Kerry Parnell: Airport baggage debacle could be Comm Games’ real challenge

As Aussie athletes face down nerves and anticipation in the lead-up to the Commonwealth Games, there’s an extra hurdle to overcome — whether their luggage will show up, writes Kerry Parnell.

As Birmingham Airport welcomes athletes to the Commonwealth Games, let’s hope it also welcomes their luggage.

With flight chaos continuing all over the world, anyone travelling anywhere is proving lucky indeed if they arrive at their destination with their bags.

So, I can only imagine the stress of the Aussie and other international athletes hoping both they and their kit successfully made it to the English host city.

Especially when this year the Aussie team uniform is actually stylish.

The R.M. Williams-designed collection is a nod to outback elegance, with green blazers, chinos, boots and gold shirts and scarfs.

R.M.Williams Commonwealth Games Australia Uniform Unveiling for 50 Days to Go – Ellie Cole OAM.

It looks quite equestrian; perhaps they hope it will inspire the team to gallop off with all the gold medals.

But seriously, with all the horror stories of musicians cancelling concerts because their instruments have been lost or smashed to smithereens, holiday-makers spending their entire vacation with one pair of pants and a complimentary toothbrush and toddlers being re-booked on a different flight to their parents, this could prove a Commonwealth Games to remember, style-wise, if the athletes’ kit bags get packed up and lost, with no smile, smile, smile.

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt speaks to the media during a press conference at the Scottish Exhibition and Convention Centre during the XX Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, Saturday, July 26, 2014. Picture: Dan Himbrechts

I have visions of queues of competitors outside British high street institution, Marks and Spencer, snapping up their reasonably priced separates and whole teams sporting their signature Blue Harbour polo shirts; or riots at JD Sports as swimmers scrabble over the last pair of Speedos.

On a plus note, Birmingham is renowned for its shopping, so we could see some gladiatorial Games of a kind not on the schedule, if we’re lucky.

Maybe Russell Crowe will pop over and take some more selfies in that arena. Everyone would give a thumbs up to that.

The lost-luggage crisis is nothing short of crazy. I mean, I know we’re all meant to be shedding our personal baggage now, but somehow, I don’t think this is what the wellbeing warriors meant.

Bright suitcases on luggage conveyor belt at arrival area of passenger terminal in airport. View of baggage carousel.

Two Indian table tennis competitors lost their equipment when they travelled to a training camp in Portugal and Air France literally left them up a creek without their paddles. If I was an athlete – which clearly,
I am not – I would have flown with my kit stuffed in my carry-on case – easy for the beach volleyball team, not so straightforward for the pole-vaulters.

Ironically, this is the one year in which Australia would want to hang on to their uniform, compared to previous competitions when the team would have been sorry-not-sorry to accidentally-on-purpose lose their outfits on the stopover.

The Australian team’s uniform for the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, for example, was a Star Trek-esque nightmare of stretch fabric and white slacks, which was only eclipsed in awfulness by host Scotland’s weird combination of blue dress shirts and mustard, I repeat, mustard-coloured kilts and socks. Then there was the Australian 2008 Olympic uniform of pinstripe suits, which could have doubled as cabin crew on the way over, which come to think of it, could solve two problems at once right now.