Golden way to start party
Aussies lead parade of Commonwealth’s best athletes
AUSTRALIA’S flag bearers, men’s hockey captain Eddie Ockenden and squash champion Rachael Grinham, had the distinct privilege of leading the entire Commonwealth family of 72 nations into the Alexander Stadium for the opening of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
Australia led the parade of nations waving to the royal party, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Commonwealth Games Federation vice patron, the Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward, and Sophie, the Countess
of Wessex, to kick start a smorgasbord of 10 days of sport and fun.
It was perhaps fitting Australia had the lead-off honour as the most successful country at the Games, and team officials are hoping to eclipse its 1000th Commonwealth gold medal of all time sometime at these Games.
Prince Charles had even told some of the Australian athletes earlier in the day when he visited the athletes’ village that other nations were “terrified’’ of competing against them.
Most of Australia’s competitors due to begin performing on Friday’s first day of competition, such as the high calibre swim team, elected to watch the ceremony at the athletes’ village.
But the Australians who did march – most of whom didn’t wear masks – almost caused a traffic jam at the end of the 100m straight when a third of the team walked off early to get an early night’s sleep, but stopped mid-track to get team selfies first.
Oceania teams following behind like Niue, Tuvalu, Fiji and Tonga were only briefly indisposed by the good natured mayhem. It was that kind of feel-good night.
Throughout the three hours there was an electrifying rock and roll playlist and it finished with dancing and fireworks to a superb show by locals Duran Duran – and then with Prince Charles delivering the Queen’s message which had been transported around the Commonwealth in the baton relay.