The were held in
Manchester ,
England from
July 25 to
August 4 .
72 nations competed in 14 individual sports and 3 team sports events.
There were the maximum of 17 sports included in the schedule for the 2002 Commonwealth Games.
After experimenting with it on a smaller scale at the
1994 Commonwealth Games and dropping it at the
1998 Games ,
Disabled Competitions were held in swimming, athletics, bowls, table tennis and weightlifting (
Powerlifting ). The medals were added to the final tally for each nation.
There were 72 participating countries, territories and Commonwealth regions at the 2002 Commonwealth Games. In alphabetical order, these included:
- The Netball final between Australia and New Zealand . Played before a capacity crowd of 12,000 people, the game see-sawed throughout the four quarters, both teams pulling out to significant leads only to be clawed back to level pegging. New Zealand were one goal up with only 30 seconds to go, and in attack, when called for stepping, Australia taking advantage to score and tying the game at 46-all at full time. Two seven minute periods of overtime were played, with the game becoming increasingly more frantic and scrappy as the score was levelled again at 55-all after overtime, with the situation that the first team to get two goals ahead won the game. After three minutes of sudden-death extra time Australia won the game 57-55, in one of the most exciting games of netball ever played.
- In a slightly underwhelming Australian performance at the pool, Ian Thorpe still managed to set yet another world record in his pet event, the 400 metre freestyle Swimming . His quest for seven gold medals was ended by team-mate Matt Welsh in the 100 m backstroke.
- of Kenya and a massive 1 minute 21 seconds faster than the inaugural running of the event four years earlier.
- On the last day of track competition, England won gold in both the men's 4x100 and 4x400 relays by tiny margins, recording the same time (38.62) as the , out of condition as she looks after her ill husband, nevertheless ran the second leg to assist the team to victory.
- In winning the triple jump England's Jonathan Edwards simultaneously held the World, Olympic, European and Commonwealth championships and the World record. He would lose the European title a week later in Munich.
- Another world record was set in the 4000 metre team pursuit at the Track Cycling by the Australian team. Scot Chris Hoy took the Individual Time Trial and 19-year old prodigy Nicole Cooke of Wales won the women's cycling road race in a sprint finish, having seemed out of contention after a mistake on the last lap.
- South Africa n swimmer Natalie Du Toit created history. As well as winning her events in the newly-included Disabled swimming event, the 18-year-old, missing the lower section of her left leg, made the final of the 800 metre able-bodied freestyle event. The integration of a small number of elite disabled sporting events into the games was regarded as a success.
- Manchester's famously grey weather, which had largely behaved itself for the games, got its revenge in the closing ceremony as it drenched those dignitaries, spectators and athletes who turned up (many stayed in the village and watched on television). Australian singer Vanessa Amorosi managed to keep a straight face, but only just, as she sang her signature tune, "Shine" and a song about the city of Melbourne ´´I Always be a Melbourne Girl´´
(''Host nation is highlighted'')
Cultureshock was the Commonwealth Games Cultural Programme which ran alongside the Games themselves. The events ranged from images of the athlete as hero in sculpture and photography (, which ran at Turton Tower in at
Clwyd Theatr Cymru . The geographical range was from Cheshire in the south to Blackburn and Cumbria in the north, and included that year the various
Mela s that take place around the region.
