What insane Aussie Commonwealth Games dominance really means... and truth about maligned event’s future

As Georgia Baker was contemplating a near miss in her pursuit of a new mark in Australian greatness at the Commonwealth Games, the champion cyclist was tapped on the shoulder.

The 31-year-old had just been beaten by teammate Alyssa Polites in the women’s elimination at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome but was about to receive a great consolation prize.

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Having earlier joined the likes of Anna Meares, Matt Glaetzer and Brad McGee as a five-time gold medallist after adding another two to her sensational hat-trick in Birmingham, Baker was honoured with carrying the flag at the closing ceremony.

“As soon as I got told, I just remembered being the young girl getting up at all hours of the morning to watch Australia walk out in the opening and closing ceremonies … and now for it to be me, I’m just so proud,” she said.

She was not alone, for Australia delivered a performance to be proud of. Given the green and gold domination that unfolded in Glasgow, this was an Australian parade. From the pool to the track, the greens to the velodrome, this was an all-age blitz.

Teen sensation Isaac Beacroft was among the young guns who took a big step forward on the international stage, while age did not wear on Louise Hoskins who, at 76, became the oldest ever medal winner when combining with Serena Bonnell to win Para gold in the bowls.

Even an upset for the Diamonds in a netball semi-final might turn out to be a positive given it demonstrated the strength of the sport as a pointer towards future inclusion in the Olympics, with Brisbane in 2032 firmly on the agenda.

The Aussies finished atop the medal table with 70 golds and 171 medals in total, with, ahem, daylight second and third. England were officially second with 29 gold and 110 medals.

Petria Thomas, who is Australia’s chef de mission, said the success was important with a view to the future given the Olympics and World Championships ahead.

“It’s always been an important comp for us and our sports know how important it is for athlete development and career progression,” she said.

“I think for that reason we have really prioritised the Comm Games and that’s really shown here. Our athletes have had an absolute cracker of a Comm Games and really done us proud.”

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

It is not uncommon for Australians to fare well in the Commonwealth Games and they have served as an international apprenticeship for future stars and as a sharpener for champions who have their sights set on Los Angeles 2028.

But the strength of the event differed from sport to sport, which is not surprising given the timing of the games meant that it was in competition with athletics’ European Championships and under-20 World Championships, and the Pan-Pacific swim meet.

That is a byproduct of the farcical circumstances thrust on the Commonwealth Games by Victoria’s abdication, with the 2026 edition initially scripted to run in early autumn, which would have enabled athletes to target different events.

Some were truly world class. Bruce McAvaney bracketed the men’s 100m with the star-laden 1998 event in Kuala Lumpur, with Lachie Kennedy clinching a silver medal in 9.85sec, a new Australian record. Torrie Lewis, too, shone brightly.

The match-race between Josh Kerr, who preferred hometown glory in Glasgow to the European Championships, and Cam Myers over a mile was scintillating in a field that featured an array of world champions.

Jess Hull had to settle for silver twice and she is a jet. So too Nina Kennedy, while Eleanor Patterson, Nicola Olysagers and Kurtis Marschall are among an array of elite performers who will by vying for podium finishes in LA in two years time.

As to the pool, the Dolphins won 37 gold medals and featured an array of star performers including Cam McEvoy, Lani Pallister, Meg Harris, the swimming Sams Short and Williamson, Mollie O’Callaghan, the flying Flynn Southam and Kyle “the King” Chalmers.

Emerging stars including Sienna Toohey, Iona Anderson, Southam, Jenna Forrester and Kai Taylor, the son of swimming queen Hayley Lewis, also impressed and 15 of the team will now head to the Pan Pacs, co-coach Rohan Taylor said.

“Everything we do is to prepare for LA in 2028 and there’s a lot of great takeaways and more to come as we head towards Pan Pacs,” he said.

“The progression of Iona Anderson, Flynn Southam, Jenna Forrester and we all know that Cam McEvoy is going to go away and process his learnings.

“Now we set ourselves for another campaign, the Pan Pacific Championships and we will and apply our learnings in LA. The Americans are going to be as tough as nails on home soil, we’re two years out and there is still plenty of growth in this team.”

Much has been made of those who were absent from Glasgow and their presence would have added to the atmosphere and the competition the Aussies faced.

Keely Hodgkinson, England’s 800m Olympics champion, prioritised the European Championships over the Commonwealth Games. Summer McIntosh, the Canadian superstar, preserved her energy for the Pan Pacs instead.

Injuries prevented other stars including Eilish McColgan, Hamish Kerr, Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Jamaican stars Oblique Seville, Kishane Thompson and Elaine Thompson-Herah, who were not in Scotland either.

But as Thomas said: “You can only compete against who turns up.”

“I’m sure this has been a different Games in that respect but I’m sure with an increased program in Ahmedabad, everything will be back to full strength and we’re really looking forward to it,” she said.

“I wouldn’t categorise us as bullies. We’re just good at our sport and there’s been a lot of investment in this team. Everyone likes an underdog. We’re the same in Australia. We like underdogs as well.”

WHAT NOW FOR THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES?

The Glasgow Games was a reduced affair, which is entirely understandable given Scotland stepped in to save the day after the debacle that unfolded with Victoria forfeiting the event.

There were quotas in terms of the numbers of athletes able to compete, and those competitors were housed in hotels rather than a new village being built. Hockey, a staple of the Commonwealth Games, was among the sports that were cut from the 2026 edition.

Only four stadiums were used in the city on the River Clyde and as seasoned Australian journalist Mick Gleeson wrote in The Age, “This event was winnowed back so far … that in Glasgow you barely know the Games are on. The Games would have had more buzz in Australia than Scotland.”

Life went on as usual in a city that is home to about one-third of Scotland’s population and is renowned for its art scene and vibrant nightlife. And that included the uglier side of a big city.

Midway through the Games the Aussie athletes were warned not to wear their team colour if jogging after Ollie Hoare, who ran fifth in the “miracle mile” won by Scottish sensation Josh Kerr over emerging Australian star Cam Myers, zoomed past police investigating a murder.

Given the farce that unfolded with Victoria pulling out, and the fact this was a reduced offering, critiques surrounding the longevity of the Games are understandable.

But that does not make them correct given the next host, India, is determined to host a “mini-Olympics” aimed at proving it is capable of hosting the five-ring circus down the track.

Ahmedabad will host the version that sits between the Los Angeles and Brisbane Olympics with a view to India’s bid for the 2036 Olympics, and it is certain there will be big investment given their desire for the Olympics and also the fact it will serve as the centenary celebration of the Commonwealth Games. And cricket could well be among the sports on offer.

Given the backlash that occurred after the New Delhi games in 2010, when there were concerns about security, venues and the athletes village, India will work hard to nail 2030.

And as Gleeson writes, had the extent of India’s interest been known, it is certain there would have been greater investment in the Glasgow games, with more sports added and extra stadiums secured, given the financial security that comes with knowing what is ahead.

From a fans perspective, this edition was stark in comparison to the brilliant offering in the Scottish capital 12 years ago, or the golden Games on the Gold Coast in 2018, and even the previous edition in Birmingham, with Ozzy the Bull still holding court in New Street Station.

Those games featured a brilliant T20 tournament for women at Edgbaston, with the Aussies clinching gold, and it is a near-certainty the sport along with badminton and a couple of other events will return for the 2030 games.

If it is to have a future, it has been suggested the Commonwealth Games should embrace a more diverse range of sports including darts and snooker, which are extremely popular in the United Kingdom.

Glasgow kept the Commonwealth Games going and India is determined to build on the experience, according to deputy chief minister Gujurat Harsh Sanghavi.

“It is a big responsibility, but we are ready,” he said.

“Amdavad (Ahmedabad) is compact, well connected and vibrant with possibility. We have integrated transport systems, modern accommodation and our venues are clustered to minimise travel and maximise a great experience.

“We will continue to work with the Glasgow team who have always supported us and shown us how to make a Games happen in a short time.”

Thomas, a nine-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist, is optimistic the “friendly games” will be further energised after India hosts the centenary edition.

“There was a time where we didn’t know whether there would ever be another Commonwealth Games, so to be here in Glasgow and be a part of something that’s been absolutely fantastic comp is great,” she said.

“It’s wonderful for the future of Commonwealth sport that there’s a confirmed host for 2030 and I know India has (the) aspiration to host the Olympics and Paras, so they’re going to be out to prove they can host a great Games.”

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