ATG MEDAL CEREMONY
MUSIC PERFORMANCE
GOLD: Usain Bolt’s DJ cameo (right, bottom) on the decks at Sin City, dropping Drake — had the crowd chanting “U-SA-AAIN! U-SA-AAIN!”
SILVER: Yothu Yindi’s gig in Surfers Paradise, the indigenous Opening Ceremony sets and Salmonella Dub’s
Tiki Taane making it 10 minutes before his Surfers Paradise gig.
BRONZE: Super-selling international artist and Coast girl Amy Shark’s opening night gig, playing through a deluge to a soaked, adoring crowd.
SOCIAL HUB
GOLD: The Star set a PB with rooftop bar/restaurant Nineteen. Its Sports bar was the best place to watch the Games and Garden’s Celebration Lawn the best place to toast Aussie success. SILVER: Swiss watch brand
Longines set a benchmark for VIP and corporate crowds with its sixfigure private lounge/dining room on the beachfront in Broadbeach.
BRONZE: Sin City. Known for opening seven nights a week, their slick, saucy well-staffed operation was rewarded with Usain Bolt returning three nights running.
SOCIAL POST
GOLD: Aussie Rugby Sevens player Charlotte Caslick’s epic troll (right) of Instamodel Tammy Hembrow, replicating Hembrow’s Saski Collection photos and attitude in Games athletic wear.
SILVER: Borobi was prolific, posting daily on every sport — impressive given his big furry paws.
BRONZE: British diver Tom Daley, with his millions of followers, had highlights aplenty including a group shot of the English dive team looking very One Direction.
FASHION STATEMENT
GOLD: Aussie netballer Caitlin
Basset (top, right) loving Games bum bags with athlete kits. Work it girl. SILVER: Instagrammer Gabby Epstein’s shirt (right) with swimmer boyfriend James Roberts’ face on it. BRONZE: Tie between Meter Maids and Sin City bar staff — both the high or low watermark (depending on personal taste) of the GC’s ifyou’ve-got-it-flaunt-it attitude.
HEARTWARMERS
GOLD: Tia-Clair Toomey’s gold in the women’s 58kg weightlifting, doing it for her 17-year-old cousin killed in a car accident the week before. SILVER: Bronte Campbell
emerging from a bad injury run to beat sister Cate to gold with a PB in the 100m freestyle.
BRONZE: Sea FM announcer and Games MC Dan Anstey admitting getting misty-eyed watching exhousemate Nic Beveridge’s paratriathlon silver.
STAR POWER
GOLD: Chris ‘Thor’ Hemsworth kicking back at the athletics pulling out the famed thunderbolt pose with the one and only Usain Bolt.
SILVER: Usain Bolt, the biggest name in athletics, who is obviously enjoying retirement immensely.
BRONZE: Prince Charles, thanks for coming old chap, but consider yourself upstaged, Sir.
UPSETS
GOLD: England downing longtime powerhouse Australia in the netball final. Ouch.
SILVER: Men’s 100-metre sprint favourite Yohan Blake, relegated to bronze by South Africans Akani Simbine (gold) and Henricho
Bruintjies (silver).
BRONZE: Track cycling favourite Matthew Glaetzer knocked out in heats by the slowest qualifier, admitting not putting in a 100 per cent to save himself for the final. Oops.
WORST RESPONSE
GOLD: “Suck it up” — Games organising committee chairman
Peter Beattie to residents concerned about traffic chaos in the lead up. Many simply left town.
SILVER: “Have a look at your own product” — Mayor Tom Tate’s lead balloon for traders hit by a week one “Ghost Coast”.
BRONZE: “If anyone thinks we’re going to be perfect, then you’re a lunatic” — Games organising committee CEO Mark Peters after opening ceremony goers waited hours to get a ride there and back.
UTILITIES
GOLD: The posh unisex portaloos at Longines Record Club on the beach at Broadbeach.
SILVER: The tennis umpire/lifesaver towers for crowd controllers at venues. BRONZE: State Government allowing athletes to use Games accreditation as valid ID for compulsory ID scanners at bars and nightclubs (right).