REPORT CARD
Gold Coast earns a healthy pass mark for its job of hosting the 21st Commonwealth Games.
SECURITY KATHLEEN SKENE
GAMES organisers long acknowledged security as a key challenge, but they were adamant their multi-tiered approach struck the right balance between safety and obtrusiveness.
Their efforts appear to have been ultimately successful – there were no significant incidents, and the vast, active presence of police, defence force personnel and private security officers likely deterred troublemakers large and small from targeting the Games.
On the negative side, the exodus of private security officers over working conditions, along with revelations guards did not receive suitable training, eroded some confidence in the security preparations as a whole and there were also some inconsistencies in physical security measures.
For example, while rubbish bins at light rail stops were covered for security reasons, and clear bags were used for rubbish at the entrance to Carrara Stadium, dozens of council wheelie bins were used at the crowded entrances to the Optus Aquatic Centre and Coomera Sports Centre.
An unattended bag in the midst of queuing people would be a full-scale incident, but a device in a wheelie bin would almost certainly do the job it was put there for.
Generally though, the city felt safe and the Games were secure.
SPORTSMANSHIP EMMA GREENWOOD
THE Commonwealth Games lived up to their reputation as the “Friendly Games”, with acts of sportsmanship and friendship as common as winning medals.
The tone was set in the opening days at the pool, with para athletes often helping each other out of the water.
Whether it was Ellie Cole holding the crutches of rival Alice Tai as the Englishwoman who had just beaten her to gold exited the pool, or Mack Horton and Jack McLoughlin waiting to congratulate Cypriot
Constantinos Hadjittooulis after he was lapped in the 1500m, winning medals was not the only criteria.
Aussies Elouise Wellings, Celia Sullohern and Madeline Hills stayed at the finish line of their 10,000m race long after they were done to clap home Lesotho’s Lineo Chaka.
When England’s Katie Stainton was left writhing on the track after hitting a hurdle, her rivals gathered around to console her.
And disqualified 20km race walker Claire Tallent congratulating teammate Jemima Montag, the event winner, was gold in the eyes of many.
THE AUSSIES EMMA GREENWOOD
SHOCK losses in the netball, women’s sevens and women’s hockey prevent Australia from getting an A+ here, despite romping home in the race for Games supremacy.
The Aussies finished with 198 medals overall, including 80 gold, a tally only beaten in Manchester in 2002 (82), Melbourne in 2006 (84) and Victoria,
Canada in 1994
(87).
While several old faithfuls saluted – including Mitch Larkin who recovered from what he termed an “embarrassing” world championships last year with five gold medals – it was the performance of generation next that was most exciting for a team building towards Tokyo in 2020 as plenty of fresh faces emerged in both able bodied and para sport competition.
BUSINESS KATHLEEN SKENE
THERE were two games at play when it came to the benefits of the Gold Coast Games to local business – the short game and the long game.
Businesses outside the key Games precinct of Broadbeach have proven the losers in the short-term, despite politicians describing a Games-time downturn of 40 per cent or more as a media beat-up.
The city’s biggest business group issued an SOS midway through the Games, saying their members were desperate for customers, and Games organisers themselves admitted their ‘Get Set for the Games’ campaign had gone too far and scared people away. Moreover, more than 90 per cent of the value of Games contracts – as opposed to the number of contracts as spruiked by organisers – went to companies centrally based outside the Gold Coast.
As for the long game, the Gold Coast stands to gain priceless marketing collateral in the form of brilliant images beamed across the world.
More than 1500 delegates attended Trade 2018, in tandem with the Games, which Minister Kate Jones said represented billions of dollars of potential investment.
TRANSPORT PAUL WESTON
ROAD transport was predicted to increase by 22 per cent during the Games.
In April 2017, Commonwealth Games Minister Kate Jones released a plan to cut 50,000 cars with drivers urged to avoid the Pacific Motorway.
The council, together with Games organisers GOLDOC, worked on a Travel Demand Management Plan.
The challenge was to reduce 30 per cent of background traffic from Coast roads. Businesses cut back on deliveries. Employees worked from home.
The plan worked a treat. Usual bottlenecks like Reedy Creek and Coomera on the M1 had fastflowing traffic.
The downside from the scare campaign was residents refused to travel to Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise for festival events.
Road closures for free public events like the Race Walk and road cycling at Currumbin were far too early and killed off business during Easter.
About 180,000 passengers were being moved daily from Beenleigh to Varsity on heavy rail. On light rail, the trams were packed with 100,000 passengers each day.
The city for the first time embraced public transport.
LEGACY PAUL WESTON
THE Gold Coast got more than $500 million worth of new sporting facilities.
Assets like the Coomera Indoor Sports Centre in the city’s fast-growing north will be fantastic venues for our youth.
The entire Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre precinct can host major world sporting events in the future. Clubs and schools will use the first-class hockey fields at Labrador.
The city showed it could host 6500 athletes and officials, and attract 15,000 volunteers. The Coast can put on a major world class show.
To achieve this the government accelerated spending on the $420 million light rail stage two, the $163 million Coomera to Helensvale rail duplication and $160 million on major roads.
Other legacies will take time to unfold, like the impact of pictures broadcast across the world of the beaches during the race walk at Currumbin and the marathon from Runaway Bay to Burleigh Heads.
Talk to visitors and the majority want to stay longer, return and encourage their friends to stay here.
While the focus for previously was on Surfers Paradise, many have fallin in live with the southern Gold Coast.
CEREMONIES RYAN KEEN
GOLD Coast Inc. had its collective heart in its mouth in the lead-up to the opening ceremony. The Games showpiece upon which so much international opinion is made about the host city would be a major litmus for the event and the Gold Coast.
When it poured – briefly – just minutes to kick-off, Gold Coast Tourism chairman Paul Donovan probably summed it up best when he said he was a jumble of “expectation, excitement, pride, nerves and emotions”.
The rain stopped on cue and what unfolded was a Gold Coast-style showcase of all that is fun and fabulous about the city, with impressive special effects, a rollicking good Australian soundtrack and top speeches.
It must be said Games organising committee chairman Peter Beattie (controversially getting the nod to speak by the Commonwealth Games Federation ahead of Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk) delivered brilliantly, opening with a hearty “G’day” to the Commonwealth and over a billion viewers.
Unfortunately, the closing ceremony fell flat, with athletes leaving early and plenty of empty seats on show.
THE SPORT EMMA GREENWOOD
IT’S not an Olympics or world championships but the Commonwealth Games is far from a Mickey Mouse competition.
World records in the pool and at the velodrome show the competition in certain events was on par with anything in the world.
Fields were littered with Olympic and world champions in several sports and while there were big names missing, those who made the trip to the Gold Coast shone.
Sure, there are some exceptions.
Australia led the basketball field by a mile in a sport that has made its only two Games appearances ... both on home soil.
And being able to win a medal in a sport like boxing when you lose your only bout is hardly a shining example of a deep and competitive field.
But there can be few complaints overall.
The Games also provide a valuable stepping stone for athletes looking to step up to Olympic competition in two years’ time and the Gold Coast is likely to be seen as an important plank in any Tokyo success.
VENUES KATHLEEN SKENE
WITH a delivery of ponchos and smile from the weather gods, debate over the roofless aquatic centre faded into distant memory once the athletes walked on to the pooldeck and the crowd began to roar.
Patchy rain caused slight annoyance on one night of the swimming, while a session of diving copped more wind than was ideal – but fears of a repeat of the 2014 Pan Pacifics ‘weathergeddon’ did not eventuate.
Most of the 12 Gold Coast venues proved their mettle well before the opening cer- emony, with all but the athletes village completed, as promised, at least 12 months ago. Carrara Stadium sang as the athletics headquarters, the Coomera Indoor Sports Centre was perfect for gymnastics, while the athletes village has been roundly praised by athletes and officials.
As far as white elephants go there are no standouts – although it would have been good to see the athletics warmup track left in place instead of being ripped up and returned to grass.
The Coolangatta beach volleyball stadium was so popular people don’t want them to take it down. Well played.
VOLUNTEERS BRITT RAMSEY
HAVE you heard anything negative about our 2018 Games volunteers?
Because I certainly haven’t. And you know what, I’m glad.
Shade has been thrown at athletes for their questionable or poor behaviour, or level of sportsmanship; at GOLDOC and the organising committee for comments made or logistical errors ... but the volunteers, I cannot fault them.
Every last one I met, had a unique story to tell, and were more than willing to strike up a conversation. Every single one I spoke to or even just walked past, engaged with me in some way – by simply smiling, hi-fiving or wishing me well on my next journey.
They truly went above and beyond to make the Games experience memorable.
I think I speak for everyone when I say the volunteers were one of the best parts of our Games.
NIGHTLIFE RYAN KEEN
FINGERS crossed there are no final dramas on the Glitter Strip because this was written prior to midnight and what was being anticipated as a huge party night after the closing ceremony.
The State Government came to the party in the leadup and freely extended licensing by an hour for all venues across Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach during the Games.
For the dire first week, it seemed it might have been for nothing. But once week two kicked in when athletes started going out and Usain Bolt ignited
the Glitter Strip with a cameo DJ set at hotspot Sin City, trade soared.
Saturday night was spectacular, with venues on famed party strip Orchid Ave hitting capacity at times.
Many had staffed up and put on extra security from day one so it was good to see them finally rewarded.
Similarly, Games partner The Star deserves a big pat on the back for ensuring swanky rooftop bar and restaurant Nineteen opened weeks prior to the Games. The Star’s new Sports Bar plus Garden Bar and “Celebration Lawn” were also popular social hubs oozing buzz and a sense of never knowing who you might run into.