Ireland's Margaret Johnston saw the gold medal snatched from her grasp by Mary Price as the Atlantic Rim Bowls singles championship went all the way to the wire at Llendrindod Wells, Wales, yesterday. Johnston, the world pairs champion, needed to beat title holder Jo Peacock of South Africa in her final match to be virtually certain of edging out England's Price, the joint league leader, in the race for gold.

Peacock and Johnston were locked together at 24-24 going into the deciding end of a three-hour marathon.

Johnston then drew a gold-winning bowl to within inches of the jack, but Peacock took it out and survived Johnston's last-ditch effort to win 25-24.

Johnston's defeat allowed her arch-rival Price to slip through on the rails to snatch the gold.