fours in 1998, and a silver in the singles in 2002, Murphy was desperate to complete the set, but it wouldn’t be easy.

Despite clinching back-to-back Asia Pacific gold medals, a host of heavy hitters had been selected to compete at the Darebin International Sports Centre, handing Australia a tricky draw to navigate their way through to the post-sectional rounds.

"To us bowlers the Commonwealth Games is our Olympics, it’s as high up as you can get in our sport," Armitage said recently.

"Winning the title in 2006 was the best feeling I’ve ever had in my life.

"A home crowd, family, friends, playing alongside my best mate. It was fantastic.

"Now, four years down the track, to have the opportunity to retain the title would be golden."

Having swept through the preliminary rounds with little fuss, dropping just the one set along the way, the post-sectional games were another matter all together.

Facing off against Northern Ireland’s Mary Cameron and Donna McNally, Armitage and Murphy hung on in a tie-breaker before doing likewise against New Zealand’s Khan sisters, Marina and Jan, in the semi-finals.

The victories set up a gold medal clash with Scotland’s Kay Moran and Joyce Lindores, but with the latter chasing her second triumph in the event, having prevailed in 1998 with Margaret Letham, an arm-wrestle was assured.

In the final, however, everything clicked for the Australians.

"When you go four shots down on a nine-end two-bowl game, it's hard to make it up," Lindores said following the match.

"(At one stage) I thought I did well with a shot, but the Australian skip (Murphy) came and played an excellent bowl."

After three attempts, the gold medal was finally Murphy’s.

"KL and Manchester Comm Games finals really seem like a blur to me now," Murphy said.

"There are certainly things I would have done differently now I look back during these finals, but I think losing a gold medal final twice, really made me appreciate a home Games gold in Melbourne.

"I would not change a thing."

With the national anthem blasting through the air, the Australian pair were able to etch their name into history, becoming just the second women’s combination to scale the dais at a Commonwealth Games.

"We all dream of becoming a Commonwealth Games gold medalist and to be able to say that I am one makes me feel extremely proud and special," Armitage said.

"There was so much hype with the media and publicity we got from becoming gold medallists and being part of the most successful bowls team ever in the history of Commonwealth Games. It was pretty exciting living like celebrities for a while.

"Now however, having nearly four years to look back, I realise what a huge accomplishment it is and how special an elite group of people we are to call ourselves Commonwealth Games gold medallists."

Editor’s note: Lynsey Armitage has been selected to defend her pairs’ title at the Delhi Commonwealth Games, leading for NSW’s Natasha Van Eldik.

Click here for more information on Australia’s campaign at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.

Caption: Australia’s Lynsey Armitage and Karen Murphy celebrate their success at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

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