From gymnastics to Paralympics, wheelchair basketball to 3x3 (basketball), cricket to athletics, lawn bowls to table tennis, rugby sevens to swimming, the narrative was (is) simple – DRAMA …in bucket loads!!!
In front of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, local superstars Joe Fraser claimed his third gold medal – as Alice Kinsella picked up her second (gold) at the Arena Birmingham.
England's Jake Jarman won his fourth gymnastics gold. Northern Ireland’s Rhys McClenaghan won pommel horse silver.
For the first day of athletics, at the Alexander Stadium, Welsh Paralympian Olivia Breen got the crowd going - claimed the women's T37/T38 100m title after beating favourite Sophie Hahn.
At the Sandwell Aquatic Centre Adam Peaty quickly banished the woes of his 100m performance by winning gold in the 50m breaststroke – his first at that distance at the Commonwealth Games. "I had two options,” he said. “I either fight or don't fight.
"Everyone who knows me knows I fight. That meant so much for me." Another winner there was Para-swimmer Alice Tai, who won a gold medal just months after having her right leg amputated.
In the 10,000m heats, Africa's fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala credits rival Akani Simbine for inspiring him to beat the world's best. Kenyan Omanyala, who claims for Jamaican sprint champion Yohan Blake as his biggest hero, won his heat in a time of 10.07.
Meanwhile, in Leamington Spa, Guernsey's “super, super proud” Lucy Beere made history with a lawn bowls silver medal at Victoria Park, in Royal Leamington Spa.
Her medal is Guernsey's first since shooters Adrian Breton and Graham le Maitre won bronze 28 years ago.
Other highlights saw England win their first gold in the men's 3x3 basketball whith their overtime buzzer-beating 17-16 win over Australia. It followed the (England) women’s 3x3 defeat against Canada.
Just some of the many highlights on an eventful, pulsating Day 5 of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
