REMEMBER WHEN

GOLD COAST BULLETIN Thursday March 16, 2006

THE Commonwealth Games were officially opened, but not without the help of Ron Clarke and his white tracksuit.

The then-Gold Coast Mayor and other top Aussie athletes donned the dazzling uniform as they enjoyed the top honour of accompanying the baton into the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the opening ceremony.

Darling of the track, Cathy Freeman, took possession of the baton, from runner Herb Elliot just outside the stadium. Ms Freeman then handed it to Cr Clarke – wearing a VeryGC cap – who described the moment as ‘very exciting’.

“It’s quite an honour to be among those legends of sport,’’ he said.

Victorian distance runner John Landy was the final baton carrier before the Queen declared the Games open.

The event marked the second time Cr Clarke has been entrusted with an important role in an international sporting event – the last time was in 1956 at age 19 when he lit the cauldron at the Melbourne Olympic Games.

Sparks from the torch flame singed his arms as he ran to the cauldron, and he then missed the ceremony while he had his magnesium burns dressed.

But that did not stop him from regarding it as one of the proudest moments of his life.

“Every occasion is a separate occasion as far as I’m concerned, but at this time of my life I have to say I didn’t expect to be honoured again,’’ he said.

Despite missing a medal at the 1956 games, Cr Clarke made up for it in Tokyo in 1964 when he took bronze for Australia in the 10,000m.