The Commonwealth Games

History of the Commonwealth Games

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1970 Edinburgh, Scotland

The IX Games from the 16th to the 25th of July, 1970 in Edinburgh will be remembered for a number of firsts. It was the first time that metric distances and electronic photo-finish technology were employed at the Games and also the first time that HM Queen Elizabeth II attended in her capacity as Head of the Commonwealth. Scots will further remember the Games for the Stewart brothers Ian (gold) and Peter (4th) in the 5000 metres and Lachie Stewart (no relation) who took gold in the 10000 metres.

Forty-two nations sent a total of nearly 1,750 athletes and officials to the first Edinburgh Games. New medal winning nations included Tanzania, Malawi and St Vincent.

Ten sports were featured in the Games - athletics, badminton, boxing, cycling, fencing, lawn bowls, shooting, swimming and diving, weightlifting and wrestling.

1974 Christchurch, New Zealand

Following the massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics, the X Games at Christchurch was the first multi-sport event to place the safety of participants and spectators as its uppermost requirement. Security guards surrounded the athlete's village and there was an exceptionally high-profile police presence. Even so, Christchurch enchanted the watching world as a city of beautiful churches and gardens.

On the running track, Jamaica's Don Quarrie successfully defended both his 1970 100m and 200m gold medals. Quarrie was to go on to win the 1978 100m as well. Only 22 countries succeeded in winning medals from the total haul of 374 medals on offer, but first time winners included Western Samoa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Nine sports were featured in the Christchurch Games - athletics, badminton, boxing, cycling, lawn bowls, shooting, swimming and diving, weightlifting and wrestling.

1978 Edmonton, Canada

The XI Games was the first to bear the current day name of the Commonwealth Games. Whilst Edmonton had won the right to host the Games with an audacious vision presented six years earlier to the Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly, the organisers had to walk a careful tightrope in the immediate run up to the Edmonton Games to ensure that there was no repeat of the African nations boycott of the 1976 Montreal Olympics caused by a New Zealand rugby tour of South Africa.

Forty-six countries sent a total of 1,405 athletes and 504 officials to the Edmonton Games. As host nation, Canada also topped the medal table for the first time.

Ten sports were featured at the Edmonton Games - athletics, badminton, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, lawn bowls, shooting, swimming and diving, weightlifting and wrestling.

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What is the Commonwealth?
The Commonwealth Games
Countries of the Commonwealth
Diversity in the Commonwealth
The Origins and History of the Commonwealth
The Modern Commonwealth
The Commonwealth in Action
The Commonwealth And Young People
Being a Commonwealth Citizen
How does the Commowealth Work?

Did You Know?

Did you know that at the Commonwealth Games in Vancouver (Canada) in 1954 Roger Bannister of England and Australian John Landy ran the first sub-four minute miles in a race. The event was the first to be televised live across the globe.
Did you know that the 1958 Cardiff (Wales) Games were South Africa's last until their post-apartheid return in 1994. Their team had been selected on the basis of race and colour rather than ability, which raised many objections from other nations.
Did you know that the 1998 Games held in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) were the first to be held in an Asian country. In 2010 the Games will return to Asia to be held in New Delhi (India).