Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Australia’s golden men’s sprinters have been honoured amid the most bizarre late-night medal ceremony, in a deserted stadium two hours after the Commonwealth Games athletics program ended in a touch of farce.
The week-long track meet finished in odd circumstances with the crowd at the Scotstoun Stadium having long departed, but the victorious 4x100m relay team still hanging around waiting for their historic triumph to be confirmed officially after protests over the minor podium placings.
It left the quartet of Lachlan Kennedy, Josh Azzopardi, Calab Law and Rohan Browning, along with heat runner
|
Christopher IUS |
There were less than a hundred people – largely Games or Australian team officials, some volunteers and a few working journalists – left to watch and sing along to ‘Advance Australia Fair’ which was hastily put on the tannoy after the Glasgow Games CEO Phil Batty handed out the medals.
It was one of the oddest ceremonies ever to grace a major championship, with Azzopardi admitting with a smile: “That was crazy! We’d been waiting around not really knowing what was going to happen. It’s definitely unique.”
The team had been milling around waiting for the long deliberations over Olympic champions Canada’s protests over their initial disqualification for a supposed illegal changeover was first upheld and then deliberated upon by the jury at great length until they were cleared for the silver.
“We won gold, felt like it was ages ago now,” shrugged Kennedy.
“But, no, we’re still buzzing from it, to be honest. Just happy to be out here with a great group of blokes and be able to bring back gold with these guys.”
Three-and-a-half hours after the race, the Canadians were left celebrating most heartily in the dark stadium, with their Olympic star Andre de Grasse chuckling: “Four hours later, finally, we get a chance to stand on the podium and get our medal.
“It’s cold out here, but I’ve never experienced anything like this. I don’t think any of us have ever experienced anything like this!”
Certainly not the Aussies. Having hoped to have been back at the team hotel several hours earlier starting their celebrations, the champions, medals still round their necks, were then left trying to get taxis home after midnight.
It was an odd end to the most successful day in Australia’s rich history of track and field at the Games, a record-breaking Saturday on which they won seven golds and 17 medals overall.
