Countdown Issue 24 Dec 2015.Indd
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COMMONWEALTH GAMES SCOTLAND NEWSLETTER ISSUE 24 – WINTER 2015 staff there was invaluable and gave the visit a real multi-sport feel. A big thank Next stop Gold Coast 2018 you to all the sports’ governing bodies and sportscotland for their commitment Preparations for the next Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia in to ensuring that Team Scotland will 2018 picked up pace at the end of 2015 with a site visit to the Queensland city. compete in Gold Coast 2018 after the best Scottish performance staff from 15 sports on the Gold Coast 2018 programme preparation possible.” joined Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) staff and representatives of the sportscotland Institue of Sport and Eventscotland. They explored the area and CGS Chief Executive, Jon Doig added: engaged in collaborative discussions with the Local Organising Committee “For each Games we have raised the bar (GOLDOC). in terms of our preparations and this has certainly contributed to our great There were informative updates from the base there, which will assist athlete and performances in recent years. Heads of the Divisions responsible for staff acclimatisation immediately before transport, sport, venues and the Games the Games. Possible training venues “We are looking to have our best ever Village. The group were invited to give and support services were also viewed. overseas Games in Gold Coast 2018, feedback, before heading off on a tour Armed with first-hand experience of the bettering those last held in Australia in of sports venues and the Village site. options, performance staff are now leading 2006. Ensuring we are fully aware of the Everyone was impressed by the scale of discussions within their individual sports, situation on the ground and have a base investment being made into the facilities before a final decision is made on the that can support our athletes as soon as and the information gathered will help to venue and operational requirements. they arrive, as well as in the Gold Coast, is a inform Team Scotland’s general and sport critical part of our planning as we approach specific preparations in the lead up to the “The welcome we received on both the the last two years until the Games.” Games. Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast was absolutely fantastic,” said CGS Games Queensland’s Gold Coast will host the 21st Sites for Scotland House, a regular and Team Operations Manager, Elinor Commonwealth Games important feature of the Team Scotland Middlemiss. “The facilities being built for from 4 to 15 April Games support programme, were also the Games are progressing well and the 2018, the fifth explored. opportunity to hear updates and share time Australia information with the Organising Committee has staged the There was an opportunity to visit potential was very useful for everyone. Games and the team camp facilities on the Sunshine first time it will be Coast, about an hour away, to assess the “The group were fantastic to work with held in a regional feasibility of creating a Team Scotland and having so many of the performance Australian city. UPDATE The Gold Coast’s famous beachfront skyline on the horizon behind Carrara Stadium Basketball (preliminary rounds) Gold Coast facilities take shape Cairns Convention Centre, Cairns (Men) Townsville Entertainment and Convention Since our last visit to Gold Coast there has been significant progress not only Centre, Townsville (Women) with Games planning but with the building and refurbishment of the Games Boxing, Squash & Table Tennis Village and sports facilities. Most facilities are in close proximity to the Village in Oxenford Studios (the Village Roadshow Gold Coast, with the exception of Track Cycling and Shooting which will be held television production studios) will play host 66km away in Brisbane, whilst Basketball preliminaries will be held in Cairns and to the sports of Boxing, Squash and Table Townsville, a two-hour flight away. Tennis with a number of temporary facility enhancements. The 2018 Games will be held from metre pool will become the warm up pool 4 to 15 April and the 17 sports on the in Games mode. programme will use the following venues: Athletics (Track & Field) & Opening & Commonwealth Games Village & Closing Ceremonies Parklands Carrara Stadium, Carrara will be enhanced The new Village at Southport will include with temporary seating to provide for a 6,500 bed Residential Zone comprising 40,000 spectators in Games mode. The a mix of four to eight floor residential venue will host the Opening and Closing buildings and two-floor townhouses. The Ceremonies for the Games, as well as the International Zone will contain commercial, Athletics competition. leisure and ceremonial services and The velodrome takes shape facilities for athletes, guests and media. Athletics (Marathon, Race Walks) & Triathlon Cycling (Track) Aquatics (Swimming & Diving) Southport Broadwater Parklands will be The new Queensland State Velodrome The Gold Coast Aquatic Centre at the site for the start and finish of the which is being built at the Sleeman Sports Broadwater Parklands has undergone a Marathon, Race Walks and Triathlon. Complex, Chandler, Brisbane will host the major redevelopment to provide for both Track Cycling. the Swimming and Diving events. The Badminton & Wrestling redevelopment includes the construction A new Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre Cycling (Road) of a new 50 metre, 10 lane swimming pool will be constructed to host the Badminton The Elanora / Currumbin Valley area will for competition, while the original 50 and Wrestling competitions. provide a picturesque location for the Road Racing, starting and finishing at the Merv Games Village complex making progress Craig Sporting Complex. Cycling (Mountain Bike) Nerang Mountain Bike Trails will be the location for the Mountain Bike competition. 2 Coomera Indoor Sports Centre underway Gymnastics & Netball (finals) International Broadcast Centre and the Team staff Coomera Indoor Sports Centre, Coomera, a Main Press Centre. new indoor multi-sport facility is currently recruitment to get being built and will host Gymnastics and Rugby Sevens the Netball finals. The Rugby Sevens tournament will take underway in 2016 place in the purpose-built Robina Stadium, As part of Gold Coast 2018 planning, Hockey Robina which is home to the Gold Coast CGS has undertaken a review of the The existing Gold Coast Hockey Centre at Titans Rugby League team. Team Scotland staffing structure. This Keith Hunt Park, Labrador will be upgraded is due to be completed in early 2016 to host the Hockey competition. Shooting and will be followed by the recruitment All shooting disciplines will be of the General Team Management Lawn Bowls accommodated at the Belmont Shooting positions. The Lawn Bowls competition will be held at Centre, Belmont, Brisbane. The premier an upgraded Broadbeach Bowls Club, the Queensland shooting venue, which The aim is to have these positions city’s premier Lawn Bowls facility. hosted the 1982 Commonwealth Games. filled by Spring 2016. This is likely to be Starting in January 2016 the facility will be followed by an initial visit to the Gold Netball (preliminary round) & Basketball upgraded and refurbished. Coast in May, to start working together (finals) as a team and to progress operational The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Weightlifting planning for the Games. Centre at Broadbeach will host the Part of the Carrara Precinct, Weightlifting preliminary Netball competition and the will be held at the upgraded Carrara Indoor Basketball finals. It will also be home to the Stadium. General Selection Policy confirmed At the half yearly CGS Council meeting Gold Coast 2018 venues overview in November 2014, a discussion paper was presented which outlined the principles proposed for the Gold Coast 2018 General Selection Policy and Standards. A year-long consultation period has followed, including workshops held in March and August 2015 with member sports and key stakeholders. The final General Selection Policy and Standards document has now been published following the 2015 half yearly Council meeting, with the aim of selecting a team that performs with distinction in 2018: • Having a higher percentage of athletes meeting the selection standards when in competition at the Games than in 2014 • Achieving our highest ever number of medals at a Games outwith Scotland. The General Selection Standards include the following: • The selection standard is based on a minimum performance level of the ability to show a top six or top half of the field performance (whichever is the tighter) in the Commonwealth. • All individual sports will be represented in the 2018 Commonwealth Games by up to four athletes and all team sports will be represented by a minimum of one team. CGS will now work with the sports on the Gold Coast sport programme to develop the Sport Specific Selection Policy and Standards throughout 2016 so that they are available well in advance of the selection period which will open on 1st April 2017. 3 Fantastic Youth Games in Samoa The fifth Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa last September were a huge success, with Scotland’s 28 athletes returning with an impressive 21 medals (three gold, ten silver and eight bronze). This was Scotland’s best medal to athlete ratio since the 2004 Games in Bendigo, Australia. Boxing quartet all win medals Aside from the medals, each and every course of the competition. In individual BOXING one of Scotland’s athletes performed qualification Evelina finished 4th and exceptionally well and were great Struan 5th, before both were eliminated in Scotland’s boxers are renowned for their ambassadors for their country. The Youth the quarter-finals. In the non-medal mixed success at both Youth and senior Games Games are a development opportunity team event Evelina and her partner from and Samoa was no exception as the four for athletes and staff and the whole Barbados took an excellent second place.