By Josh Graham in Birmingham

Coventry's Sian Rainsley admitted it was “amazing” to come full circle by returning to the scene of her childhood runs at Sutton Park and finishing 12th in the Commonwealth Games triathlon.

Rainsley suffered in the swim and fought hard on the bike to enter the run in eighth place but having spent so much energy to regain position she faded over the 5km final leg of the sprint distance.

Considering she entered the race ranked fifth, Rainsley was rightly disappointed with the result but her feelings were tinged with pride having been close to chucking in the towel a few years ago as she struggled to get to grips with Crohn’s disease.

Rainsley, 25, said: “It was amazing, I grew up doing running races here as a kid about a decade ago, so it’s come full circle.

“I could pick out friends, family and old swim coaches on the course, that was really special and I really enjoyed that part of it.

“If you’d have said 18 months ago, I’d be going to the Commonwealth Games I would have laughed, so to be here I just wanted to make the most of it and enjoy it. Top 15 on a bad day, isn’t too bad I guess!

There’s only 6️⃣ days to go until the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games! #B2022#TNLAthletes from the home nations met up to thank #NationalLottery players for their support and to celebrate the countdown to the Games. 🤞#MakeAmazingHappen [1/2] pic.twitter.com/Bfz6InsQff

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“A few years ago I was in hospital and thinking about quitting triathlon. So to be here and healthy on the startline, and be ranked fifth - I wouldn’t have believed that.”

Rainsley revealed the patriotic crowds down the road in Birmingham sustained her efforts after a chaotic swim.

She added: “The swim was probably the worst swim I’ve had all year, to be honest. It was really violent and chaotic. I was hoping to be a bit better set up going into the bike leg.

“On the bike it was good, the crowds were insane and it kept me going. I just think I burnt too many matches trying to get back into the race on the bike initially.

“It was a tough one but I’m really happy to do my first major Games and the crowds definitely kept me going, so thanks to everyone for that!”

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Australian wheelchair racing star Madison de Rozario has added the Birmingham Commonwealth marathon title to her glittering array of golds.De Rozario dominated the opening event of the 2022 Games athletics competition on Saturday in a winning time of one hour and 56 minutes.

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Aussies in action on Day 3 of the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games:HOCKEYGroup Matches - Men - Australia v Scotland (0900 BST 1800 AEST) Women - South Africa v Australia

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Canterbury hooker Jeremy Marshall-King set himself a goal at the start of this season and was met with scorn."I wanted to be in the top five hookers in this competition," he told AAP.

A 24-year-old Australian man has been identified as the alleged mastermind behind intrusive spyware used by domestic violence perpetrators and other criminals.The Melburnian was 15 when he allegedly created the Imminent Monitor Remote Access Trojan which, once installed, let perpetrators control victims' computers, steal their personal information, and turn on their webcams and microphones.

Ghanaian boxer Shakul Samed has been suspended from the Commonwealth Games after testing positive for a banned substance at the competition in Birmingham.Samed's A sample was found to contain the banned diuretic and masking agent Furosemide, the Commonwealth Games Federation said in a statement.

Henrik Stenson had a happy return to golf after being removed as European Ryder Cup captain, making eight birdies in his LIV Golf Invitational debut at Bedminster to share the lead with Patrick Reed.The Swede's seven-under 64 was enough to lead after 18 holes with Reed.