Games broke new ground
THEY started with two world records and finished with the world’s best teams putting on the two most thrilling contests of the Games. And in between, the Commonwealth Games fulfilled their promise of inclusion and equality.
Commonwealth Games Federation chief executive David Grevemberg calls them the ‘Games of Firsts’.
Anxious to retain relevance by adding an emphasis on human rights and diversity rather than trying to be an event full of world class sport, the firsts helped the Games achieve their purpose.
The firsts came on and off the field. The medals were shared equally between men and women, para competition was fully integrated and a transgender weightlifter provoked debate.
Beach volleyball made its debut, South Africa won its first men’s 100m title, Eileen Cikamata became the first Fijian woman to win Common- wealth gold and tiny island nations like the Cook Islands and Vanuatu were among the medals. In all, 42 out of the 71 nations shared the medals, five for the first time. But, as inclusive as the Games were, Australia overwhelmingly dominated the medal table winning 80 of the 275 gold medals available, with England a distant second on 43.
The host nation’s procession began when their women’s relay swimmers and men’s team pursuit cyclists broke world records on day one, but ended with heartbreak on the closing day in two virtual world championship events.
Their netballers lost to England — another first — to a goal on full-time, while the Olympic champion rugby women were beaten by New Zealand in extra time.
They were among a handful of world class performances on the Gold Coast. The world’s No. 1 triathlete Flora Duffy won gold on the opening day and Adam Peaty continued his four-year unbeaten run in the 100m breaststroke, while a host of Olympic champions delivered on their reputations at the athletics. Caster Semenya’s 800m-1500m double, Shaunae Miller-Uibo’s gold in the 200 and Conselus Kipruto’s steeplechase, along with Botswana’s Isaac Makwala’s 400m win were worthy of any Olympic Games.
As well as being a Games of firsts, it was a Games of surprises.
For the first time since 2002, Jamaica failed to win a flat sprint or relay gold medal, the closest they came was Ron Levy’s 110m hurdles gold. It wasn’t a complete failure for the Jamaicans who defied the stereotypes, winning steeplechase, triple jump, discus and shot put gold medals. But the Commonwealth Games’ sense of inclusion also creates one of its biggest failing — cheap medals.
None were cheaper than Australian boxer Taylah Robertson’s bronze won after she lost her only bout in the women’s 54kg.