I realise that the U.S. does not get to compete in the Commonwealth Games but it does happen to be one of my favourite sporting events. It is very much like the Olympic Games but only for British Commonwealth countries. This year it is being held at the Gold Coast in Australia; only half an hour's drive from where I live at Redland Bay, which is midway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

I suppose the country where the games is being held does have a bit of a home advantage, but I would suggest the present medal tally is actually showing how good Australia is at all sports. One does not expect to have twice as many medals as England, for instance.

Here is the present situation:

Commonwealth Games Medals

Country Gold Silver Bronze

Australia 57 43 45

England 25 30 21

India 12 4 8

S. Africa 10 7 9

N.Z. 9 10 8

Canada 8 22 17

Scotland 7 11 14

<LINK_TEXT text="http://www.news.com.au/sport/commonweal ... f29c537e82">http://www.news.com.au/sport/commonwealth-games/live-commonwealth-games-day-seven-on-the-gold-coast/news-story/d087f8f398fb76c2f5c590f29c537e82</LINK_TEXT>

One of the things I particularly like about the Commonwealth Games is that the Para sports are held at the same time and in the same venues. :good: I really think the Paralympics should to be the same.

I have a soft spot for the Commonwealth Games having competed in 1998 in Kuala Lumpur. I have some good friends involved in the Gold Coast too.

Ronnie

I recenrly heard a comment in swiss radio on the Commonwealth games: Those games are kept alive so australia thinks they are a big sports nation. :-)

[quote="ronnies"]I have a soft spot for the Commonwealth Games having competed in 1998 in Kuala Lumpur. I have some good friends involved in the Gold Coast too.

Ronnie[/quote]

Sweet! What did you compete in?

[quote="Neo Bri"]<QUOTE author="ronnies" post_id="58027" time="1523520115" user_id="78">
I have a soft spot for the Commonwealth Games having competed in 1998 in Kuala Lumpur. I have some good friends involved in the Gold Coast too.

Ronnie[/quote]

Sweet! What did you compete in?
</QUOTE>

Smallbore Rifle prone and 3 positions.

Ronnie

Australia were sensationally successful in terms of medals and one hopes that the whole games helped to restore our sporting reputation, after the cheating scandal in South Africa with our international cricket team.

However, last night the whole games finished on a sour note, with the worst closing ceremony I have ever seen. :roll: The athletes were hardly featured at all. As a consequence, the audience were not impressed and began streaming out of the Carrara Stadium before the ceremony finished, leaving the venue seemingly half-empty for all the world to see. The music entertainment was terrible!

The ceremony had seven long boring speeches by dignitaries, including Mr Beattie (Games organiser and ex Queensland Premier), Queensland's current Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, and the Lord Mayor of Birmingham — the 2022 Commonwealth Games host city. Admittedly, Peter Beattie said this morning that, "'We got it wrong". :oops:

Even the TV commentators thought it was a terrible show and said as much. They were mainly upset because they had paid a lot of money to cover all the games and it all ended in such a fizzer.

<LINK_TEXT text="www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-16/commonwe ... ie/9661744">www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-16/commonwealth-games-closing-ceremony-we-got-it-wrong-says-beattie/9661744</LINK_TEXT>