2006 Commonwealth Games

"Melbourne Commonwealth Games" redirects here. For the withdrawn bid for the games in Melbourne and across Victoria, see Victoria bid for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

XVIII Commonwealth Games
Host cityMelbourne, Australia
MottoUnited by the moment
Nations71[1]
Athletes4071[2]
Events245 in 17 sports
Opening15 March 2006
Closing26 March 2006
Opened byElizabeth II
Closed byPrince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Athlete's OathAdam Pine
Queen's Baton Final RunnerJohn Landy
Main venueMelbourne Cricket Ground
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2006 Commonwealth Games

The 2006 Commonwealth Games, officially the XVIII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Melbourne 2006, were an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth held in Melbourne, Australia between 15 and 26 March 2006. It was the fourth time Australia had hosted the Commonwealth Games. It was also the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.

More than 4,000 athletes from 71 Commonwealth Games Associations took part in the event.[3] Zimbabwe withdrew its membership from the Commonwealth of Nations and Commonwealth Games Federation on 8 December 2003 and so did not participate in the event.[4] With 245 sets of medals, the games featured 17 Commonwealth sports. These sporting events took place at 13 venues in the host city, two venues in Bendigo and one venue each in Ballarat, Geelong, Lysterfield Park and Traralgon.[5]

The site for the opening and closing ceremonies was the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which was also used during the 1956 Olympics.[6] The mascot for the games was Karak, a red-tailed black cockatoo (a threatened species).[7] The official song of the games, "Together We Are One", was composed by the ARIA awardee Australian recording artist Delta Goodrem. During the closing ceremony of the games, President of the Commonwealth Games Federation Mike Fennell declared to the crowd "Melbourne, you are simply the best".[8]

For the first time in the history of the Commonwealth Games, the Queen's Baton visited every single Commonwealth nation and territory taking part in the Games, a journey of 180,000 kilometres (110,000 miles). The relay ended when the Governor of Victoria, and former Commonwealth Games medallist, John Landy delivered the baton to Her Majesty the Queen at the Melbourne Cricket Ground during the opening ceremony.[9]

The host nation Australia topped the medal table for the fifth time in the past five Commonwealth Games, winning the most golds (84) and most medals overall (221). England and Canada finished second and third respectively.[10]

The 2006 Commonwealth Games have been lauded as “best Commonwealth Games ever”.[11] A KPMG analysis of 2006 Commonwealth Games found the event prompted an increase in gross state product of about A$1.6 billion over a 20-year period and employment of about 13,600 jobs.[12]

  1. ^ The four Home Nations of the United Kingdom — England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — send separate teams to the Commonwealth Games, as do the three Crown Dependencies — Jersey, the Isle of Man and Guernsey — and 9 of the 14 British Overseas Territories. The Cook Islands and Niue, non-sovereign territories in free association with New Zealand also compete separately. There are thus 53 members of the Commonwealth of Nations, but 71 competing teams at the Commonwealth Games.
  2. ^ 1911-2010 Australia at the Commonwealth Games: Delhi 2010 XIX Commonwealth Games 3-14 October. Melbourne: Australian Commonwealth Games Association. 2010. p. 111. ISBN 978-0958019019.
  3. ^ "Melbourne 2006". Commonwealth Games Federation. Archived from the original on 7 April 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  4. ^ La Guardia, Anton (8 December 2003). "Zimbabwe quits Commonwealth over suspension". Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  5. ^ "M2006 > Sports and Venues > Venue Statistics". m2006.thecgf.com. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  6. ^ "M2006 > Sports and Venues > Venue Locations > Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)". m2006.thecgf.com. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  7. ^ M2006 > Karak the Mascot > Display Archived 27 June 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ "Games farewelled with spectacular party". The Sydney Morning Herald. 26 March 2006. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  9. ^ "M2006 > Queen's Baton Relay". qbr.m2006.thecgf.com. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  10. ^ "M2006 > Schedule and Results > Medals". m2006.thecgf.com. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  11. ^ Deery, Shannon; Johnston, Matt. "Melbourne last hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2006 in an event which has been dubbed the "best Commonwealth Games ever"". Herald Sun. News Corp. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  12. ^ Mackay, Duncan (31 January 2022). "Victoria bid for 2026 Commonwealth Games set to be launched "this week"". Inside The Games. Retrieved 1 February 2022.