 Logo of 2018 Commonwealth Games | |
| Host city | Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia |
|---|---|
| Motto | Share the Dream |
| Nations | 71Commonwealth Teams |
| Athletes | 4,426 |
| Events | 275 in18 sports |
| Opening | 4 April 2018 |
| Closing | 15 April 2018 |
| Opened by | Charles, Prince of Wales |
| Closed by | Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex |
| Athlete's Oath | Karen Murphy |
| Queen's Baton Final Runner | Sally Pearson |
| Main venue | Carrara Stadium |
| Website | GC2018.com |
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| Part of a series on |
| 2018 Commonwealth Games |
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The2018 Commonwealth Games, officially known as theXXI Commonwealth Games and also known asGold Coast 2018, were an internationalmulti-sport event for members of theCommonwealth that was held on theGold Coast, Queensland,Australia, between 4 and 15 April 2018. It was the fifth time Australia had hosted theCommonwealth Games and the first time a major multi-sport had an equal number of events for male and female athletes.[1]
4,426 athletes including 300 para-athletes from 71 Commonwealth Games Associations took part in the event.[2]The Gambia, which withdrew its membership from theCommonwealth of Nations andCommonwealth Games Federation (CGF) in 2013, was readmitted on 31 March 2018 and participated in the event.[3] With 275 sets of medals, the games featured 18Commonwealth sports, includingbeach volleyball,para triathlon and women'srugby sevens. These sporting events took place at 14 venues in the host city, two venues inBrisbane and one venue each inCairns andTownsville.[4]
This was the first Commonwealth Games to take place under the CGF presidency ofDameLouise Martin.[5] The host city Gold Coast was announced at the CGF General Assembly inBasseterre,Saint Kitts, on 11 November 2011.[6] Gold Coast became the seventh Oceanian city and the first regional city to host the Commonwealth Games. These were the eighth games to be held inOceania and theSouthern Hemisphere.
The host nationAustralia topped the medal table for the fourth time in the past five Commonwealth Games, winning the most golds (80) and most medals overall (198).England andIndia finished second and third respectively.[7]Vanuatu,Cook Islands,Solomon Islands,British Virgin Islands andDominica each won their first Commonwealth Games medals.[8]
The 2018 Commonwealth Games boosted the Queensland economy by more thanA$2.4 billion between 2013 and 2022,[9] while the venues constructed and upgraded for the Games generated over $60 million in economic benefit annually to the Gold Coast, with the success of the 2018 Commonwealth Games credited with helping Brisbane to secure hosting rights for the2032 Summer Olympics.[10][11]
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On 22 August 2008, thePremier of Queensland,Anna Bligh, officially launched Gold Coast City's bid to host the Commonwealth Games in 2018. On 7 April 2009, theABC reported aland exchange deal between Gold Coast City andState of Queensland forCarrara Stadium. According to MayorRon Clarke, the land would aid a potential bid for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
The land exchanged would be used as the site of an aquatics centre. In the same article, Mayor Clarke raised the question of the Australian Federal Government's commitment to a 2018 Commonwealth Games bid in light of the Government's support forAustralia's 2018 FIFA World Cup Finals bid.[12] On 16 April 2009, Queensland Premier Anna Bligh told reporters that a successful Commonwealth Games bid by Gold Coast City could help the tourist strip win a role in hosting the World Cup.[13]
"Some of the infrastructure that would be built for the Commonwealth Games will be useful for Gold Coast City to get a World Cup game out of the soccer World Cup if we're successful as a nation," she said. However, the decision on the venues for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups were made eleven months prior to the bid decision for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, so the potential World Cup venues had already been chosen. On 3 June 2009, Gold Coast City was confirmed as Australia's exclusive bidder vying for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.[14] "Should a bid proceed, Gold Coast City will have the exclusive Australian rights to bid as host city for 2018," Bligh stated.
"Recently I met with the president and CEO of the Australian Commonwealth Games Association and we agreed to commission a full and comprehensive feasibility study into the potential for the 2018 Commonwealth Games," she said. "Under the stewardship of Queensland Events new chair,Geoff Dixon, that study is now well advanced." On 15 March 2010, it was announced that the Queensland Government will provide initial funding of A$11 million for the 2018 Commonwealth Games bid.
The Premier of Queensland has indicated the Government's support for the bid to the Australian Commonwealth Games Association.[15] On 31 March 2010, the Australian Commonwealth Games Association officially launched the bid to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games.[16] In October 2011, Gold Coast City MayorRon Clarke stated that the games would provide a strong legacy for the city after the games have ended.[17]
On 31 March 2010, a surprise bid was made for the 2018 Commonwealth Games by theSri Lankan city ofHambantota. Hambantota was devastated by the2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, and is undergoing a major face lift. The first phase of thePort of Hambantota is nearing completion and it is funded by the government ofChina. TheMattala International Airport, which is the second international Airport of Sri Lanka is built close to Hambantota. A newHambantota International Cricket Stadium had also been built, which had hosted matches in the2011 Cricket World Cup.
On 10 November 2011, the Hambantota bidders claimed they had already secured enough votes to win the hosting rights.[18] However, on 11 November it was officially announcedGold Coast City had won the rights to host the games.[19][20]
| City | Country | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Gold Coast City |  Australia | 43 |
| Hambantota |  Sri Lanka | 27 |
The event was overseen by the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC). The GOLDOC was formed in 2012 by theGovernment of Queensland.[21] Its headquarters were located inAshmore, a suburban region of Gold Coast.[22] In February 2012,Mark Peters was appointed chief executive officer of the GOLDOC.[23] The Queensland Government MinisterKate Jones was tasked with overseeing the Games.[24]Peter BeattieAC served as the chairman of GOLDOC who was appointed on 17 May 2016 to replace Nigel ChamierOAM.[25][26]
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The Gold Coast 2018 was hosted across 18 venues located on theGold Coast and inBrisbane,Townsville andCairns.[27] Sporting venues were well ahead available of Gold Coast 2018 ensuring that they were used and tested before the Games. TheAustralian andQueensland Governments and theCity of Gold Coast investedA$320 million to deliver new and upgraded venues.[28]Lendlease was the overlay delivery partner and official supporter property and infrastructure of the Games.[29]
Carrara Stadium, located in the suburb ofCarrara, was the main venue forAthletics, theOpening ceremony and theClosing ceremony. The seating capacity of the stadium was temporarily increased to 40,000 for the games by the installation of a large temporary North Stand.[30] The newCarrara Sports and Leisure Centre hosted theBadminton,Para Powerlifting,Weightlifting andWrestling events.[31] TheCarrara Indoor Sports Stadium hosted the back-of-house event operations.
TheGold Coast City Convention and Exhibition Centre, located in the suburb ofBroadbeach, hostedBasketball andNetball (preliminaries) and also served as the Main Media Centre and International Broadcast centre hosting over 3000 members of the worlds press.[32] TheBroadbeach Bowls Club hosted theBowls competition.[33]
TheNerang Mountain Bike Trails was the location for the Mountain Bike competition. A new course was constructed to meet international competition requirements and temporary spectator seating for 2,000 spectators.[34]
The newly builtCoomera Indoor Sports Centre hostedGymnastics and Netball (finals).[35] TheOxenford Studios hosted the sports ofBoxing,Table Tennis andSquash.[36] During Games mode the venue was enhanced to provide for the International Sporting Federation technical venue requirements and provide spectator seating of 3,000 (boxing) and 3,200 (table tennis). TheGold Coast Hockey Centre hosted the men's and women'shockey events during the games.[37] TheSouthport Broadwater Parklands hostedTriathlon,Marathon andRacewalking events.[38] TheOptus aquatic centre hosted theSwimming andDiving events.[39]
Robina Stadium hosted theRugby 7s competition and upgraded to meet World Rugby standards.[40] TheCurrumbin Beachfront hosted the road racing elements of the cycling programme.[41]Coolangatta Beachfront hosted theBeach volleyball event.[42]
Brisbane, along with the Gold Coast, forms part of theSouth East Queenslandconurbation.Track Cycling was held at theSleeman Sports Complex in the suburb ofChandler, where a new indoor cycling velodrome (Anna Meares Velodrome) was built. The Velodrome's seat capacity was 4,000 during the games mode.[43]
TheShooting disciplines were held at theBelmont Shooting Centre. InTropical North Queensland, theCairns Convention Centre andTownsville Entertainment Centre hosted the preliminary rounds of both the men's and women'sbasketball competitions.[44][45][46]
The Athletes Village was officially opened from 25 March 2018 and provided accommodation and services to 6,600 athletes and officials in 1252 permanent dwellings. It was located inSouthport,Gold Coast.[47] There were 1170 one and two-bedroom apartments and 82 three-bedroom townhouses. The village had three zones - International, Residential and Operational.
The residential zone accommodated athletes and officials and also offered recreation, gym and medical facilities. The equipment in the gym was sponsored byTechnogym.[48] Adjoining the gym was the Athlete Recovery Area. The International Zone consisted of retail services, shops and the main dining hall. The Festival 2018 events were also held in the International Zone. The Dining hall served over 18,000 meals per day to the athletes during the Games.[49] Australian telecommunications companyOptus opened a store in the International zone named "Yes Optus Store" which provided free calling services to the athletes and officials and other services such as phone charging and watching events of the Games in televisions.[50] Optus also provided free Wi-Fi services in the village.[51]
The sports-related costs of Gold Coast 2018 wasA$1.5 billion (US$1.2 billion).[52][53]
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The countdown clocks were unveiled on 4 April 2013, exactly five years from the opening ceremony of the games. The clocks were shaped as a surfboard and were located at the beach end ofCavill Avenue inSurfers Paradise and inSouth Bank Parklands inBrisbane. The Countdown Clock was the first fixed element of the Commonwealth Games visual identity program.[54]
The ticket requests began on 24 April 2017 and ended on 22 May 2017.[55][56] The first round of tickets were allocated on 22 June 2017 via a computer-generated ballot system. About 70% of the people who applied for the tickets had received some or all of the tickets requested in the first phase.[57] In Australia, ticket prices ranged from A$10 for many events to A$495 for the most expensive seats at the opening ceremony.[58] The games expected to have 1.2 million tickets for sale. Around 1.06 million tickets were sold by 3 April 2018.[59]Ticketek was the provider of ticketing services for the Games.[60]
The Queen's baton of the 2018 Commonwealth Games had a distinctive loop design and was made of macadamia wood and recycled plastic sourced from Gold Coast waterways. Its design was inspired by the Queensland's "vibrant spirit and indigenous heritage" and with sustainability.[61]
The design of the baton was unveiled on 20 November 2016 at a special ceremony in theJupiter Gold Coast hotel.[62] The baton was designed by the Brisbane-based firm Designworks.[63][64] At the 2018 Good Design Awards conducted by the Good Design Australia, the baton won the Best Product Sport and Lifestyle award.[65]
The Queen's baton relay was launched onCommonwealth Day, 13 March 2017, on the historic forecourt atBuckingham Palace inLondon, signalling the official countdown to the start of the Games. Accompanied by theDuke of Edinburgh andPrince Edward, Her MajestyQueen Elizabeth II heralded the start of the relay by placing her 'message to the Commonwealth and its athletes' into the distinctive loop-design Queen's Baton which then set off on its journey around the globe.[66][67]
The baton traveled for 388 days, spending time in every nation and territory of the Commonwealth. The Gold Coast 2018 Queen's Baton Relay was the longest in Commonwealth Games history. Covering 230,000 km over 388 days, the baton made its way through the six Commonwealth regions of Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and Oceania.[68] The baton landed on Australian soil in December 2017 and then spent 100 days travelling through Australia, finishing its journey at theopening ceremony on 4 April 2018, where the message was removed from the Baton and read aloud byCharles, Prince of Wales.[69]
Tourism Australia andQSuper sponsored the international and Australian segment of Queen's Baton Relay respectively, whileLongines sponsored both the segments.[70][71][72]
The medals for the Games were officially unveiled at a charity gala held on 4 November 2017. Australian Indigenous artist Delvene Cockatoo-Collins designed the medals, while they were produced by theRoyal Australian Mint. The design of the medals was inspired by the coastline ofGold Coast along with Indigenous culture.[73]
Furthermore, Cockatoo-Collins mentioned, "the medal design represents soft sand lines which shift with every tide and wave, also symbolic of athletic achievement, The continual change of tide represents the evolution in athletes who are making their mark, Records are made and special moments of elation are celebrated". Approximately 1,500 medals were created to be distributed to the medalists and each measures approximately 63 millimetres in diameter. The medals weigh between 138 and 163 grams.[74]
Over 15,000 volunteers were hired for the Games. Over 45,000 applicants applied to become a volunteer. The uniforms for the volunteers were revealed on 11 November 2017 at theGold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre. FormerGold Coast Titans playerMat Rogers who was present at the uniform showcase ceremony, said that the uniforms were "very Gold Coast" and it was like an "active wear".[75]Hard Yakka was the official supplier of the uniforms for the volunteers.[76]
During the Games period, free public transportation withinQueensland region was provided to ticket and accreditation holders. The free transportation services were available on local buses, train andGold Coast light rail (G:link) services on the Gold Coast and onTransLink andQconnect bus services in Cairns and Townsville.[77]
The Gold Coast light rail system, connected a number of the key games venues including theOptus Aquatic Centre,Broadwater Parklands and theGold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre with the major accommodation centres ofSurfers Paradise andBroadbeach and the Athletes Village at Parklands. An extension to the system was announced in October 2015, connecting the then current terminus atGold Coast University Hospital to therailway line to Brisbane atHelensvale. The extension opened in December 2017, in time for the games.[78]
Four temporary Games lanes were introduced along the M1 and activated at different times to decrease traffic disruptions for road users. These were used by police and emergency vehicles, spectator shuttle buses and accredited Games family and athletes.[79] TheGold Coast Airport served as the official airport for the Games.[80]
A total of 3,500 police officers from Queensland and 4,000 security personnel from the Australian security companies MSS Security,Wilson Security, SecureCorp and SNP were present at the Games.[81] TheAustralian Defence Force (ADF) assisted Gold Coast authorities in ensuring the security of the Games and deployed over 1,000 personnel to help with the effort.[82]
Furthermore, Operation ATLAS was the codename for the ADF contribution to the security of the Games.[83] TheAustralian Federal Police andAustralian Border Force assisted theQueensland Police Service (QPS) who were the lead agency of the Games' security.[84] American cyber security software companySymantec provided IT and cyber security services for the Games.[85]
TheAustralian Sports Anti-Doping Authority conducted an anti-doping drive in the months prior to the Games, covering around 2500 tests of Australian athletes, as well as 500 tests against international athletes. Three Australians failed drug tests in this process, along with around 20 international athletes, subject to appeal. The Commonwealth Games Federation conducted in-competition testing and, matching protocol at theOlympic Games, launched a sample storage initiative to allow for future testing of samples up to ten years later, should detection technology improve.[86]
The Festival 2018 was a 12-day multi-arts program for the 2018 Commonwealth Games which included free musical performances, activities, public art and other family-friendly events.[87] The program took place atSurfers Paradise andBroadbeach on the Gold Coast, Cultural Forecourt,South Bank in Brisbane, Lagoon Precinct in Cairns andJezzine Barracks, Strand Park andQueens Gardens in Townsville.[88]
The GOLDOC delivered the event with a focus onsustainability under the guidance of theISO 20121 event sustainability management system and theGlobal Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework Sustainability Reporting Standards.[89] The GOLDOC received the Sustainability Award in the Australian Business Awards 2016 for focusing on sustainable practices and planning in the preparation of the games.[90] The GOLDOC headquarters received the 4 Star Green Star – Interiors PILOT rating from the Green Building Council of Australia.[91] The newAnna Meares Velodrome, built specifically for the games, is the first velodrome in the world to have full LED broadcast-quality lighting that cuts energy consumption by up to 60% and reduces running costs and carbon emissions.[92]
The opening ceremony was held atCarrara Stadium on the Gold Coast, between 20:00 and 22:40 AEST, on 4 April 2018.[93] TheHead of the Commonwealth, QueenElizabeth II, was represented by her son,Charles, Prince of Wales.[94]David Zolkwer was its artistic director,[95] with music direction byKatie Noonan.[96] Live musical performers includedChristine Anu,Delta Goodrem,Katie Noonan,Ricki-Lee Coulter andRuel who performed "Golden Years" as the closing act.[97] The ceremony transmitted live onChannel 7 attracted a peak viewing audience of over 2 million in Australia.[98]
The closing ceremony was held at Carrara Stadium on Sunday 15 April 2018 and was produced byJack Morton Worldwide at a cost of A$30 million. Australian pop starsGuy Sebastian,Samantha Jade,Dami Im,Ricki Lee andThe Veronicas were among the performers.Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, declared the Games closed and passed the Commonwealth Games flag toBirmingham, England which will host the2022 Games.[99]
There were 71 Commonwealth Games Associations competing at 2018 Commonwealth Games.[100]Maldives were scheduled to participate, but in October 2016 they withdrew from theCommonwealth.[101]The Gambia returned to the Commonwealth Games after being readmitted as aCommonwealth Games Federation member on 31 March 2018.[3]
It marked the last time that Swaziland participated in the games before being renamed as Eswatini.
The 2018 Commonwealth Games featured 18 different sports encompassing 23 disciplines and 275 events. In the list below, the number of events in each discipline is noted in parentheses.
| 2018 Commonwealth Games Sports Programme | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Demonstration[edit] |
The regulations stated that from the 26 approved sports administered by CommonwealthGoverning Bodies, a minimum of ten core sports and maximum of seventeen sports must be included in any Commonwealth Games schedule.
The approved sports included the 10 core sports:athletics,badminton,boxing,hockey,lawn bowls,netball (for women),rugby sevens,squash,swimming andweightlifting. Integrateddisabled competitions were also scheduled for the Games in six sports: swimming, athletics, cycling, table tennis, powerlifting and lawn bowls. Along with these events for the first time EAD events in triathlon were held, with the medals added to the final tally for each nation. A record 38 para events were contested at these games.[102] On 8 March 2016,beach volleyball was announced as the 18th sport.[103]
The program was broadly similar to that of the2014 Commonwealth Games, with the major changes being the dropping ofjudo, the reintroduction ofbasketball, the debut of women's rugby sevens and beach volleyball.[104]
The 2018 Commonwealth Games was the only sporting event not to feature judo from the previous edition in 2014 since it was optional but from 2022, judo is now currently a core sport in the Commonwealth Games programme.
On 7 October 2016, it was announced seven new events for women were added to the sport program, meaning there are an equal number of events for men and women. This marks the first time in history that a majormulti-sport event has equality in terms of events. In total 275 events in 18 sports are being contested.[105][106]
| OC | Opening ceremony | ● | Event competitions | 1 | Gold medal events | CC | Closing ceremony |
| April 2018 | 4th Wed | 5th Thu | 6th Fri | 7th Sat | 8th Sun | 9th Mon | 10th Tue | 11th Wed | 12th Thu | 13th Fri | 14th Sat | 15th Sun | Events | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceremonies | OC | CC | — | |||||||||||
| Aquatics |  Diving | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 60 | ||||||||
 Swimming | 7 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | ||||||||
 Athletics | 5 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 58 | |||||
 Badminton | ● | ● | ● | ● | 1 | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 5 | 6 | ||
 Basketball | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
_pictogram.svg) Beach volleyball | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 2 | 2 | ||||||
 Boxing | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 16 | 16 | ||||
| Cycling | ||||||||||||||
_pictogram.svg) Mountain biking | 2 | 26 | ||||||||||||
_pictogram.svg) Road cycling | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||
_pictogram.svg) Track cycling | 6 | 4 | 6 | 4 | ||||||||||
| Gymnastics | ||||||||||||||
_pictogram.svg) Artistic | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 20 | ||||||||
_pictogram.svg) Rhythmic | 1 | 1 | 4 | |||||||||||
 Hockey | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 2 | 2 | |||
 Lawn bowls | ● | ● | ● | 2 | 2 | ● | 1 | 2 | 3 | 10 | ||||
 Netball | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 1 | 1 | |||
.svg) Para powerlifting | 4 | 4 | ||||||||||||
 Rugby sevens | ● | ● | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||
 Shooting | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 19 | ||||||
 Squash | ● | ● | ● | ● | 2 | ● | ● | ● | ● | 1 | 2 | 5 | ||
 Table tennis | ● | ● | ● | 1 | 1 | ● | ● | ● | 1 | 4 | 2 | 9 | ||
 Triathlon | 2 | 3 | 5 | |||||||||||
 Weightlifting | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 16 | ||||||||
 Wrestling | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 | ||||||||||
| Daily medal events | 19 | 17 | 22 | 31 | 33 | 26 | 15 | 24 | 27 | 44 | 17 | 275 | ||
| Cumulative total | 19 | 36 | 58 | 89 | 122 | 148 | 163 | 187 | 214 | 258 | 275 | |||
| April 2018 | 4th Wed | 5th Thu | 6th Fri | 7th Sat | 8th Sun | 9th Mon | 10th Tue | 11th Wed | 12th Thu | 13th Fri | 14th Sat | 15th Sun | Total events | |
Only the top ten most successful nations are displayed here. The ranking in this table is consistent with theInternational Olympic Committee convention in its published medal tables. By default, the table is ordered by the number of gold medals the athletes from a nation have won (in this context, a "nation" is an entity represented by aCommonwealth Games Association). The number of silver medals is taken into consideration next and then the number of bronze medals. If nations are still tied, equal ranking is given and they are listed alphabetically by their three-letter country code.Australia came in first in the medal table rank with 78 gold, the second being England with 45 gold, and the third being India with 26 gold.
Two bronze medals were awarded inboxing. In four events ofwrestling, only five nations entered the event, per Commonwealth Games regulations, only one bronze medal was available. No bronze medal was awarded in thewomen's 50 metre butterfly S7,women's powerlifting heavyweight, andwomen's wrestling freestyle 50 kg, as only four athletes competed in the event, and per Commonwealth Games regulations, the bronze medal was not available. Atwomen's tandem sprint B andwomen's tandem 1 km time trial B only one gold medal was available, as only three nations entered the event.
Additionally, two silver medals were awarded in themen's gymnastics horizontal bar,men's 100 metre freestyle, and thewomen's 50 metre freestyleas a result of a tie between two athletes. Therefore, the total number of bronze medals is greater than the total number of gold or silver medals.
* Host nation
| Rank | CGA | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Australia* | 80 | 59 | 59 | 198 |
| 2 |  England | 45 | 45 | 46 | 136 |
| 3 |  India | 26 | 20 | 20 | 66 |
| 4 |  Canada | 15 | 40 | 27 | 82 |
| 5 |  New Zealand | 15 | 16 | 15 | 46 |
| 6 |  South Africa | 13 | 11 | 13 | 37 |
| 7 |  Wales | 10 | 12 | 14 | 36 |
| 8 |  Scotland | 9 | 13 | 22 | 44 |
| 9 |  Nigeria | 9 | 9 | 6 | 24 |
| 10 |  Cyprus | 8 | 1 | 5 | 14 |
| 11–43 | Remaining | 45 | 50 | 62 | 157 |
| Totals (43 entries) | 275 | 276 | 289 | 840 | |
NEP Australia was the host broadcaster of the event. It producedhigh definition coverage of the event and delivered to the rights-holding broadcasters of other nations.[107][108] In Australia, the games were broadcast live on threeSeven Network channels -7HD,7TWO and7Mate.[109] In the United Kingdom,BBC provided Commonwealth Games coverage of more than 200 hours acrossBBC One,BBC Two,BBC Red Button,BBC Sport website,BBC iPlayer andBBC radio.[110] ESPN provided the games coverage for viewers in the USA.[111]Sony Pictures Networks India broadcast the games for the viewers in India on three channels -Sony Six,Sony Ten 2 in English andSony Ten 3 in Hindi.[112]
Flow Sports provided games coverage in theCaribbean countries and territories such asAnguilla,Antigua and Barbuda,Aruba,The Bahamas,Barbados,Bermuda,British Virgin Islands,Cayman Islands,Dominica,Dominican Republic,Grenada,Guyana,Jamaica,Montserrat,Saint Kitts and Nevis,Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,Saint Lucia,Suriname,Trinidad and Tobago alongTurks and Caicos. Flow Sports provided coverage of the event on Flow Sports 1, Flow Sports 2 and up to three additional "Flow Sports Extra" channels.[113]
TheNew Zealand government funded Pacific Cooperation Broadcasting Limited (PCBL) broadcast the event on Pasifika TV in theOceanian countries such asCook Islands,Fiji,Nauru,Niue,Papua New Guinea,Samoa,Solomon Islands,Tonga,Vanuatu,Kiribati andTuvalu.[114]
The official motto for the 2018 Commonwealth Games was "Share the Dream". It was chosen to highlight the dreams and experience at the games that were shared by participants of the games, ranging from athletes to volunteers and the host country Australia to the world including the Commonwealth nations.[122]
The emblem was launched on 4 April 2013, which marked exactly five years until its opening ceremony. It was unveiled at theSouthport Broadwater Parklands. It was designed by theNew South Wales based brand consultancy WiteKite.[123] The emblem of the 2018 Commonwealth Games was a silhouette of the skyline and landscape of Gold Coast, the host city of the games.[124] Nigel ChamierOAM, former chairman of the GOLDOC, said that it was the result of months of market research.[125]
Borobi was named as the mascot of the 2018 Commonwealth Games in 2016. Borobi is a blue koala, with indigenous markings on its body. The term "borobi" means koala in theYugambeh language, spoken by the indigenousYugambeh people of the Gold Coast and surrounding areas.[126] The song ''Days of Gold'' composed by the Australian Duo bandBusby Marou, which was released on 17 October 2014, was considered as the official song of the Mascot Borobi.[127]
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The official partners of the games wereThe Star Gold Coast,Griffith University,TAFE Queensland,Longines,Optus,Atos andWoolworths Supermarkets.[128]Griffith University was also the Creative Arts partner of the games and Presenting partner of theGold Coast Marathon.[129]TAFE Queensland was responsible for providing vocational education and training program for the volunteers of the games.[130]Longines served as the official timekeeper of the games.[131]
Australian singerDelta Goodrem wrote the song "Welcome to Earth", which is about the planet Earth and the theme of the opening ceremony.[132] She performed the song live during the ceremony and was worldwide praised.[133] The song was worldwide released on 5 April 2018 in Delta Goodrem's officialYouTube channel.[134]
TeamIndia violated the Games No-needle policy two times. Just two days before the opening of the Games, a cleaner found needles in a bottle in the Athletes' Village.[135] The Games official found that the syringes belonged to an Indian doctor which he used to injectvitamin B12 to an Indian athlete and did not dispose them properly after using them and violated the Games no-needle policy. As a result, the Indian team officials received serious warnings from the Games officials.[136] Later two Indian athletes were suspended from the Games as needles were found in their apartment which was also against the Games policy.[137]
At least 13 athletes from four countries -Cameroon,Uganda,Rwanda, andSierra Leone - absconded during or immediately after the Games. Some missed their competitions.[138] A month after the games ended, officials estimated that 50 athletes had remained in Australia illegally, with another 200 staying in the country on visas.[139][140] In October 2019, it was found from the official documents that theDepartment of Home Affairs had rejected the asylum claims of 217 out of 230 athletes.[141] The official documents also found that 17 "unlawful non-citizens" who took part in the Commonwealth Games were still in Australia, 14 of which were from Ghana and Rwanda. A total of 13 remain unaccounted for, while four were in detention.[142]
The organising committee of the Games decided to bring in the athletes before the start of the closing ceremony. This caused an uproar on social media as, contrary to public expectations, none of the athletes were shown entering the stadium during the ceremony. Broadcast rights holdersChannel 7 complained on air about the decision and concluded that, "it hasn't really lived up to expectations". Many spectators and athletes left during the ceremony, resulting in a half-empty stadium for much of the event.[143] Following this, theABC claimed that Channel 7 was briefed on the closing ceremony schedule,[144] a claim which Channel 7 later refuted.[145]
The city hosted the 17thSport Accord World Sport and Business Summit from 5 to 10 May 2019 at theGold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.[146]
QueenslandPremierAnnastacia Palaszczuk announced on 9 December 2019 that the state of Queensland would make an official bid for the2032 Summer Olympics featuring venues acrossBrisbane,Gold Coast andSunshine Coast.[147] Without rival cities, theInternational Olympic Committee (IOC) awarded the 2032 Olympics to Brisbane.[148]
| Preceded by Glasgow | Commonwealth Games Gold Coast XXI Commonwealth Games (2018) | Succeeded by Birmingham |
| Politics and elections | |
|---|---|
| People and culture | |
| Sports competitions | |
| Establishments and developments | |
| Disasters | |
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