TASSIE’S GOLDEN RECORD
Ceremony stumbles over line
IT’S been our best ever Commonwealth Games effort. Tasmanian-born athletes are bringing home 10 gold medals, two team gold and four silvers, far surpassing our previous best performance of seven in 2006.
Tasmanian Institute of Sport director Paul Austin has described the haul as “simply sensational” and believes the high-calibre training that the athletes receive at the institute contributed to the tally alongside personal talent.
“It was an absolutely terrific Commonwealth Games,” Austin says. “It’s hard to envisage a more successful return.
“It’s going to be hard to see how we can surpass it. Ten gold medals is an outstanding result. Our success rate for athletes would be hard for anyone to beat by percentages.”
THE stars of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Com Games — the athletes — were glaringly absent in a bittersweet end e to Queensland’s biggest-ever g event. What had been hailed as the best Commonwealth w Games ever ended on o a sour note after athletes l including Australia’s flag-bearer, fl inspirational para-sports pa legend Kurt Fearnley, Fea barely got a look-in. Thousands Th of spectators left Carrara Carra Stadium early and a “furiofurious” Channel 7 host, former Games athlete Johanna Griggs, Grigg apologised. “ThThere was no arrival of the athletes as part of the show,” she tweeted. “A decision by the artistic creative team of the ceremonies. Not us.”
The Gold Coast Games reached the finish line in a closing ceremony starring the likes of Guy Sebastian, Dami Im, The Veronicas, Amy Shark and Yothu Yindi.
It followed a dramatic last day of competition in which para-sports legend Kurt Fearnley won his last wheelchair marathon, England pipped Australia for netball gold and organisers had to defend long delays in getting help for Scottish marathoner Callum Hawkins after his sickening collapse near the finish line.
Australia easily topped the medal tally, bagging 198 medals (including 80 golds) in its second-best Commonwealth Games performance after the 2006 Melbourne Games where it won 222 medals.
After a sellout opening ceremony, thousands of empty seats were a disappointing sight at last night’s closing, which saw cameo appearances by retired track superstar Usain Bolt and Games cult figure Borobi.
Volunteers were even on standby to help fill empty seats at Carrara Stadium and Aussie athletes left the ceremony early.
Youth performers took centre stage as Queensland looked to a bold new future in the wake of the state’s biggest-ever event.
The 15,500 Games volun- teers, dubbed “Games shapers” were also honoured, bathing in the well-deserved spotlight.
Games chairman Peter Beattie told the crowd the Games had made “beautiful history” as the first to have equal medals for men and women
The Games had restored Australia’s global sporting reputation in the wake of cricket’s ball-tampering scandal. Moments like Australia’s 10,000m track trio Eloise Wellings, Madeline Hills and Celia Sullohern waiting to hug last-placed Lineo Chaka, of Lesotho, when she crossed the line showed Aussies could be good sports. “This has more than restored Australia’s global reputation,” he said.