Latest news with #CommonwealthGamesAustralia
Perth Now
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Australia buoyed by Gout's Commonwealth Games signal
Commonwealth Games Australia boss Craig Phillips is thrilled the biggest rising star in Australian sport will be part of the team that is set to yet again top the medal tally in Glasgow. One year out from the 2026 Games - to be staged in Glasgow after Victoria's government reneged on hosting - teenaged sprint sensation Gout Gout's intent to participate has buoyed Australian officials. "Gout Gout's indicated he's coming, which is fantastic to see his interest in coming to the Games," Phillips said on Wednesday. "There's a bit to go obviously in terms of selection processes and all that, but he is an absolutely exciting young talent. "So to see him as part of our Commonwealth Games team alongside great athletes from across our sports is going to be fantastic." Gout had initially been expected to prioritise the August 5-9 world junior titles in the United States, where he wants to emulate the great Usain Bolt, who won the under-20 200m title back in 2002. But Gout is now set to contest the Commonwealth 100m event in Glasgow, before heading to the US for the 200m at the world juniors. "We know the 100 is early enough in the program that he can do both the Commonwealth Games and then the juniors coming in soon thereafter." Phillips said. Gout is in line to do something Bolt never did by running as an individual at the Commonwealth Games. The Jamaican legend was part of his country's gold medal-winning 4x100m men's relay team at Glasgow 2014. Gout's participation will further boost Australia's hopes of again topping the medal tally, which they have done in eight of the last nine Games dating back to 1990. Glasgow's pared-down Games will feature 10 sports, nine less than in 2022 in Birmingham. Sports which Australia tends to dominate at Commonwealth level such as hockey, rugby sevens and diving have been axed. But 82 per cent of the nation's medal events in Birmingham remain on the Glasgow program. "We have ambitions to remain top of the medal tally, which is a stated ambition of ours all the time," Phillips said. "We really think that our athletes can do that. What that number takes, it will take. "But we're pretty confident that we'll put our athletes in the best possible position to do that."
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Australia rules out bid for 2030 Commonwealth Games
Australia has ruled out bidding to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games but is hell-bent on retaining its superpower status at the sporting event. Glasgow will host a pared-down event next year, salvaging the Games after Victoria reneged as host, citing contentious cost blow-outs. Commonwealth Sport, formerly known as the Commonwealth Games Federation, is seeking expressions of interest in hosting the 2030 edition, but Australia won't bid. "Realistically for us, '30 is not on our radar," Commonwealth Games Australia chief executive Craig Phillips told AAP. "If a government put their hand up and said 'We want to do it', we would certainly talk to them, but we're not really pursuing it. "We haven't been out to governments at all, and we have done that deliberately because we're not sure that really '30 is for us. "We have got Brisbane's '32 Olympics and Paralympics - I just think '30 is difficult timing from that point of view. "Our plan to host '26 was part of our Green and Gold Runway (towards the '32 Olympics) - that wasn't to be. "But we think '30 is just a bit too close when you look at what is required from commercial partners, what is required from various levels of government. It becomes a little bit challenging with an Olympics and Paralympics coming." Phillips said the 2030 Commonwealth Games could be a multi-city or multi-national event. Glasgow's Games next year will feature 10 sports, down from the 19 on the program at the last edition in Birmingham, England, in 2022. Australia topped the medal tally in Birmingham for the 12th time in the 20 editions of the Games dating back to the inaugural event. Since 1994, Australia has led the medal table at all but one Games, in Glasgow in 2014 when England prevailed. But some 82 per cent of Australia's medal events in Birmingham remain on the Glasgow program. Phillips had no hesitation in predicting Australia would again top the medal tallies next year. "We don't shy away from it ... we have every expectation that we will," he said. "We don't set a number of medals in particular, but our ambition is to top the gold and overall medal tallies ... and medal in as many sports as possible." Phillips forecast between 270 and 300 Australian athletes would compete in Glasgow, with about 30 per cent contesting para sports. Some Australian officials, including chef de mission Petria Thomas, last week were in Glasgow assessing the city's preparations for a Games partly funded by Victoria's government, which paid $380 million in compensation to the CGF, from which $200 million was directed to Scotland to help cover costs. "They are moving pretty fast," Phillips said of Glasgow organisers. "When Glasgow did step in, we didn't have many concerns about their ability because they obviously hosted the Games very successfully in 2014. "They have made it their business to make Glasgow an events city. "That sort of capability was mobilised very quickly ... they have a long way to go still, but we know they're making good strides forward." Organisers have announced changes to the King's baton relay ahead of the Games, with each of the 74 Commonwealth nations to have its own baton. Each baton will carry one word of the King's message, to be revealed at the opening ceremony. "We want to make sure every Commonwealth nation and territory gets to experience the power of the baton coming through their communities, and this is a more cost-effective way of doing it," Phillips said.
