West Lothian athletes impress in opening day of Commonwealth Games

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Fauldhouse boxer Reese Lynch eased into the last-16 of the Commonwealth Games after serving up a victory inside two-and-a-half minutes in his first round bout on the first day of competitions in Birmingham.The 21-year-old is considered a medal hopeful in the light welterweight division and last year became the first Scot boxer to grab a medal at a senior World Championship event.And he showed he is a force to be reckoned with south of the border after needing just two minutes and 26 seconds to force a stoppage in his first round bout with Kiribati’s Timon Aaree.The southpaw is next in action on Sunday where he will take on India’s Shiva Thapa for a place in the quarter-finals.Lynch was one of four West Lothian athletes in action on the first day of the Games with Livingston-born duo Keanna MacInnes and Emma Russell putting in decent showings in the pool.Keanna finished third in her 100m butterfly heat in a time of 59.56 before recording a near identical time - 59.57 - in the semi-finals in the evening.That time wouldn’t be good enough to reach tomorrow’s final as she finished in 13th place overall.Emma was competing in the 4x100m mixed freestyle relay and helped guide Team Scotland into the final.Her time of 55.45 on the third leg ensured a third place finish in the semi-final and safe passage into tonight’s final.They would fall short in their medals hopes, finishing fifth, with Emma once again taking the third leg and recording an improved time of 55.22.There would also be a fifth place finish for West Lothian Artistic Gymnastics ace Cameron Lynn as part of the team men’s event.The competition also doubled up as the qualification process for the individual apparatus finals and the 18-year-old’s best performance came in