Commonwealth Games 2006

In a country that is totally 'sports-mad', Melbourne has a reputation as 'sports-maddest'. No wonder it's considered Australia's sports capital and even promotes itself as the world's. The city has over 30 sport stadiums with a capactiy greater than 10.000. Since my arrival October last year, numerous world-class sport events have been hosted by the city: World Championships Gymnastics, Australian Open, Grand Prix Formula 1, and last but certainly not least the Commonwealth Games 2006, during which the sports-madness was truly inescapable!

During two weeks in March, more than 4500 athletes from all 71 nations of the Commonwealth competed in dozens of branches of sport, ranging from Athletics to Gymnastics, Hockey and Cycling, to Tabletennis and Swimming. A massive event organized every 4 years somewhere in the Commonwealth, requiring a decade of preparation, in its field probably only surpassed by the Olympics.

Impossible to not get caught by the Melburnian's great enthusiasm for the event: The city looked picture-perfect, showing its best to the world in a fabulous multi million dollars Opening Ceremony that included a free magnificent outside-of-the-stadium music- theatre- and fireworksshow on the Yarra river, allowing everybody, including pour trainees from overseas, to enjoy it! From the moment the Games Baton was handed to the Queen on the opening night, to the closing day, an extra sparkle was added to the sportive event by Australias "greatest cultural festival ever". Music, dance, circus, street theatre and visual arts everywhere in the city; two weeks Melbourne was buzzing day and night, more than ever, and it was great to be part of it!

A lot of the sport events were sold out months before the start of the Games. Yet, Rita and I were able to visit the athletics, which took place in the MCG, Melbourne's massive 95.000 specators holding stadium. Although it was sometimes hard to keep track of what was happening with long-jumpers, high jumpers, discuss throwers, and runners performing their sports alltogether simultaneously, we had an awesome time. The climax, definetely, was seeing Australian John Steffenson winning gold on the 400m, cheered and screamed to the finish by an ecstatic 60.000 large crowd.