Race to the Bottom

23minutes ago , by Richard Lutz

From Richard Lutz 

And it’s off to the much maligned Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. 

Or rather, the much reduced Commonwealth Games after the Australian state of Victoria pulled out of hosting it and the Scottish city gallantly picked up the pieces and said with a sigh: ‘OK, c’mon over and we’ll give it a bash.’

So, on with the show. Bring out the swimmers, the long jumpers, the gymnasts, the para-bowlers, the smiling volunteer guides, the boxers…

Wave goodbye to a sinkful of events: high hurdles, wrestling, field hockey, basketball, diving, badminton… the list of the dead unfurls.

For the initial outdoor events, the weather was dry with high heat, perfect for the thousands heading for the smallish 8000 seat Scotstoun Stadium to watch the trimmed down track and field. 

Well, it was dry and blistering until the rains poured down in true Scots tradition. 

The Glasgow sky glowered with heavy cloud, the oval track glistened with residue of rainwater. The athletes from the assorted Commonwealth countries (from New Zealand to Canada to Togo to Malta) all sleek, trim, wired up, continually peered heavenward to check the wet clouds and then ploughed through their heats to be greeted ultimately with a nighttime deluge that transformed the finals into something akin to the swimming competition across town at the 50 metre pool.

These Games it seems, in this greatly reduced form, have come in for a lot of criticism. But it’s not Glasgow’s fault. Its nit Scotland’s fault. It’s not Britain’s fault. 

Australia should be ashamed …

The city took on the week long event late in the day (Australia should be ashamed the way it ditched the competition). It kicked off just a supercharged July of The World Cup, Wimbledon and bigtime cricket and….well, with a curtailed timeline and budget constraints, some stuff had to go. And instead of a huge stadium like Wembley in London or Old Trafford in Manchester to be filled with an army of track enthusiasts, you get a suburban 8000 seater. A neat and tidy little venue. But still …little.

It felt reduced. It was reduced. A lot of top names, Olympic sized names, didn’t appear- even neighbouring England is reported to have been missing a dozen team members from its track and field ranks. 

Even the BBC backed off. After 70 years of coverage, it gave away most live tv rights to pay-for channels and left a speck of live events on its minuscule Celtic language platforms. 

So, in effect, once home and cuddled up, we were left with tv analysis in Welsh of a 400 metre race taking place a mile or two down from my Glasgow flat. I mean, when the BBC bales out, it’s really time to take note. 

So, unfortunately anyone interested in sports is left with the underlying niggling suspicion that the Commonwealth Games, a residue of the dead Empire but still brimming with talent and hope, is on its way out. Sadly….