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Sunday, 4 August, 2002, 09:58 GMT 10:58 UK
Your favourite Games moments
Thronging crowds and superhuman displays of passion and guile - the 2002 Commonwealth Games has had them all.
But what have been your stand-out moments? 
Comparisons have been drawn with the atmosphere at the Sydney Olympics two years ago, and it cannot be denied that the Manchester public have done the nation proud. Outstanding performances by home competitors, heartening displays from athletes from smaller nations and world-class feats from the likes of Ian Thorpe have made the Games an occasion to remember.
The icing on the cake was being out and about in Manchester on Saturday night and seeing the sportsmen and women mingling with us revellers in Castlefield and Deansgate Locks. Being able to discuss and celebrate their achievements in person was a fantastic experience. Bet moment? I'd say the gold for Charlotte Kerwood in the double traps - mind you, I'm biased, we're both in the same clay shooting club!
My most memorable moments were when Matt Welsh beat Ian Thorpe and when the Indian team won the women's hockey title. What a fantastic spectacle the Games were. I was worried that the Games would be seen as a failure, but Manchester provided 11 days of gripping action. Athletes like Jonathon Edwards, Darren Campbell, Paul Smith, Stuart Scarth, Karen Pickering, Sarah Lauren, Tanni Grey-Thompson... It is the likes of Tanni Gray Thompson and Natalie du Toit who are the real heroes of the Games. They showed amazing courage and skill to transcend their disabilities and compete on a world stage at a level beyond most able-bodied individuals. I can proudly say that I was there when Paula Radcliffe won her first track gold medal. Definitely one for the grandkids! The atmosphere in the stadium was amazing. Manchester, the competitors and the spectators did us all proud. Paula Radcliffe and Jonathan Edwards' achievements were very special. Seeing blind Adekunle Adesoji sprint 100m in 10.76 seconds was breath-taking. As for the relay finals - you could have powered every house in the UK with the energy in the City of Manchester Stadium that night! Anjali Bhagwat winning four gold medals in shooting was a great moment. Of course, one had to hunt through the stories to discover this. Most media attention seems to have been on competitors from a handful of countries.
The mens 10,000 metre final was a true classic! I was most impressed by Paula Radcliffe's gold medal. Seeing her come back from a virus just a week before the Games and run one of the most brave races (almost breaking the world record) was just a pleasure to watch. I think we should be all exceptionally proud of the Manchester Games for integrating disabled and non-disabled athletes into the same timetable! As far as I am aware this is the first time this has ever happened in any games, Commonwealth, Olympic or otherwise. Manchester did us proud in every respect! Whilst not wishing to denigrate the organisers or athletes of the actual games, I thought that the closing ceremony was a load of over-blown, pretentious, vacuous, utopian, politically-correct, 'symbolic' RUBBISH! Morten from Norway's comments sound a little like sour grapes to me! Nothing you can say, Morten, can take away the pride I feel today at being Mancunian! The highlight for me was the men's 4x400m relay race, with the "British" men surpassing themselves (England won by a whisker, with Wales second) with two outstanding 44 second runs from the hurdlers Chris Rawlinson and Matt Elias! And how could we forget Jonathan Edwards and Ashia Hansen in the Triple Jump? Both pulling out huge winning jumps when it mattered most! I could go on...!
The best moment for millions of Indians must have been seeing their country do so well at the Games. It was very surprising for most people, including many Indians, to find their country third on the medals table. Great Games and great moment for all the athletes. Being a big hockey fan the best moment was England ladies beating Australia 2-1. It was just a shame they couldn't go all the way. One of the best things about these Games was seeing the disabled athletes competing alongside the able athletes. I hope this will be a template for future Commonwealth and Olympic Games. Oh, and Morten from Norway is just jealous. 'Land of Hope and Glory' is a jingoistic anthem to a lost Empire and not the kind of thing that sits well in the modern era. The most memorable moment for me in the stadium last Wednesday was the EAD 100 metre athlete who broke the world record, an unsung hero if ever there was one. The EBC (sorry BBC) commentators were the most biased I've ever heard! The number of times they said WE when they meant England was disgusting. Bring back Bill McLaren who couldbn't be biased if he tried!
Ashia Hansen's final jump (and her reaction) was my high point. Especially after her recent problems, it was an outstanding achievement under pressure. England flattening the Aussies in the Rugby 7's was fun. Didn't see them grinning much! The organisation of the events and the friendliness of the people of Manchester also stood out. Well done and thanks. Karen Legg has been a great success. She's also beautiful and great to watch in the pool. I agree wholeheartedly with Mark regarding the National Anthem. I personally hold no pride in God Save the Queen but Land of Hope and Glory had a lump rising in my throat and tears pricking my eyes. Ian Thorpe. That rarest of beasts - a successful and modest Aussie. The overall performance of the Brits also shows what we can do. To the guy from Norway. The Commonwealth Games are NOT outdated. The number of world, Commonwealth and national records broken at the Games was phenomenal. And Australia and Britain DID win a lot of events at the Olympics in 2000! I suspect he's jealous that Norway can't claim the friendship of a group of nations quite so unique as the Commonwealth.
Watching Tony Blair squirm as was booed at the closing ceremony. I thought it was all fantastic (especially the 'cool' reception given to Mr Blair at the closing ceremony). I assume Morten from Norway thinks that the European Championships are worthless too?! When Ian Thorpe got his sixth gold medal. Even though I am English and proud, I am very proud of him. I love swimming and he is my role model. Well done. The closing ceremony was the most amazing spectacle, despite the downpour. Manchester and the Games organisers should be rightly proud of themselves. Fantastic! The most interesting event was the rugby sevens, as it was the first time I had watched the sport, and being a massive Bradford Bulls fan, it was good to watch Henry Paul playing again. I thought England did very well, and were unlucky not to beat Fiji. I think Paul Smith was outstanding during the whole contest! He showed to be a true young sportsman and I know he will go far in boxing! Being a volunteer and meeting various nationalities has been a great experience. I was informed on a lot of occasions that everyone was impressed with Mancunians as a whole. It has been a great experience. It's an event to remember, especially when I saw a Tanzanian athlete, Mr Naali, keep on running when he was already a winner!
Hearing the Australian anthem played 82 times. Winners are grinners, and I'm grinning C'mon everyone - the Commonwealth Games is a joke. It's an outdated waste of time as a competition and anyone who gets overexcited by it (including Paula Radcliffe) is deluding themselves if they think they've won something worthwhile. Try and win the Olympics for a change. Most overlooked star? Undoubtedly Nicole Cooke. Unsung, in this country at least. Potentially the best female cyclist the world has ever known, in a sport that is internationally acclaimed. uUfortunately for Nicole, not in the public school sports obsessed UK. I am a proud Englishman who has followed his country in a number of sports for a number of years. Having Land of Hope and Glory played as our national anthem was the greatest part of these Games. Why can we not have this anthem when we play rugby or football? The Games have been fantastic and the atmosphere good. Well done to all the winners and participants but special congratulations to Paula Radcliffe and Kelly Holmes. I thought that the swimming was amazing, mainly the great Ian Thorpe winning six gold medals. Can he do seven at the next Commonwealth Games? |
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