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| Gold Coast 2018 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Commonwealth Games XXIII |
| Host city | Gold Coast |
| Country | Australia |
| Nations | 71 |
| Athletes | 4,426 |
| Events | 275 |
| Opening | 4 April 2018 |
| Closing | 15 April 2018 |
| Opened by | Prince Charles |
| Stadium | Carrara Stadium |
Gold Coast 2018 was the XXIII edition of the Commonwealth Games held on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia from 4 to 15 April 2018. The event gathered athletes from across the Commonwealth of Nations including delegations from Australia, Canada, England, India, South Africa and Jamaica, contested across multiple venues such as Carrara Stadium and Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre. The Games featured innovations in para-sport integration and new events, involving figures from Commonwealth Games Federation, local government bodies, and international sporting federations including International Association of Athletics Federations and World Rugby.
The bidding process involved candidate cities assessed by the Commonwealth Games Federation alongside bids from Birmingham, Glasgow-area proposals and municipal expressions of interest from Perth and Sydney. The selection stemmed from a CGF evaluation influenced by commitments from the Queensland Government, the Australian Commonwealth Games Association and the City of Gold Coast council. Key stakeholders included major venues like Carrara Stadium and organizers liaising with federations such as the International Cricket Council and the International Olympic Committee observer groups. Political patrons and dignitaries such as Malcolm Turnbull, Annastacia Palaszczuk and members of the Royal Family were prominent in bid support and ceremonial endorsement.
Competition venues spanned the Gold Coast and adjoining precincts, featuring Carrara Stadium for athletics, the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre for swimming, the Gold Coast Hockey Centre for hockey, and the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre for weightlifting and boxing. Temporary arenas were established near Broadbeach and at the newly upgraded Coomera Indoor Sports Centre for gymnastics and netball. Legacy projects tied to state investment included infrastructure upgrades at Beenleigh and transport links to Brisbane Airport and the Pacific Motorway, supported by contractors and sporting bodies such as Austadiums and venue managers influenced by precedents set at Melbourne 2006 and Glasgow 2014.
Seventy-one Commonwealth of Nations members sent teams, including debut or returning contingents from Maldives, Cameroon and Gibraltar. Prominent delegations were led by national Olympic committees and associations such as the Australian Commonwealth Games Association, the Commonwealth Games Canada and the Commonwealth Games England team. Teams featured marquee athletes associated with federations including Cricket Australia, Athletics Australia, Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association and Boxing Australia. Para-sport athletes were integrated in line with directives from the International Paralympic Committee liaison and CGF inclusive policies.
The programme comprised 275 medal events in sports governed by bodies like the International Weightlifting Federation, the International Cycling Union, World Archery Federation and World Netball. Competition sports included athletics, swimming, cycling (track and road), rugby sevens, netball, lawn bowls, boxing, wrestling, shooting, gymnastics, hockey, squash, table tennis, badminton, and triathlon. New or reintroduced events reflected coordination with organisations such as World Aquatics and World Rugby Sevens Series, and incorporated para-sport events sanctioned by World Para Athletics and World Para Powerlifting.
The Games ran across twelve days with a schedule planned in coordination with broadcasters like BBC Sport, Seven Network and Sky Sports and timing partners such as Omega SA. The opening ceremony at Carrara Stadium on 4 April featured performers associated with Australian culture, appearances by Prince Charles, and cultural contributions linked to Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders, while the closing ceremony on 15 April included formal handover elements involving Birmingham as the next host and dignitaries from the Commonwealth Games Federation.
The medal table was topped by Australia, followed by England, India, Canada and South Africa, with standout performances by athletes associated with federations such as Athletics Australia, Swimming Australia and Badminton Association of India. Notable champions included swimmers and sprinters previously linked to meets like the World Aquatics Championships and the Diamond League, while emerging talents were later seen in events under the aegis of World Athletics and Fédération Internationale de Natation circuits.
Several Games records were set in athletics and swimming under rules administered by World Athletics and World Aquatics. Controversies involved athlete eligibility disputes arbitrated by bodies such as the Court of Arbitration for Sport, debates over selection criteria from national federations like Athletics Canada and allegations of ticketing and procurement irregularities scrutinized by local oversight. Incidents included weather-related scheduling impacts coordinated with emergency services and transport authorities including Queensland Police Service and state emergency management agencies.
The Games left infrastructural legacies in venue upgrades linked to ongoing events by organisations such as Gold Coast Titans and community sport clubs, transport improvements tying into Queensland Rail and tourism impacts monitored by Tourism Australia and Destination Gold Coast. Sporting legacies influenced pathways run by national associations including Cricket Australia, Netball Australia and Athletics Australia and served as a catalyst for regional bids and policies referenced by future hosts like Birmingham 2022 and aspirant cities studying precedents from Glasgow 2014 and Melbourne 2006.
Category:Commonwealth Games Category:2018 in multi-sport events