‘Gold or nothing’ – Team NI boxer Kaci Rock ready for final Commonwealth Games ring test in Glasgow

The 23-year-old came out on top over Scotland’s Caitlyn Rainey via a split decision to set up her women’s 65kg showdown this weekend against England’s Sacha Hickey.

Although silver is now certain for Team NI, Rock stands defiant her journey is far from over across a first experience of the Commonwealth Games.

“It sounds great but the job is not done...I have still got to fight tomorrow so I’ll not be thinking too much about the win today,” said Rock on Friday morning. “The celebration said it all and I and just delighted to be in the final and hopefully the dream.”

She added: “I definitely don’t wear silver, it is gold or nothing.”

On her semi-final success, Rock reflected: “I expected her to come out quick – especially in front of her hometown crowd – and put on a show.

"We knew that was going to happen, I just didn’t stick to the game plan in the first round.

"I’m not good fighting on the back foot and sometimes I like to have a tear-up when I shouldn’t...so I think I kind of did that in the first round and that is where it all went wrong.

“But I brought it back in the second round.

“In the third round, I think there was about 30 seconds where the two of us just stood toe-to-toe and had a go but I just think it shows how much it meant to both of us that we were really going out there to win the fight.

“Sometimes it just all goes out the window when you are in there but the coaches are shouting in and I knew how long I had to definitely make sure of the round, obviously she hears as well and is giving it her best good too.

"I’ll just rest up now and get ready for the final.

"Everyone is so supportive...friends, family, the support staff the coaches and I’m grateful for it all, it really helps.”

Injury issues have ruled out Willie John McCartan from continued competition in Glasgow but the Team NI boxer returns home with bronze guaranteed after reaching the men’s 90+kg semi-finals.

“Congratulations from everyone at Sport NI to Willie John McCartan on his bronze medal for Team NI,” said Richard Archibald, Sport NI interim CEO. “While his campaign has ended early due to injury, a bronze medal at your first Commonwealth Games is an incredible achievement.

“We are proud to have supported Willie John on his journey to the games with National Lottery funding through our Athlete Award programme and specialist support at our Sports Institute.

“We wish him a speedy recovery.”

The Sport NI statement added: “Sport NI’s National Lottery Funded Athlete Award programme seeks to help more NI athletes win at the highest level by targeting athletes who have the potential to achieve success and excel in Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games sports.

"The purpose of Athlete Awards is to enable athletes to train to maximise their potential and transition onto a national funding scheme.

"The Sport NI Sports Institute prepares Northern Ireland’s best athletes to perform on the world stage by providing an environment that nurtures elite athletes and coaches.

"Specialist support includes strength and conditioning, sports medicine, psychology, nutrition and performance analysis.

"Sport NI has invested more than £219m of National Lottery funds into sport across Northern Ireland since 1994.”

Kate O’Connor finally got to grips with her gold medal on Thursday evening at a medal presentation in honour of securing top spot within the women’s heptathlon across Tuesday and Wednesday in Glasgow.

A first Commonwealth Games gold in athletics since Philip Beattie’s 400m hurdles over 1986 arrived on a magic Wednesday medal night in the middle of swimmers’ success with Ellie McCartney’s bronze and a silver by Daniel Wiffen.

McCartney had posted 2:24.73 for bronze across the women’s 200m breaststroke final and Wiffen finished in silver style across the men’s 1500 freestyle final.

Sport NI interim CEO Archibald also offered congratulations to the three competitors.

“It has been a privilege to support Kate at the Sport NI Sports Institute as she goes from strength to strength in this extremely challenging and technical event,” he said. “She is an excellent ambassador for the sport and I’m sure this performance will inspire young people across NI to give athletics a try.

"We’ll be cheering her on again at the European Championships in Birmingham next month.

“At Sport NI we are immensely proud of Daniel and his achievements.

“His progress over the last few years has been incredible – with Olympic, European and World titles as well as a coveted world record.

"We are proud to have supported Daniel at the start of his career through our National Lottery funded Athlete Award.

“This is the fourth swimming medal for Team NI and shows the strength of the sport here.

"Thanks to our National Lottery funding our local swimming clubs are providing opportunities and supporting young athletes to grow and thrive in the sport.

“A double Commonwealth Youth Games champion, European U23 champion and now a Commonwealth medallist…we can’t wait to see what the future holds for Ellie.

“We are proud to have played a small role in her journey to success through our National Lottery funded Athlete Award and Sports Institute."

The confirmed medals success on Wednesday arrived after previously Barry McClements claimed silver (para swimming), Bethany Firth’s bronze (para swimming), a bronze for Gary Kelly (bowls) and bronze by Shauna O’Neill and Chloe Wilson (bowls).

Team NI closed out the netball programme with a winning Friday finish thanks to the 78-39 success over Trinidad & Tobago in the fight for 11th overall.

“I'm feeling really good...it's always good to finish on a win,” said Caroline O’Hanlon, with a return to Glasgow marking a fourth Commonwealth Games since her 2014 debut in Scotland. “It felt like we've been building all week and we knew that this competition was going to be really difficult for us.

"Coming in, all the teams were higher ranking than us and we felt like we've been building all week and performance has probably been better than maybe scoreline and result reflected.

"So it was just really positive for us to go out and get a win.

“It's been peaks and troughs over that sort of timeframe but I think they're in a really positive place at the minute.

"There's a lovely balance between experience and youth and a good few girls getting their first Commonwealth Games under their belt.

"I think that we're in a really positive place to continue building and, hopefully, we can push on.

"It's very easy for me (as vice-captain), Michelle (Magee) has been great in that role as captain and the girls know themselves...you don't need to do too much.

"They're very committed, very positive, very intense athletes and it's easy just to push on from that.”

Bowls’ Shauna O’Neill had her singles medal quest stopped by a loss to Team Guernsey, with both unbeaten before the Friday afternoon meeting.

Injury issues have ruled out Willie John McCartan from continued competition in Glasgow but the Team NI boxer returns home with bronze guaranteed after reaching the men’s 90+kg semi-finals, with Garyn McAllister (men’s 90kg semi-final) losing out but securing a third-place medal.

Jude Gallagher finished his Commonwealth Games with bronze after defeat on Friday night in the men’s 60kg semi-finals.

The women’s 57kg semi-final finished with victory for Michaela Walsh to set up a Saturday showdown for gold. Jon McConnell will also join Rock and Walsh in Saturday’s finals schedule following semi-final wins.

Bowls’ Shauna O’Neill had her singles medal quest stopped by a loss to Team Guernsey, with both unbeaten before meeting.

Gary Kelly and Adam McKeown managed to maintain a perfect run in the men’s pairs by beating Team Fiji on Friday night.

Eve Walsh Dann’s women’s long jump T37/38 final finished in a ‘no mark’ outcome, having earlier in the week posted a Personal Best over the women’s 100m T38.

Across the Team NI cycling programme on Friday, Matti Dobbins was 20th overall in the men’s elimination race final.

Erin Creighton, Emma Jeffers and Esther Wong came home, respectively, 10th, 11th and 19th in the women’s 10km scratch race final.

Chris Burns’ men’s C1-C3 1000m time trial outing ended with the Team NI rider fifth.

Wong was also 12th in the women’s 4000m individual pursuit qualification.