The other ‘stars’ of the Games
Check out the new and upgraded competition venues for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
THE excitement leading up to the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018) is palpable – and it’s easy to see why. After all, this will be the largest sporting event that the sunshiny Australian city has ever hosted.
For the uninitiated, the Commonwealth Games is a multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations (whose member states are mostly former British Empire territories).
Over 6,600 athletes and team officials from 70 nations and territories will gather at the Gold Coast on April 4 next year for an 11-day sporting event.
The other stars of the event are the city’s new and upgraded competition venues. Here’s a closer look at some of these:
Gold Coast Convention Exhibition Centre
Completed in 2004, the Gold Coast Convention Exhibition Centre is the largest regional convention centre in Australia. It has bragging rights as the perfect venue to hold the netball heats and basketball finals during GC2018. The arena has a seating capacity of 5,000. The main press centre will also be set up at this venue. So if you see men and women rushing about, those are probably journalists and photographers working to get the stories out to the world.
Gold Coast Aquatics Centre and Southport Broadwater Parklands
Known to some locals as “The GCAC”, the Gold Coast Aquatics Centre has served as the training ground for local swimmers and elite athletes since the 1960s. The venue went through a redevelopment project that was completed in 2014. Today, it’s a world-class facility capable of hosting up to 12,500 spectators for major national and international events. Its location in the picturesque Southport Broadwater Parklands means that spectators can expect a breathtaking backdrop to the swimming and diving competitions. The parklands will also provide a scenic venue for the marathon and triathlon events.
Coomera Indoor Sports Centre
The gymnastics competition and netball finals will be held at the Coomera Indoor Sports Centre. Once the Games is over, though, the new multi-purpose facility is slated to be an important community infrastructure. The eight mixed-use indoor sports courts are perfect for a range of sports, including basketball and volleyball. The venue is also ideal for hosting meetings and functions.
Commonwealth Games Village
The construction of this venue is still underway and is expected to be completed late this year. It will contain over 1,200 permanent apartments and townhouses and a neighbourhood retail centre. In the long term, the village will be home to a vibrant community as the key residential, commercial and retail part of the Health and Knowledge Precinct.
Carrara Sports Precinct
This precinct will be a signature venue for GC2018, with the opening and closing ceremonies taking place here. In addition to that, the athletics, badminton, weight-lifting and wrestling competitions will be held here.
The Precinct has been revitalised with the construction of the Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre and upgrades to both Carrara Stadium and Carrara Indoor Stadium.