Aug. 12, 1978: Games went like a dream
THIS DAY IN JOURNAL HISTORY
In 1978, when Edmonton hosted the 11th Commonwealth Games, Canada was No. 1 in medals, the first and only time since the inception of the Games in 1930.
By the 10th and final day of competition, Canada hauled in 109 medals: 45 gold, 31 silver and 33 bronze.
The golden boy was our own Graham Smith, who won an unprecedented six gold medals in each of his swimming events.
Almost 1,500 athletes from 46 countries competed.
Behind the scenes were 7,500 volunteers and organizers.
The Games left Edmonton with a legacy of such worldclass sporting and recreational facilities such as Commonwealth Stadium, and the Kinsmen Aquatic Centre which was built onto the Kinsmen Field House.
The Argyll Velodrome, which was also built for the Games, needs to be replaced, but Edmonton could become the first Canadian city with an international-calibre indoor velodrome by 2016 after city council last fall approved spending $12.7 million to design and build an indoor facility in Coronation Park.
The Commonwealth Games raised our profile on the world stage and changed forever the way the international community saw us.
Since the Commonwealth Games, Edmonton has built a solid reputation of successfully hosting major international sporting events, including the 1983 Summer Universiade, 1990 World Baseball Championships, 1996 World Figure Skating Championships, 2001 IAAF World Athletics Championships and the 2001 ITU World Triathlon Championship, 2002 FISU World University Wrestling Championships and 2002 FIFA Women’s Under-19 World Cup, 2005 World Masters Games, and the 2007 LPGA Canadian Women’s Open and 2007 FIFA Men’s Under-20 World Cup.
The 20th Commonwealth Games will be held July 23 to Aug. 3, 2014, in Glasgow, Scotland.