Glasgow 2014: The highs and lows

WE look back at some of the best (and worst) moments of Glasgow 2014, and some of the stats from Scotland’s biggest-ever sporting event.
Clyde, a sell-out success of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Picture: John DevlinClyde, a sell-out success of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Picture: John Devlin
Clyde, a sell-out success of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Picture: John Devlin

TOP FIVE HIGHS

Records

As well as breaking records in individual sports, Scotland took a record number of gold medals and a record total overall, finishing fourth in the table. The home nation, of five million people, was comfortably between Canada with 35 million and India with 1 billion.

Erraid Davies

Just 13, Erraid became the surprise star when she took bronze in the pool. The Shetland Islands schoolgirl hadn’t told her friends she would be competing, and trains in a pool a fraction of the size of the Games venue at Tollcross – making her winning smile after the race all the more special.

Charlie Flynn

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Another young star, just 20, he took lightweight gold for Scotland at the Hydro on Saturday. He was “buzzing like a jar of wasps” and will be delivering more than mail at his Motherwell Royal Mail workplace after his performance as he shows off his medal.

Clyde and the Clydesiders

The Games mascot was a huge hit, with children and adults alike wanting to be photographed with him, and Clyde toys selling out. And his helpers, the Clydesiders who volunteered their time to make the Games a success, were unfailingly welcoming.

Usain Bolt

Of course, one of the biggest sporting stars on the planet was bound to grab attention and headlines, and he delivered with real style in the 4x100m relay on Saturday night, as well as jigging to The Proclaimers just beforehand.

AND THE FIVE LOWS

Transport

The queues to Hampden on the first weekend caused some fans to miss the start of the athletics, while spectators and commuters have faced extensive delays, forcing transport chiefs to call up more staff and trains and buses.

Drugs

The Games have been largely dope free, but there have been blips, including Welsh athlete Rhys Williams and Botswana’s former world 400m champion both failing drug tests. Nigerian weightlifter Chika Amalaha (below), just 16, was stripped of her gold medal after testing positive for a banned substance.

Swimming

Glasgow poster boy Michael Jamieson appearing crestfallen after suffering a humiliating shock defeat at the hands of team-mate Ross Murdoch in the 200m breastroke. He went on to say he “let people down” by failing to win gold.

Gordon Matheson’s opening ceremony speech

Perhaps he didn’t think his microphone was on, but he trended on social media as “why is this man yelling” for his welcoming address.

Actually...

There weren’t five lows. Not even those dodgy kilts. You would be hard pressed to find negatives about these Games, with so many memorable moments.

Glasgow 2014 by numbers

• 3.5m people passed through Central Station

• +50,000 cuddly Clyde mascots sold out

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• 171,000 attended the Rugby Sevens – a record-breaking number for the sport

• 1m people visited the Glasgow 2014 website per day

• 500,000 people visited the Live Site at Glasgow Green

• 1,800 Host City Volunteers

• +1m mentions of Glasgow 2014 on social networks since the opening ceremony

• 15,000 Clydesiders volunteered at the Games

• +1,500 paid staff working at the organising committee

• 30,000 contractors

• 1.2m tickets sold

• 100 tonnes of fruit and vegetables consumed

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