CWG Diary: Day Two

As Gold Coast gears up for the Commonwealth Games, Sportstar tracks down the talking points of the event.

Sally Pearson is one of the most decorated athletes from Australia.

No hard feelings for Sally

These are no crocodile tears shed on behalf of Sally Pearson, who last night, missed out the honour of being named the Australian flag-bearer at the opening ceremony of the XXI Commonwealth Games here on Wednesday. In fact, there is a general disquiet and disbelief in this part of the world that one of the most popular athletes that the host country has produced and her excellent credentials were overlooked by the Aussie team management which picked the Australian hockey captain, Mark Knowles for the top honour.

CWG Diary: Day One

Though Sally was not available for any immediate comment, Knowles expressing his happiness said that he would have been happy to walk behind Pearson, whom he acknowledged as one of the country’s top athletes.

The rumour mill, as it never shuts down, is now on Sally being picked to translate the sacred Games life to the cauldron on Wednesday at the Carrara stadium, which will be the venue of the opening ceremony, hardly a few kilometres away from the Olympic champion hurdler’s home in the city.

Anyway, what besides the appointment of Knowles has been confirmed is that multiple Commonwealth Games medallist and fifth-time participant, lawn bowler Karen Murphy will take the oath on behalf of the participating athletes and Lisa Alexander (Australian netball coach) will do the same on behalf of the officials.

CWG blackout for Channel 9 The Organisers of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games have suspended the media accreditations provided to Australian television major, Channel 9, after it broke news access rules and played out footage of the final dress rehearsal of the Opening ceremony of the event on its prime time news on Monday night. Confirming the development, the Gold Coast organising committee CEO, Mark Peters said, “It broke our news access rules. So there has to be a consequence, the same way there is a consequence for athletes and officials for infringement of the relevant rules. In this case, all the people acted with responsibility and did what was told to them, but these people put it in their news. The GOLDOC CEO, however, maintained that a review on the matter will be taken up on Wednesday and its decision announced on Thursday.

Flu strikes Athletes Village Three athletes who had moved into the Athletes Village of the XXI Commonwealth Games here last week has been identified with flu and kept under isolation. Both the Commonwealth Games Federation and the Gold Coast Organising Committee have decided to keep the names of the affected athletes and their national identities in the dark, saying any disclosure of the same was bound to affect the morale of the athletes. The GOLDOC CEO, Mark Peters said, the team management of the athletes itself took the responsible step of getting them admitted into the poly clinic, operational in the Games Village, and that the doctors since then have kept the athletes in the isolation ward. “They are recovering fast and as far I know, one of them is quite likely to be discharged tomorrow (Tuesday) morning and the remaining two on Thursday. We are hopeful that they are able to get back to training in the next couple of days and give their best in the competition of their chosen discipline.

Gold Coast laps up the Games The fabled Dawn Frazer, who inspired quite a few generations to take up sport, is in Gold Coast in connection with the XXI Commonwealth Games. A multiple medallist in swimming at the Olympic Games in which she had an uninterrupted run between 1964 and 1972, the 100m freestyler was also a participant at the Queen’s Baton Relay on Monday evening as it weaved through communities in the host city.

The Games which is all about sharing a dream, as its motto states, has been received well by the local community here and after the 80-year-old went through the motions through the leg reserved for her said it was clear that the Games has truly arrived. “It is going to be fantastic, if it is anything like today. Gold Coasters were there in full force and what I would advice is that everyone should enjoy the Games as it the most beautiful thing to do. Enjoy the Games, enjoy the competition, enjoy the friends that you make,” the lady, who lives in Sydney, said.