April 2018 saw over 6,600 athletes and officials from 71 teams flock to Australian shores for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
After 11 days of hot competition in Queensland, Australia topped the medal tally with 80 gold, 59 silver and 59 bronze, winning 61 more medals than Glasgow 2014, for a total haul of 198.
Aussie Olympians shone on the home stage, including dual Olympic medallist Mitch Larkin, who won the most gold medals of the entire Games. Larkin took a clean sweep of his events with five gold in the pool. Emma McKeon equalled the highest number of total medals won with four gold and two bronze
Reigning Olympic Champions Emma Mckeon, Bronte Campbell and Cate Campbell smashed their own world record with teammate Shayna Jack in the women's 4x100m freestyle relay on the opening night of the Games. The Campbell sisters went on to win seven medals between them.
Four-time Olympian Mark Knowles captained the Kookaburras to gold in his final hockey match in the green and gold.
The ‘Fittest Women on Earth’, Tia Toomey added Commonwealth Games weightlifting gold to her impressive resume, and gymnast Chris Remkes broke a 24-year Commonwealth Games vault drought for Australia when he won gold with a score of 14.779.
The only track cycling record not broken at the Anna Meares velodrome during GC2018 was the record set by Anna Meares herself in the 500m time trial at the Glasgow 2014 Games.
Rio 2016 Olympian and three-time World Championships silver medalist, Stephanie Morton was a stand out on the track, winning two individual and one team gold, and an individual silver.
Four-time Olympic shooter Daniel Repacholi won gold in the men’s 50m pistol with a new Games Record, and Beijing 2008 Olympic silver medalist Melissa Wu won her first international gold at her fourth Commonwealth Games in the women’s 10m Synchro.
In surfing, Steph Gilmore won her fourth Bells Beach trophy and moved into the World #1 ranking spot. Gilmore would go on to stay in that top spot and win her seventh World Surfing title at the end of the year. On the same day Gilmore celebrated her Bell’s victory, surfing legend Mick Fanning finished second in his retirement event.
The Matilda’s topped Pool B at the 2018 AFC Women’s Asian Cup before defeating Thailand on a penalty shootout in the semi-final to advance to the Cup final. Unfortunately, Australia went down 1-0 to the eventual Asian Cup winners, Japan, despite dominating the decider.
Also in April, Casey Dellacqua bringing down the curtain on a glittering 16-year pro career that featured a top-30 singles ranking, seven WTA doubles titles, two Olympic Games and Grand Slam success.
Georgia Thompson
olympics.com.au
