Day 1: Today at GC2018: Thursday 5 April

Today at GC2018: Thursday 5 April

GC2018

5 Apr 2018

The 21st Commonwealth Games is finally here. Over 6,600 athletes and team officials from 71 nations and territories have converged on the Gold Coast for 11 unforgettable days of world class sporting action.

For the first time in the history of a major multi-sport Games, there will be an equal number of medal events for men and women across all sports and it starts with the first medal event of the games – the women’s Triathlon.

GC2018 is the largest integrated sports program in Commonwealth Games history, comprising 18 sports and seven para sports.

Gold Medals up for grabs today: 19

Swimming: 7 | Track Cycling: 6 | Weightlifting: 3 | Triathlon: 2 | Gymnastics: 1

The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games medals displayed.

First gold medal event: women’s Triathlon

It will be a busy first day of competition, starting with the women’s Triathlon which will officially be the first gold medal event of the Games. Reigning World Champion Flora Duffy will be hard to beat but there are certainly plenty of contenders including Australia’s Ashleigh Gentle, England’s Jessica Learmonth, and New Zealand’s Andrea Hewitt.

In the men’s competition, the Brownlee brothers will be looking to both make the podium and they’ll be challenged by South Africa’s Henri Schoeman, Australia’s Matthew Hauser and Jake Birtwhistle and Canada’s Tyler Mislawchuk.

Jodie Stimpson of England runs towards the line to win gold in the Women’s Triathlon at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Jodie Stimpson of England runs towards the line to win gold in the women’s Triathlon at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Swimming makes a splash

The Optus Aquatic Centre will host an action-packed day of swimming and the first of 50 gold medals will be awarded in the night session. The highlights today will be the Men’s 400m freestyle final and the women’s 200m and 4x100m relay which is sure to be raced in front of a raucous crowd.

Australia’s 17-year-old Ariarne Titmus will start her campaign in the pool after winning the national 200, 400 and 800m titles. Canada’s superstar 17-year-old Penny Oleksiak will also start her assault on the pool – she’s currently scheduled to compete in eight events.

Australia’s women’s 4x100m freestyle relay team are the reigning Olympic and world record holders and they’ll be hoping to kick-off the Games with a bang.

Bronte and Cate Campbell will be part of Australia's 4x100 freestyle team and currently hold the world record.
Bronte and Cate Campbell will be part of Australia’s 4x100m Freestyle team and are part of the reigning Olympic and World Record holding team.

Basketball is back at the Games!

The Basketball competition returns to the Commonwealth Games for the first time since Melbourne 2006 in Event Cities Cairns and Townsville.

Jamaica take on India in the first game of the women’s competition in Cairns, while the men’s competition starts with an interesting clash between England and Scotland. Can Australia claim both men’s and women’s competitions again?

Australia claimed the gold medal in both men's and women's competitions in Melbourne in 2006.
Australia claimed the gold medal in both men’s and women’s Basketball competitions in Melbourne in 2006.

Netball competition begins

The world’s top four ranked nations all start their quest for gold on the opening day of competition. Jamaica take on Fiji, England clash with rivals Scotland, New Zealand take on Uganda, before reigning Commonwealth champions Australia start their defence against Northern Ireland.

There are plenty of inspirational stories in the competition, from Uganda’s Peace Proscovia – who was never meant to leave her small village, to Northern Ireland’s cross-code superstar Caroline O’Hanlon.

Peace Proscovia delivers an emotional address to the International Netball Federation conference, Proscovia in action on the netball court, girls from Ugandan village play netball.

If you watch one event today:

The Anna Meares Velodrome will host a number of Cycling finals on the opening night of competition, but the team sprints are sure to be a real highlight, showcasing raw speed, teamwork and high drama.

Did you know that Team Australia has won 96 Commonwealth Games cycling gold medals?

tephanie Morton of Australia leads Anna Meares through the final turn to win the Women's Sprint Final
Stephanie Morton of Australia leads Anna Meares through the final turn to win the women’s Sprint final at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Medal Events Today:

Cycling pictogram
  • Cycling
  • Men’s B&VI 1000m Time Trial, Men’s 4000m Team Pursuit, Men’s Team Sprint
  • Women’s B&VI Sprint, Women’s 4000m Team Pursuit, Women’s Team Sprint
Gymnastics pictogram
  • Gymnastics
  • Men’s Team Final
Swimming pictogram
  • Swimming
  • Men’s 200m Breaststroke, Men’s S14 200m Freestyle, Men’s 400m Freestyle
  • Women’s S7 50m Butterfly, Women’s 200m Freestyle, Women’s 400m Individual Medley, Women’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay
Triathlon pictogram
  • Triathlon
  • Men’s
  • Women’s
Weightlifting pictogram
  • Weightlifting
  • Men’s 56kg, Men’s 62kg
  • Women’s 48kg

Sports on show: 13

– Badminton 
 Basketball 
 Boxing 
 Cycling Track
 Gymnastics Artistic
– Hockey 
 Lawn Bowls 
 Netball
 Squash 
 Swimming
– Table Tennis 
– Triathlon
 Weightlifting

Festival 2018 – What to watch:

Great Australian Song Book at the Main Stage (Surfers)

The Great Australian Songbook takes our anthems, love songs and ballads and sings them back to us in the vibrant accents of the Commonwealth.

Under the direction of globally renowned David Coulter, singers and musicians from Canada, the United Kingdom, Jamaica, Nigeria and beyond reinterpret the songs that make us who we are. Join Peaches,Nadine Shah, Winston McAnuff, Afrikan Boy, Patrick Wolf, The Mahotella Queens and special guests Meow Meow and Bart Willoughby in an unforgettable night of Australian music.

Winston McAnuff will perform at The Great Australian Songbook.

RITE  Roundabout Stage (Broadbeach)

Brace yourself as 10 ferociously committed acrobats put their bodies on the line in an electrifying explosion of physicality and power.

‘The Rite of Spring’ has been the basis of dances and ballets for over 100 years but never circus – until now.

In a world-first, Circa’s legendary ensemble-under the direction of Yaron Lifschitz dares to take on Stravinsky’s classical music masterpiece.

Circus performers hang from the ceiling as they perform.

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