Birmingham breathes fresh life into Commonwealth Games with ultimate sporting palate cleanser
It may have taken nearly a century for the Commonwealth Games to struggle to find their place as the ultimate palate-cleansing sport.
Every hour of the day we can enjoy our favorite teams, leagues and stars spoiled for choice on every channel and stream. So maybe looking forward to a bronze medal beach volleyball match between Vanuatu and New Zealand every four years can nourish the soul. And maybe you should take bowls too, a nicer bunch of people you couldn’t ask for.
As the days counted down to those Commonwealth Games, the chorus of cynics grew louder and louder.
Birmingham in August? Bring an umbrella, they said. In fact, four years ago, the average daily temperature was exceeded in “sunny” Queensland.
They started with a hard-hitting opening ceremony and cranked up the volume every day. The final show left your ears ringing and smiling from ear to ear.
It’s true that some of the star names didn’t show up, and some of those that did might initially have wished they hadn’t showed up. Don’t tell Adam Peaty – who lost his eight-year unbeaten record in the 100m breaststroke – this competition is second rate.
Also, the Commonwealth Games have always been about creating new heroes. Gymnast Jake Jarman – unknown just two weeks ago – stepped out of Max Whitlock’s shadow and carried England’s flag into the closing ceremony after his four gold medals.
Double gold medalist Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, just 17, could become a diving superstar to rival Tom Daley and Jack Laugher, Delicious Orie proved more than just a big name with an inspiring backstory in the boxing ring, and women’s hockey was coming home. .. again.
The Birmingham show went remarkably smoothly, one of the perks of not having many sponsors is not many corporate tickets. Seats were packed with real fans wanting to be there, and arenas new, old and temporary rocked to a brummie playlist from ELO to UB40 to glam rockers Slade.
This was exactly what we needed, even if sometimes you thought you were at a party first and then a sporting event.
Because if you cocked your head, squinted, and ignored the split times, it was a bit like stepping back to the fabled summer of 2012, when the pursuit of a gold medal was just a flick of the remote or a bus ride away.
Not a super Saturday, but lots of super performances. Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem unleashes a throw to win the javelin, Australia’s 4x200m freestyle relay sets a sizzling world record, bowler George Miller wins gold at the age of 75 and Jamaica’s netball Sunshine Girls dance their way into the affections of all onlookers.
Australia topped the medals table to prove the joke that the Commonwealth Games give them a chance to win without having to play against countries that also have swimming pools.
But it was close, Team England finished just two medals behind them, their 176-time feat being their all-time best and erasing Glasgow from the record books.
Of the 280 gold medals awarded, 61% were won by either Australia, England, Canada or India. However, a record 43 of the 72 participating nations and territories made it onto the podium, including boxer Duken Tutakitoa-Williams, who became the first medalist for Niue, which has a population of 1,937.
Scotland had their best ‘away’ games to date, while Wales slipped slightly on their Gold Coast haul, although eight gold medals was still their third-best performance in history. Guernsey even came into play with silver and bronze.
The Alexander Stadium, once so dingy and unloved, was the beating heart of the games, filled to capacity morning and night. IAAF World Championships boss Seb Coe certainly hadn’t missed the fact that more people were watching track and field here than at the last two editions of his flagship World Championships combined.
The Commonwealth Games have thrived on borrowed time for some time, but the last 12 days have breathed new life into an event too simplistic to be dismissed as an anachronism.
Birmingham greeted the world with warmth and authenticity. A city founded on its heritage of “1,001 distinct trades” speaks with almost as many voices today.
If you want to face the Commonwealth, come to Brum.
Too often, hosts of big events scrub themselves from their imperfections, in 2010 Delhi cleared beggars from the streets and erected barriers to hide its slums.
Birmingham took the more refreshing view of accepting us as we are and the games were enriched by that.
Her graduation ceremony was an awe-inspiring brilliance from start to finish, leaving her with a smile and a desire for a clearer message.
Birmingham… They played a blind man.
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