Australia’s Commonwealth games disgrace

In world sport, the Commonwealth games are a bit of a sideshow. In swimming and athletics, at least, they are seen as something of a mid-cycle training event for the Olympics. Australians, however, love the Commonwealth games. Not just because they are about friendly sporting rivalries and promote goodwill between the nearly 60 nations of the Commonwealth and Britain’s remaining dependencies. Nor because they are one of the few remaining institutions that justify the Commonwealth’s active existence. 

But because Australia wins big, every time. With only England as a serious rival for intra-Commonwealth supremacy, Australian teams and athletes are guaranteed a shower of gold medals, in a way the Olympics nor any other major sporting event can rival. Australians punters love winners and, more importantly, so do cashed-up Australian broadcasters and Australian politicians. 

Yet on Tuesday, the state government of Victoria unilaterally reneged on its commitment to stage the Commonwealth games in 2026 – throwing the event into chaos.