Commonwealth Games 2014: Glasgow’s moment arrives
July 23, 2014
The fervent celebrations that followed the decision in Sri Lanka to award Scotland the Games in 2007 seem an age away. Now, on the eve of an event that is certain to provide box-office sporting drama amid moments of magic, the time for waiting is almost over.
More than 4,500 athletes will compete across 17 events in the next 11 days. From athletics at Hampden Park to rugby at Ibrox, from the triathlon in Strathclyde to the swimming at Tollcross, the hopes of 71 nations and territories will play out on the track, across the streets and in the water of a city with a rich sporting history.
Usain Bolt, Sir Bradley Wiggins, Mo Farah and David Rudisha are among the stellar names that will grace stadiums and screens in the coming days. Other heroes will emerge while hearts will also be broken and dreams ended in Glasgow, a fitting stage for feats of bravura that will live long in the memory for those lucky enough to witness them.
At a cost of £575m these Games have united a city that, at times, other sports can divide. The baton relay that climaxes inside Celtic Park on Wednesday night, when the Queen will declare the Games open, has passed through every local authority in Scotland to rapturous applause, while on the streets of Glasgow the signs of something significant brewing are everywhere. From the road closures to the bunting, the new accents and the foreign faces, the anticipation is palpable.
Comparisons between Glasgow 2014 and London 2012, however, are arguably an exercise in futility. The Olympic Games is unparalleled in its stature and any attempt to replicate the scenes of two years ago in the English capital would undermine what is expected to be a significant event in its own right.
These Games will seek their own identity and, although Sir Chris Hoy – the six-time Olympic champion who has been honoured by the Glasgow velodrome being built in his name – spoke of an “afterglow” effect from London, he also said the Commonwealths “in many ways can be better for a sports fan”.
More than 70% of the tickets for each sport have been made available to the general public and, although there is still availability for the opening and closing ceremonies, 95% of the total tickets for the Games have been sold. Changes in transport infrastructure have cost £1bn while 150 community sport hubs across the country have been created.
David Grevemberg, the Glasgow 2014 chief executive, said that comparisons with London 2012 were unnecessary, claiming that the Games in Scotland should be remembered as a world-class event in themselves. He said: “I was asked after London 2012, ‘How are you going to beat that?’ and I simply said, ‘I’m not going to try’. We’re not the Olympic Games and we’re not the Paralympic Games. We’re the Commonwealth Games and we’re going to try and do it differently.
There have, though, been logistical hitches along the way. The ticket website initially crashed during the first phase of purchases in May, while a recent outbreak of norovirus at the athletes’ village spread to more than 50 workers on the site. Organisers insist the contagious diarrhoea and vomiting bug is now under control.
Scotland has targeted its biggest medal haul in the history of the Commonwealth Games and organisers hope things will begin with a bang on Thursday evening in the pool, when Michael Jamieson and Hannah Miley are expected to kick off the nation’s biggest multi-sport event in history with home victories.
New Zealand will start the defence of their rugby sevens title at Ibrox on Saturday, before the athletics gets under way at Hampden Park the following day. Bolt will run for Jamaica in the 4x200m relay – and members of the public will have the chance to pit themselves over 30m against the fastest man in the world thanks to a big screen simulator at Glasgow Green – while Farah goes for an English double gold in the 5,000m and 10,000m.
