{
  "id": 38837,
  "title": "McKeown and Kelly win men's pairs gold after tiebreak",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/02/mckeown-and-kelly-win-mens-pairs-gold-after-tiebreak",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-08-02T10:37:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/mckeown-kelly-win-mens-pairs-103742417.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Gary Kelly and Adam McKeown clinched Northern Ireland's third gold medal of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow through a dramatic extra-end victory over England's Nick Brett and Jamie Walker in the men's pairs event. The Northern Ireland pair took the first set 6-2, but the English duo equalized 6-2 in the second set. It was the tiebreak where Kelly and McKeown triumphed, winning the match 1-0. This victory marks a third gold medal for Northern Ireland at the Glasgow Games, following Kate O'Connor's heptathlon success and Jon McConnell's men's 70kg boxing win. For Kelly, this is his fourth Commonwealth Games medal, adding to his bronze from earlier this year in singles, Delhi in 2020, and his silver in Birmingham in 2018. McKeown secured his second gold medal after winning the fours with Northern Ireland in 2022, marking him as the most successful bowler for Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games with four medals, surpassing Neil Booth. McKeown expressed that it was \"incredible\" to win the gold, joining Booth as NI's most decorated bowler at the Commonwealth Games. Kelly, too, hailed it as an \"amazing feeling\" and the \"ultimate goal\" for their country, admitting he wasn't aware of his achievements in comparison to Booth. McKeown shared his excitement, saying it was \"surreal\" to be a two-time gold medallist, and that he was \"thankful\" to be part of the Northern Ireland team. The duo entered the final with a strong performance in the semi-finals, where they emerged victorious through tiebreak heroics against Malaysia. In the final, Kelly and McKeown dominated the first set with four shots, taking a 6-2 lead. The English pair fought back in the second set, but Kelly and McKeown held onto their lead, sending the match to a one-end shootout. Kelly's decisive bowl in the extra end secured the gold for Northern Ireland.",
  "summary": "Gary Kelly and Adam McKeown secured Northern Ireland's third gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow by winning the men's pairs event after a dramatic extra-end victory over England's Nick Brett and Jamie Walker. The pair won the first set 6-2 but the English pair fought back to level the score at 6-6 in the second set. McKeown and Kelly prevailed in the tiebreak 1-0, with McKeown missing a crucial shot in the final end. This win marks Kelly's fourth Commonwealth Games medal and McKeown's second gold medal, while also adding a third bowls medal to the trio of medals the country has won at the Games in Glasgow.",
  "key_points": [
    "Gary Kelly and Adam McKeown win men's pairs gold in extra-end",
    "Northern Ireland secures third gold medal at Glasgow Games",
    "McKeown becomes most decorated bowler for Northern Ireland"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}