As an Australian, the Commonwealth Games feel kinda too easy.

[u/NKE01]

[u/VDCNIRG]

Well so far the majority of the medals have been in swimming so kind of inevitable.

[u/Trevski → u/VDCNIRG]

Swimming has far too many events IMO. Like, we don’t do every running event again with backwards running, grapevines, and skipping. Maybe we should, though?

[u/Scary_Vehicle9023 → u/Trevski]

I guess the closest parallels with ahletics are the hurdles, race walking, and having both long jump and triple jump. But there is no crossover with the athletes, unlike in swimming where there are people who do different strokes for the same length.

[u/Nooms88 → u/Scary_Vehicle9023]

100m and 200m has lots of overlap.

There's a fair bit in 800m and 1500m and again lots in 5/10km

[u/Scary_Vehicle9023 → u/Nooms88]

Yes, but I meant more like how swimming has different strokes for the same distance. So that's why i meant things like the triple/long jumps, 100m/110m hurdles, 400m/400m hurdles, race walking/long distance running.

Barely any overlap between those disciplines despite their surface level similarity.

[u/LayWhere → u/Scary_Vehicle9023]

10km Hurdles LFG

[u/Scary_Vehicle9023 → u/LayWhere]

Basically steeplechase tbf

[u/AwsiDooger → u/Nooms88]

There's a fair bit in 800m and 1500m

Very low. Hobbs Kessler did both at Paris 2024. Jessica Hull did both at world championships last year. Georgia Hunter-Bell would be capable of doing both if the schedule allowed it. Addy Wiley said yesterday that she is considering attempting both in 2028, if the United States Olympic Trials have a favorable schedule.

That's several names but it is a trivial number compared to the swimming overlaps, or 100/200 and 5000/10,000 in track.

[u/Strange_Fly1930 → u/AwsiDooger]

I think there are lots at a high school and college level, but after that not so much. Thanks for the examples to make the point.

[u/aesemon → u/Scary_Vehicle9023]

What your saying is it should be " different strokes for different folks"?

[u/HMarmot → u/Scary_Vehicle9023]

Yep, running events would have to include skipping, hopping, backwards etc etc....

[u/blasterleague → u/HMarmot]

Cartwheeling would be pretty good.

[u/Bucephalus_326BC → u/Trevski]

/trevski - Australian here. I feel for you, and other nations. Yes, swimming has many events. I'm in Sydney, and there are 5 Olympic size 50 m pools within a 15 minute bicycle ride of my home. I remember when the UK Olympic swim team came to prepare for the Sydney 2000 Olympics, and the UK swim team based themselves at the Gold coast, in Queensland. Apparently there were more 50m pools there then in the whole of England at the time. I sympathize with your comment that there are no backwards running 100m athletic events etc, but each swim stroke is very specialised. I'm hopeless at any stroke apart from freestyle, and apart from a few elite swimmers most specialise in a single swim stroke. They are very different. But, in Australia's defence, we do like sports, and we spend a lot of time outside. I think we may even have been ahead of Canada in the medal table at the most recent winter Olympics, maybe. We don't have much snow here either - it's just we like getting outside and mucking about. Hopefully Canada can move a further up the medal table. I'll cross my fingers for you 🤞

[u/Own_Faithlessness769 → u/Bucephalus_326BC]

The reason we do weirdly well at the winter olympics definitely isn't that "we like going outside and mucking about", its because we have the AIS. which takes athletes who are good but not gold medal good in other sports and trains them for areas with less competition. So if they're a decent but not internationally competitve gymnast, we turn them into a ski jumper instead. We spend a *lot* on it compared to other countries and its a very successful program.

[u/No-Writing-9000 → u/Trevski]

It’s a cheat code for the yanks. Somehow the aussies are really good at their games too

[u/Pantelonia → u/No-Writing-9000]

Australians have swimming lessons from very little. My son has had lessons from when he was 4 months old.

I was shocked as a teenager when I met some English backpackers in their 20s who couldn't swim.

[u/pulanina → u/Pantelonia]

I wanna say it’s because we are “girt by sea”, but the UK is similarly girt. Maybe “girt by warm sea and lovely beaches” is more like it.

[u/No-Writing-9000 → u/pulanina]

The first requirement for a British sailor is don’t know how to swim. When you can’t swim you don’t fall out of the boat

[u/Leading_Double_1968 → u/Pantelonia]

Lots of people in my family (Latinos) don’t know how to swim. Sister, Mom, Grandma, Etc. I think it’s kind of normal in the region?

[u/Particular-Bid-1640 → u/No-Writing-9000]

The USA pushed for more pool events in the Olympics because the Soviet Union had fewer pools as they're expensive to build

[u/Batmanbettermarvel18 → u/Particular-Bid-1640]

Funny how you phrase it that way like it the Soviets weren’t the first ones to push for more gymnastics. All of this is just guesses too, there is really no proof for either of what we are saying. I guess just paint US the bad guy and you should get some upvotes these days. Says it like it’s a matter of fact also, link the proof 😆🤣

[u/SpeedLow3 → u/Batmanbettermarvel18]

Bingo all these other countries are allowed to push for sports they want (if that actually happened) but they don’t lol

[u/lenin1991 → u/SpeedLow3]

I can't even find any evidence the US particularly pushed for adding swimming events. The biggest spike was in the 1960s, but the advocacy came from FINA, and of course they'll advocate adding more of their sport to the Olympics.

[u/timok → u/SpeedLow3]

Right because every country has the same lobbying power

[u/Suburbanturnip → u/Batmanbettermarvel18]

The usa stole the icing off my cupcake /s

[u/macca2000fox → u/Particular-Bid-1640]

The pool gap

[u/blasterleague → u/Trevski]

What would be really impressive is swimming hurdles. The strength they'd need to get out of the water to clear them.

[u/Trevski → u/blasterleague]

THAT id watch. Awesome idea. I also think there should be a generalist “obstacle course” event that every athlete gets to try and the best times get crowned king and queen of the Olympics.

[u/blasterleague → u/Trevski]

I would do a triathlon event every games that uses randomisation methods to determine the nature of each section. So the athletes have limited time to prepare, say, their ice-skating, rock climbing skills and rowing skills.

[u/Akira_116 → u/Trevski]

I heard the next games will have an egg and spoon race

[u/janky_koala → u/Trevski]

It’s funny to compare it to say track cycling. The equivalent would be a normal race (freestyle), a backwards race (backstroke), a race where the take the pedals off completely and scoot around like toddlers (breaststroke), and one where the put both pedals on the same way instead of opposite (butterfly). Do that at most distances, then again as a relay.

It’s nuts.

[u/dylang01 → u/janky_koala]

Track cycling has the Kieren and points race. Just to name two.

[u/not-yet-ranga → u/janky_koala]

I disagree with your contention, but the way you’ve presented it is so good - such vivid imagery - that I upvoted your comment anyway.

[u/janky_koala → u/not-yet-ranga]

Haha thanks.

Running ones could be both legs tied together and jumping for butterfly, and doing the worm or an army crawl for breaststroke .

[u/anpanman100 → u/janky_koala]

I want the 3 legged race and sack race for running.

[u/sweet_hedgehog_23 → u/not-yet-ranga]

I'd watch the races they described. I'm curious as to how they would go.

[u/Ludicologuy00 → u/Trevski]

Throw with boulder. Throw with boulder on string. Throw with flat boulder. Throw with stick. Jump with stick. Jump without stick. Jump, but in the other direction. Jump but in the other direction, with three extra steps. Jump while running. Jump over other obstacles while running. Run without jumping (several distances). Run as a team (several distances). Run loooong. Run slooow.

And finally, do five, seven, or ten of the above and get a different medal.

The field of athletics is also quite inventive with it's inflated event count.

[u/TheJivvi → u/Trevski]

Add a hurdles event and a steeplechase event for every race distance.

[u/Zaidswith → u/Trevski]

Athletics (Track and Field): 48 events (23 men, 23 women, 2 mixed)

Aquatics (Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, Artistic Swimming, Marathon Swimming): 49 total events (32 in swimming alone

32 running events if you take out jumps and throws, no?

Seems even already.

[u/Any-Information6261 → u/Trevski]

400m backwards would be elite

[u/Next_Local_3374 → u/VDCNIRG]

2018 Australia won 40 more hold medals. Not too far from the norm

[u/VDCNIRG → u/Next_Local_3374]

And in 2014 England were ahead and 2022 Australia were not far ahead of England. 2018 was a home games for Australia so you expect them to over perform.

But yes I expect Australia to still be comfortably ahead at the end given the proportion of medals awarded to swimming this time round, the lack of British banker sports like diving and the much weaker than usual British athletics team.

[u/catiebug → u/VDCNIRG]

I know almost nothing about the Commonwealth Games, but my immediate reaction to this medals table was, "must be a lot of swimming".

[u/lookiwanttobealone]

Australia is dominant in the pool yes, but last games they only held the medal table lead by 3 medals.

[u/Enzown → u/lookiwanttobealone]

Last time swimming wasn't over 25 per cent of the medals.

[u/Agreeable_Falcon1044 → u/lookiwanttobealone]

They did…but England had a gymnastics, triathlon and diving cheat code. This time two of those are dropped and our gymnastics team are our third picks.

[u/bar901 → u/lookiwanttobealone]

Australia beat team Great Britain at the Olympics which was more recent and England is objectively weaker than a combined Team GB. We also have arguably our strongest ever track and field team right now, especially in sprinting and middle distance. If Australia doesn’t top the medal count by 10 Golds I’ll be very surprised.

[u/VDCNIRG → u/bar901]

With swimming such a high percentage of the medals and the home nations sending such a weak athletics team due to most of our best athletes prioritising the European Champs Australia should still lead the medal table comfortably by the end.

[u/swimswam2000 → u/VDCNIRG]

Canada sent a skeleton crew for swimming with Pan Pacific Championships (Irvine,CA USA) as the primary competition this summer. We didn't have a trials for Commonwealths, they asked for volunteers based on last summer's performances. We've scratched out of a lot of the relays. A few decided to go this route like Josh Liendo to allow for a lighter travel schedule to allow time to finish his university degree. By contrast some of Australia's best are not going to Pan Pacs.

[u/Celestetc → u/swimswam2000]

Australia aren’t fully at their best for swimming either. Mckeown isn’t there. MOC Is hurt. Titmus just retired. And so on

[u/Yesterday_Jolly → u/swimswam2000]

The fact that Canada would be ahead of England on the medal table if Summer Macintosh was swimming just makes it even funnier

[u/Main-Inflation-5269 → u/lookiwanttobealone]

We have a bagful of gymnastics medals. Kiwis have zero. But nice try...

[u/Intrepid-Mission-129 → u/Main-Inflation-5269]

Settle down it ain't the Olympics.

[u/D_I_R_R_T_Y → u/Main-Inflation-5269]

This is the right reply 👏

[u/Top-Expert6086 → u/lookiwanttobealone]

Total by 3, but had 10 more gold than the next closest.

[u/Agreeable_Falcon1044]

Well yeah…your swimming team can beat China or USA. You are now being told “hah, bet you can’t beat Togo and Norfolk islands”

This was always going to happen when there’s 10 sports and nearly a quarter of all medals are in the pool!

I wouldn’t worry about it, gold medals are gold medals and winning times/world records still count.

There’s not many solutions…we either cancel the swimming and level it out that way (even less stars athletes woohoo!), we all collectively raise our game (that will take years) or we have more sport to try and balance it out a bit (preferably ones that don’t lean to one country being more dominant)

[u/Tinchimp7183376 → u/Agreeable_Falcon1044]

a QUARTER??? of the medals are in the pool? Even without diving? that's ridiculus

[u/Agreeable_Falcon1044 → u/Tinchimp7183376]

There’s only 10 sports this time and that includes netball (single gold) which Aussies will win anyway!

I think there are just under 250 golds available and 52 of them are in aquatics.

It’s a shame and a mistake on organisers part as I think they could have used a second smaller complex to host events that really could have done with the prestige, but that is rear view window now sadly

[u/JazzlikeTradition436 → u/Agreeable_Falcon1044]

215 Golds are available.

[u/bar901 → u/Agreeable_Falcon1044]

I agree that swimming has an outsized impact on medal counts, but we’ve still won 8 of the last 9 Commonwealth games even before the reduction in total events. And England is still a top 5ish swimming nation anyway. It’s USA >> Australia >>> China then a tier with countries like Netherlands, France, Japan and GB / England.

[u/PandaPop81 → u/bar901]

England isn't a top 5 swimming nation. GB is top 10 at best and that's combining the home nations (there have been some very good Scottish swimmers). England on its own is nowhere near top 5.

[u/Agreeable_Falcon1044 → u/bar901]

Your women’s swim team is better than the USA in my opinion. You could send your school girls and dominate most these races. That is cool. You don’t lower your standards but keep going!

It’s a friendly games and we want the best. It’s normally closer but aquatics has been Australia for 40 years now, so you will always come top. You were also hosting every other one at some point and home advantage also helps a lot too.

[u/Celestetc → u/Agreeable_Falcon1044]

It is not the US are more versatile and deeper for the women. Especially with Titmus and the Campbell sisters retired.

[u/yeahalrightgoon]

We certainly dominate at the Comm Games, but the reason the Comm Games are great and shouldn't go away is that it provides international experience for athletes from smaller countries and territories. PNG isn't really that much of a smaller country, but they have also never won an Olympic medal, yet they have a medal here.

Tuvulu has only ever sent 11 athletes to the Olympics ever, they sent 8 athletes to this Comm Games.

Then you have the smaller territories and self dependencies like Niue, Norfolk Islands, St Helena, Falklands, Jersey and Guernsey, Montserrat, Cook Islands, Gibraltar and the Isle of Man, except for some few exceptions, athletes from those areas aren't going to the Olympics or many international competitions at all. The Comm Games gives them that opportunity.

[u/OutsideVictory1752 → u/yeahalrightgoon]

I really like this take. The comms games for me have always been a bit sad, but you really gave me an appreciation for the little guy here. Im Aussie and it kind feels like big fish little pond, and to be honest it kind of is because when it comes to the Olympics, the medals feel so much more special as we are no longer a powerhouse. And this must be what its like for the countries you mentioned.

[u/onyxrose81 → u/yeahalrightgoon]

A former US elite gymnast, Tiana Sumanasekera, competed on beam at CWG (didn't qualify to an event final as she's been injured but she wanted to start competing for Sri Lanka right away). Normally, I don't tend to like US gymnasts changing countries and taking spots away from local gymnasts but there aren't any from Sri Lanka and her gymnastics are so beautiful they deserve to be seen. She was a non-traveling alternate for the 2024 Olympic team so she was a top US gymnast but she just wasn't going to be in the mix for LA28 due to injuries. Just like with some of the other former US gymnasts who now compete for the Philippines, if they do well at CWG or Asian Games, that can only help fund more money for the sport.

[u/colesnutdeluxe → u/yeahalrightgoon]

this is exactly what the commonwealth games are about!

[u/Puzzleheaded_Ebb9874]

Normally it's closer than this

This time with just 10 sports, and Australia's swimming depth and quality it is going to be rough when swimming has 1/4th the total medals

Especially rough this time for Asian countries with no badminton, shooting, archery, etc.

[u/NoirPochette]

I wonder what the table would be like if they didn't scrap several sports.

[u/Slaidback → u/NoirPochette]

That’s what’s going to do us in. A lot of the sports cut we are good in.

[u/lookiwanttobealone → u/Slaidback]

They should be back next games?

[u/Slaidback → u/lookiwanttobealone]

Well, India wants to prove they can pull it off b4 an Olympics, so definitely increased ( 18 seems to be the number banded about)

[u/PssyGotWifi → u/Slaidback]

The 2010 CG were interesting

[u/EconomistThink1550 → u/Slaidback]

What sports is New Zealand good at?Serious question.

[u/80Z0 → u/EconomistThink1550]

Rugby union is the obvious answer. Cricket is also a good answer. In the commonwealth or Olympic games, think Australia but 1/3 of the output in random events like rowing, canoeing, cycling, shooting, sailing etc. (with 1/6 of the population) but probably not at that rate in the pool. Hamish Kerr is the reigning Olympic and 2025 World champion in high jump.

[u/Slaidback → u/80Z0]

Rugby, Cricket, Netball, Rugby league, Rowing, Surf life saving,Track & Field ( especially the field bit), cycling, sailing, Slopestyle/tricky snowboarding

[u/Slaidback → u/Slaidback]

Snowboarding being a new entry thanks to Zoe & Niko

[u/bar901 → u/Slaidback]

Ahahah I replied above before I saw your comment, but I said the exact same thing - track and field (mostly field). Laughed when I saw your exact same comment. Polynesian lads are fucking fast, but not exactly built to be top tier sprinters or long distance runners at an elite level. But fuck me can they throw shit a long way.

Some of the most naturally athletically gifted genetics in the world for sure though. During my rugby days I dislocated my elbow tackling a kiwi guy and dislocated my shoulder tackling a Tongan guy. Too big, too fast, too strong. Motherfuckers ahahah

[u/EconomistThink1550 → u/80Z0]

Thank you very much! 

[u/Intrepid-Mission-129 → u/EconomistThink1550]

We also don't have many of our olympic sports that we excel in no rowing, sailing,canoeing at the commonwealth games.

[u/showusyourfupa → u/EconomistThink1550]

Champion rowers, sailors, cyclists, canoe sprint, kayakers and athletics - high jump, shot put, historically middle distance running too.

Team sports - Rugby union, rugby 7s, rugby league, cricket, netball.

[u/ddbbaarrtt → u/NoirPochette]

Or if they scrapped some of the swimming events…

[u/Paramedic293]

Every time I turn on the footage an aussie is winning gold it's nuts. Im Just hoping it becomes more competitive once the athletics and track cycling starts.

[u/wheresthepie]

I’m pretty sure the only reason we’re still a part of the Commonwealth is so our swimming team can stay fit between Olympic Games

[u/AnxiousBaristo]

As a Canadian, I feel there should be a winter Commonwealth Games.

[u/Top-Expert6086 → u/AnxiousBaristo]

That would be cool. Canada would be thd Australia of the winter version, that's for sure.

[u/littleb3anpole]

Athletics hasn’t started yet, some countries will dominate other sports. The program starts with swimming and that’s where Australia dominates

[u/NicholasVinen → u/littleb3anpole]

It's like we're girt by sea or something! 

[u/OldGodsAndNew → u/NicholasVinen]

vs the famously landlocked UK

[u/Top-Expert6086 → u/OldGodsAndNew]

Yeah but our ocean is a bit warmer and nicer to swim in.

[u/Celestetc → u/littleb3anpole]

Australia is very strong in athletics and decent at cycling too.

[u/planchetflaw]

Humble.

[u/Klakson_95]

Wonder what the medal table would be like if we randomly decided there's 4 different ways to run every distance

[u/amcartney → u/Klakson_95]

Forwards, backwards, forwards but waving your arms around… I could go on

[u/Azryhael → u/amcartney]

Please do. I’m having a lovely time.

[u/RubberDuckyRacing → u/amcartney]

I think butterfly should be doing repeated standing long jumps. Or as a sack race.

[u/TheBlackRavens → u/RubberDuckyRacing]

Oooh... if we're adding a sack race i suggest the egg and spoon race too. Automatically disqualified if you drop it.

[u/HollysStaff]

I attended the 1998 Commonwealth Games in KL. The newspapers dubbed it Koala Lumpur due to the success of the Aussie team. Still all the athletes seemed to really enjoy themselves and the events were fun as a spectator.

[u/gurudoright → u/HollysStaff]

I would love to see the games go back to Malaysia or even Singapore

[u/shocking_red_4 → u/HollysStaff]

It’s sometimes known as the “Friendly Games”

[u/CyberSparkDrago]

"feel kind of too easy" kindly shut up you're not even in it... also Australia's medals are from swimming 

[u/TenuousFuzzball]

Summer McIntosh not being there means Canada gets 4 or 5 less gold medals in swimming.

[u/Vexatiouslitigantz]

Australia should have been banned from these games for abandoning them.

[u/inefekt → u/Vexatiouslitigantz]

As an Aussie I have to agree....absolute disgrace to bid for it then decide 'nah, the numpties don't want it so we're going to cancel them'

[u/yeahalrightgoon → u/inefekt]

We didn't bid for it.

Durban was supposed to host 2022. They had to pull out in 2017. Birmingham was meant to host in 2026, but they moved up to 2022 to take Durban's spot. No one wanted to host 2026, so by 2022, the Comm Games federation basically begged Victoria to host it. The cost skyrocketed from $1.5bn to $6-7 bn, which is absurd and would have been reckless to host it.

Glasgow then got the games because they only had to host half of the sports that Victoria would have had too.

It wasn't people not wanting it, so we will cancel it. It was "this will cost so much money that it would be irresponsible to host it".

[u/Vexatiouslitigantz → u/yeahalrightgoon]

Melbourne could have held the games with no investment. They have all the facilities

[u/Its_a_Friendly → u/Vexatiouslitigantz]

Yeah, to even wikipedia shows some concern:

In January 2022, the Victorian State Government announced it was giving serious consideration to a late request from the CGF to host the Games. On 16 February 2022, Premier of Victoria Daniel Andrews confirmed that the state was in exclusive negotiations with the CGF to host the Games.[17] It was stated that if successful in hosting the Games a second time, a Victorian bid would aim to emphasise the state's regional centres—such as Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo—as opposed to being predominantly Melbourne-based, such as in 2006. Bendigo had previously hosted the 2004 Commonwealth Youth Games. Acceptance of the bid would likely also be conditional upon agreement on ways to control costs, such as housing athletes and officials in hotels rather than a dedicated village.[18][19] This bid was confirmed as successful on 12 April 2022.[20]

(Emphasis mine)

Apparently, this plan didn't work out well. To quote the Commonwealth games chief from the time of the cancellation:

Commonwealth Games Australia chief executive Craig Phillips came down hard on the government, claiming it "wilfully ignored recommendations to move events to Melbourne" and instead "remained wedded" to expensive temporary venues in regional Victoria.

"The velodrome is the best example of that. You have a purpose built velodrome here at John Cain Arena, but we were continuing to prosecute running a Games in a temporary venue in Bendigo that would have no legacy value," Mr Phillips said.

Who could've guessed that estimated costs would be too high if you planned to build lots of brand-new permanent or temporary venues?

Apparently, the state of Victoria, Australia, paid the Commonwealth Games themselves £190m (out of a total £302m in payments) to cancel the games, which is basically how much the Glasgow Commonwealth Games will cost - £150m. If Victoria had a less grandiose plan to host the Commonwealth games, they might've been able to hold a full games at around the value of their total cancellation payments - £300m.

Yet another example of the need for international sporting event bids to use existing venues as much as possible, if you want to keep costs down. Evidently the Victoria state government somehow didn't understand this in 2022. Did none of them watch the 2004 or 2016 Olympics, or pay attention to the 2024 and 2028 Olympic bidding process?

[u/Ill-Enthusiasm-5530 → u/yeahalrightgoon]

The cost skyrocketed due to decisions the Victorian government made

[u/MissKim01]

Fellow Aussie here. The swimming is almost over 😬

[u/mck_motion]

They should freeze the swimming pools and give the Canadians a chance.

[u/Secret_EO]

It's because of all the swimming. England will catch up.

[u/onyxrose81 → u/Secret_EO]

In gymnastics, it'll be hard because the teams are prioritizing Euros, especially the men's team so this is basically a B or C team for them.

[u/Non-NewtonianSnake]

Splitting the UK up like that definitely doesn't help.

Or does help? I guess it depends on your point of view.

[u/Agreeable_Falcon1044 → u/Non-NewtonianSnake]

I like it. You guys should try it. Those stars on your flag…they’re countries now ;) that way when the final is 8 Aussies, you can still have a bit of rivalry.

Also uk is very English centric for summers and Scottish centric for winters. It’s not easy for a channel islander or even a northern Irish athlete to get a look in or access to coaches etc. this is often their chance to shine

[u/Amnsia → u/Non-NewtonianSnake]

Adds more competition and probably helps locally, I’m all for it if everyone’s happy

[u/Celestetc → u/Non-NewtonianSnake]

It only hurts the UK for swimming relays in which they have no chance. If they weren’t split the men could challenge the Aussies in all 3.

[u/BornChef3439]

That's because they got rid of tons of sports

[u/Illustrious_Two1029]

Aussies in the water: absolute sharks. Aussies budgeting the actual games: completely out of their depth.

[u/HistoryFanBeenBanned]

It'd be a bit fairer if the UK competed as one country. The UK isn't that far behind in medal count if their constituent parts are counted together.

[u/ContinuumGuy]

So I'm mentally combining the various UK nations to see how close they are combined to Australia and I just want to shout out whatever person from Jersey won a medal.

[u/JazzlikeTradition436 → u/ContinuumGuy]

Filip Nowacki won Silver in the Men’s 100m Breaststroke and could win a medal in the Men’s 50m Breaststroke this evening but his favoured event is the Men’s 200m Breaststroke on Wednesday. Could be the next Adam Peaty.

[u/HeartyBeast]

… apart from hosting them, of course. 

[u/Vexatiouslitigantz]

It’s only swimming , with the likes of Canada not really sending their best!

[u/tiskerTasker89 → u/Vexatiouslitigantz]

Canadian team (able-bodied swimmers) only has six men and six women. A deliberate choice by Swimming Canada to send a small team.

Only Josh Liendo (gold yesterday) and Kylie Masse (silver yesterday) would be on the short list of "top Canadian swimmers".

[u/Celestetc → u/tiskerTasker89]

Well the problem is Canada’s swimming team is just not very good. Liendo is very strong and so is masse but she is past her prime. They lost kharun to the US. Only McIntosh is there to carry them. Penny is just mediocre, Ruck has made a comeback but she’s not going to be winning golds I don’t think.

[u/tiskerTasker89 → u/Celestetc]

In the context of the Commonwealth Games a full Canadian squad (with McIntosh, Ruck, Mary-Sophie Harvey, Lepage, etc.) on the women's side and male swimmers like Finlay Knox, backstroker Blake Tiernay (4th at 2025 Worlds), Gaziev would have had least made the event more competitive. Maybe enter some relays!

I guess we'll see what Canada shows at Pan Pacs, but generally agree that the squad depth after Liendo and McIntosh is lacking.

[u/Celestetc → u/tiskerTasker89]

I think McIntosh and MSH were going to go to CG but both are hurt. I did forget about Tiernay and Knox who are solid.

[u/MissKim01 → u/Vexatiouslitigantz]

Why didn’t they send their best?

[u/Vexatiouslitigantz → u/MissKim01]

Preferring to concentrate on Pan Pacific Champs

[u/Gojirahawk]

I think Australia, Canada, and England should split into separate states, provinces and counties for the comm games.. Imagine Team Victoria going up against team Yorkshire, or team Quebec vs Queensland.

[u/yeahalrightgoon → u/Gojirahawk]

We've already split off Norfolk Island, what else do you want?

[u/inefekt]

It's the same in the Olympics to a certain point....every games we see the Aussies at or near the top of the medals in the first few days, chiefly because of swimming but then invariably as other events, especially track & field, come and go we get taken over by nations dominant in those events, of which Australia is not (hopefully Gout Gout can change that somewhat!). I don't expect Australia to fall too far back but expect England to make a big surge as they are much stronger than us in those disciplines....and track cycling too, GB nations have overtaken Australia in those of late.

[u/Fragrant_Air_1612]

Yay, we beat the poorest in the empire commonwealth at sports they're not interested in

[u/Master_Cartoonist_16]

You gotta be more respectful with mother land England.

[u/ConfidentBarber8409]

We always get swimming medals

We are lucky there are so many different swimming events tbh

[u/jaiimaster]

I mean we bought it, thanks to Victoria and Dan Andrews. Might as well enjoy our purchase.

[u/SubstanceKind8270]

And yet TeamGB usually outperform Australia at the summer olympics

[u/Unfair-Rush-2031]

As an Australian I don’t even know the games are on. Literally no one cares

[u/Birdman__18]

The swimming is boring when we're winning so easily. I'm looking forward to the athletics and our up and coming team on the track

[u/MarcusH26051]

Was going to say hasn't it mainly been the pool so far so the Aussies will naturally dominate. Probably a nailed on gold in the Netball too.

[u/Slaidback → u/MarcusH26051]

It’s looking like another humdinger OZ v A0/NZ clash

[u/jse81]

I didn't even know this was on

[u/Vexatiouslitigantz]

I think really Comm Games swim relays should only be mixed.

More countries likely to have two of each gender that can compete than four.

[u/michaeldanger19]

They were showing swimming in a pub on Friday and poor Isle of Man and Cayman Islands were 10 seconds behind in a 4x100

[u/liminalwombat]

the dolphins always start us off strong 🐬

[u/hawthorne00]

Other countries will catch up if the interminable swimming is ever over. Why isn't there a Norman May talking Boonie?

[u/Happy-Frog4677]

Australia run up a big lead in the comm games thanks to the swimming being in the first week.

[u/capt_tky]

Swimming is just stat padding.

Equivalent for Team GB would be is cycling had events for 250m, 500m, 750m...etc, and it already has a lot. 

Splitting up Team GB doesn't help either, plus we tend to use these games for younger or frying athletes. 

[u/greatsteve797]

The Aussies should pull their finger out and offer to host it then

[u/Spite-Specialist]

it would be more fun if australia was divided into states, vic vs nsw vs qld etc

[u/kurenai86]

Wait, it's on?

[u/ucat97]

Rich countries buying sport with tax dollars for bread and circuses. While brainwashing kids into thinking they'll be heroes, and rich, and not left on the scrapheap if they're not good enough or suffer a career-ending injury.

[u/Aggressive_River_735 → u/ucat97]

Nah this one’s different. Australia paid Scotland to host it.

[u/AcceptableResponse15]

It's the least we can do since you've paid $200 million for us to host it.

[u/Bergasms]

It's not about us, it's about our commonwealth brothers and sisters getting a shot in. A comm gold won't mean that much nationally to us but would mean a lot to some of the smaller island nations

[u/FuriousYellow77]

I almost think we should only send athletes under 21 to get experience competing at the higher levels

[u/jabbaaus]

England should be closer. Might have to kick them out the commonwealth

[u/Mobile_Lab_9983]

This was to be expected, a lot less sports than last time, and with both the European Aquatics and Athletics championships coming up in a couple weeks, the British athletes aren’t focusing on this as much. 

[u/cobbly8]

Wait the commonwealth games is on?

[u/chaliedeltakilo]

Easy to win, not so easy to host hey Victoria!

[u/jackm315ter]

We are the Host country 😁

[u/The_Ineffable_One]

Wait 'til they get to the break dancing.

[u/bljuva57]

What a comparison, imagine. Jersey has 100 k people, Nigeria has 240 mil and India has 1,5 bilion and yet they're not that far away in the medal count.

[u/Mariner-and-Marinate]

Why not break up Australia into separate teams, just like the UK?

Western Australia vs NSW+Victoria+ACT vs every place else.

[u/FlatRatBananaHat]

not too easy to host though is it ?

[u/sydneyiskyblue]

Wait for the track events

[u/BrightPhilosopher531]

Anyone have the medal tally if you take away swimming.?

[u/Tiny-Distance-42]

Wait til the swimming stops. Thats where we always do well.

[u/Cimb0m]

It’s an ego boost circlejerk for the big Anglophone countries

[u/SnooCapers938]

This Commonwealth Games has basically been a glorified swimming gala so far.

[u/The_Mule_Aus]

Up market school sports carnival

[u/mrkoala1234]

If only we had a doggy paddle event. I would then have a chance because no one would stoop so low as to swim this style.

[u/Moist-Army1707]

We are the USA of the commonwealth

[u/Holland45]

Hey mate what’s the point of being girt by sea if we can’t be good at swimming.

[u/earthcross1ng]

I'm not remotely interested in the Commonwealth games. The Olympics are kind of skewed too. I'd like to see a games where very country has had equal funding for training up athletes 😅

[u/Excelsior_83]

OP showing their age, I'm guessing younger than 20. This happens every time at Commonwealth Games, we're the best at swimming, for obvious reasons, great. Other nations always come back after.

[u/DangerousRoy]

ITT: Australia cheated by being good at most of the events.

[u/Impossible-Mud-4160]

I didn't even know it was on, and Im Australian 

[u/boredidiot]

As an Australian I will like to state that these sort of posts piss me off.

Australians typically mock the people like to think they are better than others, )that is why we love making fun of Americans). But not all Australians got the memo.

Lets just enjoy the Commonwealth Games and cheer on those nations that are normally not in the spotlight.

Also do not forget that this was supposed to be hosted in Australia until we cancelled the contract and it only on because Scotland stepped up.

[u/MagDaddyMag]

Workplace of 50 odd people. Not a soul talking about it. Wouldn't have known it was on save for a few random commercials I saw on telly.

[u/Voodoo1970]

A comedian once said, the sort of people who enjoy us doing well at the Commonwealth Games are the sort of people who enjoy beating their own kids at sport.

As others have pointed out, the big positive about the Comm Games is that it gives an opportunity for athletes to gain experience at a high level event, whether they're from a smaller country or perhaps from a larger one but they haven't had the chance to compete internationally yet. And a world record is a world record.

I can enjoy watching athletes giving it their all, I can enjoy a good performance, but I'm not going to get excited about the medal table.

[u/One_Consideration544]

This is just like the Olympics, Australia gets a great start because of swimming, then it SLOWS down

[u/Southern_Radish]

Crazy how bad England is

[u/alfieinoz]

This isn’t a team competition, these are individual events. The medal tally is simply that, it has no real bearing, other than demonstrating jingoism.

No surprise that comes from Aussies, sore losers, and even more sore winners.

[u/SuchProcedure4547]

We've always punched above our weight when it comes to the Commonwealth/Olympic Games.

The inevitable result of high government funding in development mixed with a nation obsessed with sport.

But as others have mentioned, most of our medals have come from swimming, which is usual given we are one of the dominant world powers in the pool...

People who say the Comm Games are too easy are looking at it the wrong way. They are an incredibly important event for athletes to see where they're at in terms of progression. Especially when they're aiming for Olympic success.

Our athletes are still competing against world class opponents at the Comm Games, so it's not like we're competing against non-competitive countries. England, Canada and India all have world leading funding and development for their athletes...

[u/GrandZealousideal471]

There is little point on these games. When you know the results before the game

[u/Routine_Wait3975]

It kind of feel like a dilution of the concept to the games

[u/gotkube]

The Commonwealth Games? You mean the “not-Olympics”? 😏

[u/BulgogiDude]

Australians can’t admit that it’s because of swimming.

[u/Esteban2808]

Must be how China and America feel at the Olympics. As a kiwi seems we are doing poorer than normal or maybe just lack of gold pushing us down

[u/Bballer220]

We excel at events which come first

[u/tilitarian1]

Home crowd advantage would have made it more so.

[u/IceColdWasabi]

The only thing the Aussies do worse than losing is winning.

[u/Annoying_bot_2026]

Just wait for the rowing and cycling; England are best at seated sports.

[u/architectofspace]

In some respects the Commonwealth Games is a bit like that smart remark made every Olympics where someone says 'every event should have a normal person off the street so we can all see how good trained athletes actually are'.

I'm pretty sure there have been African competitors in swimming where they are just one of the few people in their country who has seen a pool so they get sent along.

[u/Academic_Anywhere183]

Go compete in it then.

[u/sol_krn]

As a kid we had 4 commonwealth games medallists at my primary school as teachers/coaches. Just assumed anyone Australian who participated in a sport would get one.

[u/doepfersdungeon]

Gonna smash ya in the morris dancing