Ben Sandilands gets Scotland going with athletics gold in Commonwealth Games but no joy for Megan Keith

The reason? A stunning gold medal for Ben Sandilands who stormed to victory in the Men's 1500m T20 Final, with fellow countryman and training partner Steven Bryce also on the podium after securing bronze.

Sandilands went toe-to-toe with team-mate Bryce and Canada's Michael Barber but as the race entered its business end, Bryce was deposed and Sandilands went for home. The Paralympic and world champion clocked a time of 3:57.25.

It was an excellent performance from the Kirkcaldy man, who has cemented his place as one of the top athletes in his field. He took pride of place on the podium as he took Scotland’s first gold medal of the Games in the athletics.

“It’s great to share it with him (Bryce),” said a thrilled Sandilands. “We were saying well done to each other. Our coach told us to just run it how you feel. And it was good.”

The Women's 10,000m final took centre stage on night one of the track and field events.

Prior to Saturday's announcement, this was billed as Eilish McColgan's race to lose. However, a toe injury sustained during the London Marathon forced the reigning Commonwealth champion to withdraw from the event as the effects of a long, injury-laden season took its toll.

She had "simply run out of time" to prepare for her title defence. But McColgan wasn't alone on the starting line. There was another home hope to fly the flag as Scotland's medal prospects now rested on the shoulders of Inverness runner Megan Keith.

The 24-year-old came into the meet in the form of her life after setting a Women's European 10km road record in Castellon earlier this year before breaking the 3,000m Scottish record at the Bislett Games in Oslo last month.

Back on home soil with her family and 100-year-old grandpa watching on close to the finish line, everything was geared towards another bold showing on her Commonwealth Games debut. The weight of expectation was at an all-time high but Keith refused to buckle as she produced a season’s best time of 32 minutes, 22.11 seconds.

It was only good enough for ninth place, with the gold medal going to runaway winner Rose Davies of Australia in a time of 31:39.32 with Kenya's Diana Wanza taking silver and Florence Niyonkuru of Rwanda claiming bronze.

Despite finishing down the field, Keith wasn't overlay disheartened with her performance and vowed to bounce back when she lines up in the 5,000 meters on Thursday evening.

"I'm used to having some bad results," she sighed. "I feel like I have as many of them as I do have good ones, and that's just the sport. So maybe you'll send me in good stead on Thursday because I feel like I'll have something in my belly to fight for as I don't want to leave the home games without something I'm proud of. So that's what I'll be focusing on."

"It was lovely," Keith added. "I knew he was up there watching somewhere, and I was probably breaking all sorts of rules by going into the crowd when I didn't have anything to show for it. It was an incredible experience. I'd prepared myself for it as best I could, but nothing quite prepares you for that feeling of everyone cheering for you.

"I wanted to acknowledge it the best I could, and then try and zone in on the job at hand. But I have never heard so much excitement from lap one to lap 25. Unfortunately, my legs just turned to something which didn't move very fast, so it just became a case of survival to the end."

End of the road for hometown hero Bennett

There was a cool late evening chill in the air. Nine gold medals were up for grabs, including one in the Men’s Hammer Throw Final. For hometown hero Chris Bennett, his fifth-place finish brought the curtain down on his competitive career as retirement beckons.

Meanwhile, vastly experienced Jemma Reekie and compatriot Erin Wallace both progressed to the 800m semi-finals after coming through their respective first round heats with relative ease. The top three finishers made it through, but there was no such joy for youngster Mena Scatchard, who was unable to maintain her early front-running pace on the second circuit as she dropped back to 5th in a time of 2:04.00.

Reekie, making her second Commonwealth Games appearance, clocked a time of 2:03.09. Trailing just behind English favourite Georgia Hunter Bell at the halfway point, the pair stretched well clear of the field in the closing stages to finish in that order.

"I was really excited to get out there and I felt really good," she said. "The crowd were amazing. When I stood on the start line, I could heard them shouting my name. I've got lots of friends and family out there, so it's special to be racing in Scotland against and wearing the Scotland vest. The semis are going to be really tough but getting through that round is my next goal. I haven't made a final in a long time so I want to get back there again."

Middle-distance runner Wallace, who won gold in the 1500m event at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games, was involved in a messy contest that resulted in Kenya's Vivian Chebet Kiprotich taking a dramatic tumble entering the home straight for the final time. Wallace had been lingering at the back of the leading pack after 400m and had to overcome the late interference to secure a third place finish in a time just 0.06 slower than Reekie.

Explaining her decision to drop back in distance, Wallace admitted: “It was a completely emotional one. I wanted to go out in front of a Scottish crowd as many times as possible as I missed Glasgow 2024 world indoors. I was pretty devastated about that coming from Glasgow. So if I can get out there as many times as possible that’s my main aim.”

Ullapool-raised Stephen Mackenzie will contest the Men’s Long Jump final on Wednesday evening after qualifying successfully with a leap of 7.75m in the morning session, while Angela McAuslan-Kelly, one of Scotland's youngest athletes, held her nerve up against high calibre opposition to progress in the Women’s Hammer and ensure she will throw again in the final on Tuesday night.