They were nothing if not eclectic. The 2022 Commonwealth Games opened with a message from the human rights activist Malala Yousafzai, who completed her school years in Edgbaston, and an appearance by a giant animatronic bull. The closing ceremony finished with fireworks, bursts of flame and Ozzy Osbourne sporting a gothic black cape, shouting: “Birmingham for ever!” In between, a city that has much to be proud of pulled off a show that will further boost its growing self-confidence.
An estimated 1.5 million tickets were sold over 11 days of events, making these Commonwealth Games among the best-attended in history. Given that Birmingham had stepped into the breach when Durban, the planned host city, ran into financial difficulties, this was a fine achievement. On track and field, athletes from the 72 Commonwealth nations did not disappoint. An epic 10,000m contest between Scotland’s Eilish McColgan and Kenya’s Irene Cheptai will live long in the memory of the capacity crowd that witnessed it (as will the sight of the victorious McColgan embracing her mother, Liz, who won the same race in 1986 and 1990).
