Commonwealth Games 2018: Gold Coast a tough act to follow
AS THE Glitter Strip basks in the afterglow of 12 days and nights of sporting spectacle, the President of the Commonwealth Games Federation says the Gold Coast has set a new benchmark for the event as it looks forward to Birmingham in 2022.
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THE Gold Coast’s Commonwealth Games have brought new life to the event as the city basks in the afterglow of the sporting spectacle.
Commonwealth Games Federation President Louise Martin admitted the Gold Coast would be “a tough act to follow” as the curtain last night came down on a spectacular 12 days and nights for the Glitter Strip.
CLOSING CEREMONY: COMM GAMES GO OUT WITH A BANG
After the dubious Delhi Games in 2010, the collapse of Durban’s bid for the 2022 event and with the Gold Coast facing competition for 2018 only from a small town in Sri Lanka, there were fears for the future, but Gold Coast Commonwealth Games Corporation Chairman Peter Beattie said it now had a new lease of life.
“We think we have relaunched the Commonwealth Games,” he said.
“The Games were in good shape after Glasgow, don’t get me wrong, but we have given the Commonwealth Games back to Louise in very good order.
“The Para sports program has been incredibly popular, that doesn’t happen at the Olympics and we did it.
“There were the same number of medal events for women as men for the first time ever, so it’s incredibly distinctive what we’ve done.”
Ms Martin said the Games were on the rise.
“The Commonwealth Games are more relevant than they have ever been before,” she said.
“We started in Glasgow and it was just the first steps on the ladder.
“Gold Coast has certainly shown the way we want to go.
“It’s a hard act to follow.”
The sporting side of the Games has been hailed as a runaway success, though elements of the business community were left waiting for a financial windfall that never came.
Mr Beattie said the blame for that did not rest with GOLDOC.
“There was feast and famine, but our job was to deliver a world-class sporting event and we did that,” he said.
“We did everything we could, but we can’t force people to go in to a particular restaurant.”
He had little sympathy for hotels and resorts which jacked up rates to exorbitant prices only to be left with empty rooms.
“Some of the businesses early who tried to gauge people, in the end karma came back at them.
“Those who charged a reasonable prices did well, those who tried to gouge didn’t.
“At the end of the day that was karma in action.”
Originally published as Commonwealth Games 2018: Gold Coast a tough act to follow
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