Commonwealth Games 2022

Competitors from 72 nations and territories -- many of which are former British colonies -- will be vying for medals in 19 sports over a jam-packed 11 days in ...

It’s insane the depth we have,” said the Commonwealth Games 400 metres and 800m freestyle champion. Cricket last featured at the Commonwealth Games in 1998 but the women will take part for the first time in Birmingham, with Meg Lanning’s Australia hot favourites to win the T20 competition. The worlds were rescheduled from last year after the coronavirus pandemic forced a delay to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics but that has created a headache for athletes in a crowded schedule. The Commonwealth Games comes hot on the heels of the world athletics championships in Eugene, Oregon, which only finished on Sunday. Competitors from 72 nations and territories -- many of which are former British colonies -- will be vying for medals in 19 sports over a jam-packed 11 days in the Midlands. More than 5,000 athletes are primed for action in the English city of Birmingham from Friday at a Commonwealth Games lacking several track and field stars but still boasting elite performers.

Birmingham's Alexander Stadium comes alive for the opening ceremony as more than 4000 athletes from around the world arrive for the 12 days of the Games.

"There's a shirtless Samoan athlete stealing the show here. the team from Sierra Leone is rivalling them though. By Kelsie Iorio Aussie readers — who got up early to catch the opening ceremony action? By Kelsie Iorio By Kelsie Iorio By Kelsie Iorio By Kelsie Iorio By Kelsie Iorio By Kelsie Iorio By Kelsie Iorio By Kelsie Iorio

The day has finally arrived - follow along live as 7NEWS.com.au brings you all the action from the XXII Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.

Stream Seven's coverage of the Commonwealth Games 2022 for free on 7plus >> Welcome to Alexander Stadium in Birmingham for the opening ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games. More than one billion people throughout the Commonwealth are expected to watch the ceremony that will feature a cast of about 2500 participants.

As the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony kicked off in Birmingham, Prince Charles joked that everyone was “terrified of the Aussies”.

The team of more than 430 athletes comprises a record 10 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athletes and 75 para-athletes. The team is again hoping to top the medal table after winning 80 gold medals and making 198 trips to the podium on home soil four years ago. It kicked off an epic three-hour ceremony that began by honouring British cultural giants William Shakespeare, Edward Elgar and Samuel Johnson.

A raging bull, Malala Yousafzai, a Brummie drag queen and Duran Duran all part of festivities.

Excitement about the Games has been building for months. It was dragged into the stadium by 50 women representing chainmakers from the Industrial Revolution. “We tried to give everything an edge. The city and wider region will provide the perfect stage for our athletes to compete.” “It feels like these games have come around at the right time for this city,” said the show’s artistic director, Iqbal Khan. “We are ready to make a statement to the world about ourselves. The opening ceremony followed the journey of Stella and the Dreamers, a group of young athletes from around the Commonwealth, through Birmingham’s history.

Australia entered the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony to an iconic song, but it was a 10m bull and Prince Charles' epic way he entered Birmingham ...

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Now a Birmingham native, Malala Yousafzai took to the stage in the centre of Alexander Stadium during the ceremony to introduce the song Hear My Voice and ...

Peace." Where families can live in peace and in dignity. "To all the athletes representing the Bahamas, I wish you the best of luck for the Games. Where women can fully participate in society. A future where every child can go to school. The youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize narrated a presentation about the importance of education, appearing in the centre of the stadium to cheers and applause.

A shared joke between royalty and Australians and a heartfelt speech by Malala Yousafzai: Here's how the 2022 Commonwealth Games kicked off.

The bull took five years to build and represented the workers who went on strike, demanding better pay. "Birmingham, when I first came to this city I had never heard its name. The proceedings ended with a bang as Duran Duran returned to their hometown, performing a medley of their greatest hits. He even cracked a joke with some of the members of the Australian team that "all the rest are terrified of the Aussies". The Raging Bull during the opening ceremony of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Source: AAP / PA / Tim Goode The ceremony told the story of Stella and The Dreamers, a group of young athletes from around the Commonwealth exploring the working-class city's history of industrial innovation, struggles and success.

Dolphins head coach Rohan Taylor says Australia will reluctantly send a team to the 2024 world championships as leading nations and athletes continue to ...

The steps towards the Olympics are planned with military precision and in no universe did Australia envisage a trip to Qatar at the start of an Olympic year. Taylor said Australia would race in some capacity if push came to shove, but the preference was for the meet to be mothballed completely. “With the guys that came into the group, the para athletes as well as those athletes who were just swimming Comm Games, that really changed the dynamic. Never before has a world championships been held in an Olympic year, while Doha would be the third world titles in as many years as FINA tries to make up for COVID disruptions. “We hope so, that’s been the plan from the beginning. Our preference would be to just have an Olympics in 2024.