Spencer's triumph came on an action-packed final day as England sealed a 4x100 metres relay double, while reigning world champions Hellen Obiri and Elijah Manangoi of Kenya showed their class in the women's 5,000m and men's 1500m respectively.

There was also a first gold medal of Gold Coast 2018 for Guyana thanks to Troy Doris in the triple jump and Isaac Makwala claimed his second title by spearheading Botswana to 4x400m success in the last event of the day.

Saint Lucia first competed at the Games back in Perth in 1962 and they have sent athletes to every event since the 1994 edition in Victoria in Canada.

Spencer twice came close to breaking the country's gold medal duck when she won bronze in New Delhi and Glasgow and she finally got her hands on the elusive title after emerging victorious in a thrilling battle with England's Morgan Lake.

The 33-year-old reigned supreme with a best attempt of 1.95 metres as Lake settled for silver on 1.93m.

The bronze medal went to Australia's Nicola McDermott, who registered 1.91m to the delight of the enthused crowd inside the stadium.

"It's a really good feeling and I am happy I'm the one making history for my country," Spencer, competing at her fifth Commonwealth Games, said.

"In the last two editions of the Commonwealth Games I got bronze so I was determined to work hard this time to win gold and my results today were good enough."

England's performance at these Games has come in for criticism, with many of their star names failing to deliver.

That was not the case for the men's and women's 4x100m relay teams today, however, as they both produced impressive displays to take gold.

The men's quartet of Reuben Arthur, Zharnel Hughes, Richard Kilty and Harry Aikines-Aryeetey clocked 38.13sec to beat a South African team including 100m gold medallist Akani Simbine.

South Africa held off Jamaica for the silver medal.

The win for the team helped Hughes banish his 200m disappointment after he crossed the line in first place before he was disqualified.

England's women then followed suit in style as Asha Philip, Dina Asher-Smith and Bianca Williams laid the platform for long jumper Lorraine Ugan to lead home the team in a national record of 42.46 ahead of Jamaica and Nigeria. 

Doris was in sentimental mood after claiming Guyana's first title of these Games, dedicating his win to his mother Tessa Franco on her 60th birthday.

The American-born athlete is the first representing the country to top the podium at a Commonwealth Games since Manchester 2002 and claimed the nation's fourth gold in the history of the event by jumping a best of 16.88m.

The Dominican team arrived at Gold Coast 2018 having not won a medal of any colour but will leave with at least two after Yordanys Doranona Garcia earned silver with a furthest effort of 16.86m.

Garcia followed in the footsteps of Thea LaFond, winner of Dominica's first medal with bronze in the women's triple jump.

Marcel Mayack II of Cameroon was third with a jump of 16.80m.

Obiri and Manangoi's lived up to expectations with cool and composed performances in their respective races.

Obiri, Olympic silver medallist at Rio 2016, led from the front and proved too strong for team-mate Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi by clocking 15min 13.11sec to clinch gold.

Laura Weightman of England also impressed as she came through to bag bronze.

Manangoi was similarly in control of the 1500m, holding back before unleashing his devastating pace on the last lap to cross the line in 3:34.78.

His team-mate Timothy Cheruiyot did enough for silver in 3:35.17, while Scotland's Jake Wightman made his father Geoff, the stadium announcer at the venue, proud with bronze in 3:35.97.

Makwala, winner of the 400m earlier this week, carried Botswana home in the men's 4x400m relay in a time of 3:01.78.

The team, which also included Leaname Maotoanong, Baboloki Thebe and Onkabetse Nkobolo, then did simultaneous press-ups in homage to Makwala's famous celebration.

The Bahamas were 0.14 seconds adrift in silver and the bronze medal went to Jamaica in 3:01.97.

Jamaica had earlier won the women's 4x400m as Christine Day, Anastasia Le-Roy, Janieve Russell and Stephenie McPherson powered around the track in 3:24.00.

Nigeria were in contention but faded into silver medal position and bronze was claimed by Botswana.

India were made to wait for their first athletics gold of the Games until the last day as Neeraj Chopra triumphed in the men's javelin with a best throw of 86.47m.

Hamish Peacock won a silver medal after registering 82.59m, while Grenada's Anderson Peters took bronze with 82.20m.

Marathon events for able-bodied and Para athletes are due to take place tomorrow.