IT was the miracle of the Gold Coast, witnessed by tens of millions of television viewers around the world and more than 40,000 spectators, competitors, participants and officials in the Carrara Stadium yesterday.
Just minutes before the opening ceremony of the 2018 Commonwealth Games was due to start at 11am BST, sub-tropical torrential rain poured down on the stadium, threatening to ruin the event that had been planned for months and which was due to heavily promote the sunshine-soaked venue in Queensland.
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Almost as the first musical note was sounded with just seconds to go before the official ceremony got under way, the rain abruptly ceased as quickly as it started and the Games miraculously got under way without a hitch.
Knowing they had to go some to equal the opening ceremony of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games four years ago, the organisers came up with a spectacular show emphasising aboriginal culture and the enviable lifestyle enjoyed by the people of Gold Coast. The ceremony was based on a 65m wide sandpit in the middle of the Carrara Stadium, starting with nothing less than the story of Australia’s geological evolution going all the way back to the Pangaea super-continent 300 million years ago.
Dinosaurs flickered across the screens before the first appearance of the giant ‘big fella’ humpback whale called Migaloo who is the symbol of environmentalism in Australia.
While messages were spoken in the language of the Yugambeh people who originally populated this area of Australia, outside Aborigine tribesmen were staging a rights protest against what they call the ‘Stolenwealth Games.’ Police were called and contained the peaceful protest.
Proceedings carried on uninterrupted inside the stadium, with Didgeridoo music followed by rappers and rock and country signers.
The organisers had said they wanted “pomp without the pompous” and showed their intent with a multi-ethic multi-cultural folk rendition of Australia’s anthem Advance Australia Fair – and it won’t be the last time we hear that over the next 11 days as they are favourites to top the medal table.
The first Scot sighted was Louise Martin, president of the Commonwealth Games Federation who was followed by the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall. The traditional athletes parade was led in by Team Scotland, taking the position of honour as Glasgow was the last host. Track star Eilidh Doyle became the first women to carry the flag at an opening ceremony
The Games properly get under way today with more than 4500 competing for 275 gold medals.
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