XVIII Commonwealth Games Blog

XVIII Commonwealth Games
Blog: 22nd March 2006

XVIII Commonwealth Games Blog: 22nd March 2006

Another sunny, warm day in Melbourne, and they say it’ll be even warmer by the weekend. That’s all fine with me, as I keep reading that back home in London it’s relentlessly cold and miserable. Interestingly, most of the Commonwealth Games competition is indoors, away from the glorious blue skies. Basically it’s just athletics, road cycling and a couple of outdoor team sports.

So of course, last night I decided to go watch gymnastics in the Rod Laver Arena, which is the home of the Australian Open, and has its roof closed firmly for the Games. It was the last night of artistic gymnastics - five individual apparatus medals were awarded, three to Canada and two to Australia. And it was fascinating watching these competitors thoroughly enjoying the roar of the crowd and the support of their teammates and even their competitors.

There’s a clear distinction between the rookies and the veterans - you can see it in their eyes, in the way they approach competition. The younger competitors look slightly apprehensive, intensely trying to focus on their skills, initially blocking out the sounds around them, then realising that maybe the thunderous applause is actually for them. When they break into a smile, it’s a great thing to see - you can literally witness them drawing strength from the crowd.

This is especially thunderous in the athletics stadium. With its round shape, the MCG is a great place to watch track and field events - the crowd reacts as one, and the players on the field are infected with the energy.

And then you have the veteran competitors like Asafa Powell or Dean Macey, guys who have been around so long that they seem to almost exist on another plane of reality. They acknowledge the crowd with a smile or a shrug, as if greeting an old friend. They stay focussed but surprisingly at ease as they approach each task. They seem to barely break a sweat as they crush everyone in their path. But in a nice way.

The gymnasts were clearly having a great timeout there last night - sure, there was a lot of intense concentration, frustration at missed mistakes and personal demons to overcome. But every single competitor broke out in a huge grin after their performances, knowing they’d done their best. And when it ended up with them receiving a medal, it was their turn to inspire the audience.

Rich Cline

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