Basking in the sunshine

Scotland has unfurled its mighty arms to welcome the nations of the Commonwealth and bask in the sunshine on what has become known as the Costa del Clyde.

Indeed there has been so much sunshine that the milk-bottle look has been replaced by sunburnt red to match the iron-bru hair and sales of suntan lotion and highland water have outstripped all forecasts.

However, Glasgow is in party mood and is generating a similar feel-good factor to the one in London at the 2012 Olympics.

It is not only the spectators that have been taken by surprise with some athletes also struggling with the heat. Jonathon Brownlee was rushed to the medical centre shortly after securing silver behind his older brother, Alistair, in the men’s triathlon.

The main interest ahead of one of the big events on the opening day of competition appeared to be which of the brothers came out on top with Jonathon promising that he felt his time had come to finally beat his elder sibling.  However, at the end of the first of three laps that formed the 10km run it became apparent that Alistair had the stronger legs, although there was interest behind with several unheralded contenders holding the final medal position before it finally found its way to a South African.

The victory secured a double in the triathlon for England with Jodie Stimpson winning the women’s event.

This high level of competition has done much to boost the image of the Games with some belittling the perceived second-tier nature of the event. While it is true that the leading medal-winning nations from the Olympics are not present, the Commonwealth Games still has much to offer.

Mo Farah may have succumbed to illness and Usain Bolt is only running the relay yet there are numerous other world champions present, particularly in cycling.  World records have already been broken in the pool in the first few days of competition. Where the Olympics suffers from a cramped schedule and high levels of commercialisation the Commonwealth Games allows abled and differently abled athletes to compete on the same stage meaning that Paralympic heroes David Weir and Ellie Symonds can occupy the same stage as the better known and better paid performers.

The Commonwealth Games also brings a number of sports that many believe are closer to the core values of the Olympics. Out go the highly-paid professionals of football and tennis and in come netball and squash. The latter, described as chess played at 100 miles per hour, has improved its image and made it far easier for spectators to follow each match with glass courts, coloured balls and video replays.

Squash has tried to gain access to the Olympics but was vetoed in favour of judo, backed by the considerable power of Vladimir Putin. If Glasgow 2014 has shown anything it is that squash deserves its place at the highest table.

The games has also offered some intriguing rivalries. In addition to classic sporting conflicts crossing Oceania, Asia and Africa, the break-up of the Great Britain squad into the four home countries has meant former colleagues are now bitter rivals – at least for a two-week period, seen across cycling, athletics, hockey and others! However, in keeping with the friendly nature of these Games, spectators have been quick to applaud all athletes.

One of the closest contests was on the netball court with Australia rallying from a seemingly impossible deficit to overcome England 49-48 with the last score of the match.

Some rivalries can even be found in the same household with Gemma Gibbons carrying England’s judo hopes while Euan Burton prolonged his career to have the opportunity to represent Scotland at home. While he brought the house down to claim gold his wife was ‘only’ able to deliver silver, matching the colour medal she won at London 2012.

Furthermore, being another quadrennial celebration of athletic excellence, it provides spectators to get their first glimpse of many stars of the future. Sir Chris Hoy and Sir Bradley Wiggins both cut their teeth at a Commonwealth Games.

After Rod Stewart and Lulu had finished celebrating Scotland at the opening ceremony, the host nation was looking to the pool to kick-start what they hope will be a record medal haul.

They were not disappointed as Hannah Miley duly delivered with a successful defence of her 400m individual medley title. In a thrilling climax she left it late to power through the final 50m to claim a victory over England’s Amy Wilmott. The men’s 200m breaststroke final was also pencilled-in for gold and ink was quickly applied, although it was not Glasgow’s poster-boy, Michael Jamieson, to hang gold around his neck.

Instead it was promising youngster, Ross Murdoch, who was first to the finish, leaving the face of the Games to grumpily muse ‘I don’t train for second’!

There are five more days of competition with many eyes focusing on the men’s individual pommel horse competition where England’s Louis Smith and Max Whitlock will compete against Scotland’s Daniel Keating, the man excluded from GB’s Olympic squad having recovered from injury. He has a point to prove!

There is also the men’s cycling time trial with many wondering whether Sir Bradley will compete in a final attempt to secure an elusive first Commonwealth gold after winning four silver medals.

The Games culminates on Sunday with the men’s and women’s road races, hockey and netball.