Athletics at the 2018 Commonwealth Games

Athletics at the 2018 Commonwealth Games
Dates8–15 April 2018
Host cityGold Coast, Queensland
VenueCarrara Stadium
Events50
Participation952 athletes from
68 nations
Records setgames records


Carrara Stadium

Athletics was one of ten core sports that appeared at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast. As a founding sport, athletics has appeared consistently since its introduction at the 1911 Inter-Empire Games; the recognized precursor to the Commonwealth Games.[1] The competition took place between Sunday 8–15 April 2018 at the Carrara Stadium.

The programme featured an expanded event set for para-athletes with a total of six men's and six women's events, re presenting doubling of the number para-events at the previous games. This move was approved of by the para-athletes, and Kailyn Joseph noted that inclusion in the medal table alongside able-bodied events allowed her to share in the same environment, as opposed to the separation found in the Paralympics and World Para Athletics Championships.[2]

Two Indian athletes, racewalker Irfan Kolothum Thodi and triple jumper A.V. Rakesh Babu were removed from the games after a needle was found in their apartment, breaking games policy.[3] A Singapore para-athlete, Mohammad Khairi Ishak, was withdrawn from the men's T47 100 m after failing a drug test prior to the competition.[4] Other controversies of the athletics included the gold medal disqualification of Zharnel Hughes in the men's 200 m, after he impeded (eventual gold medallist) Jereem Richards, and the mid-race collapse of men's marathon leader Callum Hawkins.[5]

  1. ^ "Athletics". Gold Coast 2018. Retrieved 21 February 2018.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ 'Share the dream' – the Games that celebrated disability sports. The Guardian (2018-04-15). Retrieved 2018-04-15.
  3. ^ Commonwealth Games: Two Indians sent home for violating 'no-needles' policy. BBC Sport (2018-04-13). Retrieved 2018-04-15.
  4. ^ Commonwealth Games: Singapore para athlete Khairi Ishak banned after failing dope test. Straits Times (2018-04-13). Retrieved 2018-04-15.
  5. ^ Belam, Martin (2018-04-15). Commonwealth Games: the Gold Coast performances that didn't go to plan. The Guardian. Retrieved 2018-04-15.