Games show city in whole new light
THE Gold Coast’s 2018 Commonwealth Games organisers have been given thumbs up for the event venues plus the opening and closing ceremony plans.
The organising committee GOLDOC welcomed 130 team chefs de mission and delegates from the 69 Commonwealth nations and territories to the city on Sunday night.
They have arrived for a week of venue familiarisation and workshops ahead of the Games in April, 2018, which is now 176 days away.
Numerous chefs de mission told the Bulletin yesterday they were impressed by the readiness ahead of schedule
of the stadiums and several Games veterans described the Athletes Village at Parklands as the best facility they had seen.
In another important step, the Commonwealth Games Federation executive board has given a thumbs up to the opening and closing ceremony concepts showcased to them in Sri Lanka last week.
GOLDOC CEO Mark Peters and chairman Peter Beattie delivered the concepts in person.
Mr Peters said the executive board members applauded at the end of the presentation.
“It’s a big milestone.” New Zealand chef de mission Rob Waddell, who held the role for the 2016 Olympics in Rio and the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014, said he’d already toured the Athletes Village and it was a “high standard”.
“It would be as nice as any village I have been in,” the Olympic rowing gold medallist said.
He was also a fan of the Village’s bright, Rubik’s cubeesque colour scheme.
“I think it looks awesome, I love it. Our only challenge now will be how to overlay that with some black and silver ferns to give it a New Zealand feel.”
Mr Waddell, who trained on the Coast’s Hinze Dam prior to the 2000 Sydney Olympics, said the Games was going to showcase the city in a whole new light to visitors and the athletes.
“With the Commonwealth Games, it is really diversifying the perception of the Gold Coast,” Mr Waddell said.
“You could be forgiven for a stereotypical view of the Gold Coast as beaches, surf and sand but this just paints it in a whole other light.
“It’s a progressive sort of place and this highlights what else it can do and other aspects you might not normally see – and I have enjoyed seeing that.”
Jamaica’s chef de mission Dalton Myers said he was also a fan of the Athletes Village colour scheme: “It’s cool, I mean, you can’t miss it.
“Things seem really on schedule. We are impressed with the work done so far.”
THE ATHLETES VILLAGE WOULD BE AS NICE AS ANY VILLAGE I HAVE BEEN IN. IT LOOKS AWESOME, I LOVE IT. NEW ZEALAND’S ROB WADDELL