The question was asked at the start and will be raised again now Birmingham 2022 is over: do the Commonwealth Games still have a place on the sporting calendar every four years?
They are not the Olympics, and the importance of these Games was initially dented by a raft of stay-away stars, yet still they resonate for many athletes, not to mention the hundreds of thousands of fans that came to watch.
Adam Peaty had said he was not bothered about the Games, as he struggled to regain his form and fitness after suffering a broken foot. But the subsequent manner of his victory celebration in the 50metre breaststroke suggested otherwise.
To say the Games do not matter would be to rob so many of their standout moment. Take the penultimate night inside Alexander Stadium, which was packed from morning to night, for two contrasting moments.
There was Alastair Chalmers’ late lunge for the line that won Guernsey a bronze in the 400m hurdles, his parents charging down from the top tier of the stands to envelop him with the island’s flag.
And what of Rosefelo Siosi, of the Solomon Islands, who finished a full three laps behind the rest of the field in the men’s 5,000m but received a standing ovation for the final two laps from those inside the stadium, who roared him home?
The Games have their faults. Some events are world-class, from Peaty in the pool through to the men’s 1500m, in which Ollie Hoare pipped the likes of world champion Jake Wightman.
But then there are those in other sports whose fields would struggle to make an Olympic final. And yet, so often, these Games act as a springboard for what comes next: for Christine Ohuruogu and Cathy Freeman, who would go on to become world and Olympic champions, to name just two.
Before Birmingham, Jake Jarman and Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, were virtual unknowns. They now have six Commonwealth Games gold medals between them and look likely to be forces come the Paris Olympics.
But it was refreshing that there was not quite the same obsession with the medal table as in the Olympics in recent editions. It seemed of secondary importance at the end of it all that England should finish runners-up to Australia with 176 medals: 57 gold, 66 silver and 53 bronze.
The Commonwealth Games like their other moniker, the Friendly Games, and the people of Birmingham took that to another level. Birmingham has sometimes seemed to suffer from a slight inferiority complex. Over the past 11 days, though, it seemed like the city was waking up to how good a place it is and can be, with sport at its heart.
Athletes relished the crowds, those inside Alexander Stadium pleading for them to come back for future meets. That, sadly, may not be replicated. This was not merely about being at track and field, but being part of something bigger, whether that be under the flag of St George, cheering every Team England performer, or being part of a wider Games.
Moving forward, the Commonwealth Games Federation will not be afraid to continue to innovate
The Games have to fight for relevance on the calendar, but there will be more to follow. The Australian state of Victoria hosts the next edition, in 2026, with Hamilton, Canada, set to mark their centenary four years on.
It could well be that London puts its name forward for 2034. Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston said: “The success of the Games in Birmingham is positive for the proposition of London for future Games as well. There’s a lot of speculation about the future, but I’m Sports Minister and I want us to be bidding for everything we can.”
Moving forward, the Commonwealth Games Federation will not be afraid to continue to innovate. Esports was the newest approach, admittedly outside of the Games’ medal table, and it was surreal to watch players with names like Crimson, Takara and Alanis battle it out for Rocket League glory.
In an era where sporting events are still trying to inspire a nation to take up physical activity, gaming at a multi-sport event does not necessarily feel the best way forward. But the Commonwealth Games are at least willing to think outside the box. Long may it continue.
