The 1986 Commonwealth Games were held in Edinburgh, Scotland, between 24 July and 2 August 1986. This was the second Commonwealth Games to be held in Edinburgh. This event served as a qualifying event for the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul for the events that was contested at the Olympic Games. Thirty two of the eligible fifty nine countries (largely African, Asian and Caribbean states) boycotted the event because of the Thatcher government's policy of keeping Britain's sporting links with apartheid South Africa.
 | |
| Host city | Edinburgh, Scotland |
|---|---|
| Nations | 27 |
| Athletes | 1,660 |
| Events | 161 events in 10 sports |
| Opening | 24 July 1986 |
| Closing | 2 August 1986 |
| Opened by | Elizabeth II |
| Queen's Baton Final Runner | Allan Wells |
| Main venue | Meadowbank Stadium |
The Games were commemorated on the UK’s first-ever £2 circulating coin, which showed a Scottish thistle upon the St. Andrew’s saltire design on the reverse side of the coin.
Organisation
editUnlike the 1970 Games in Edinburgh, which were popular and successful, the 1986 Games are ill-famed for the wide political boycott connected with them and the resulting financial mismanagement.[1]
Controversies
editIn addition to the boycott, further controversy arose when it was revealed that through this much-reduced participation and the resultant decline in anticipated broadcasting and sponsorship revenues, the Organising Committee was facing a big financial black hole. The boycott ended any prospect of securing emergency government assistance. Businessman Robert Maxwell stepped in to offer funding, taking over as chairman; but although he promised to invest £2m, his contribution was just £250,000. On a budget of £14m, the Games opened with a deficit of £3m, which later grew to £4.3m, and instead of putting enough money into the event to save it, the new chairman of the Games asked creditors to forgo half the payment due to them to keep the event out of liquidation. The debt was finally paid off in 1989, with the city of Edinburgh losing approximately £500,000.[2]
Several athletes were excluded because they breached the amateurism rules, most notably lawn bowlers Phil Skoglund from New Zealand and Willie Wood from Scotland, both of whom have competed in subsequent Games.
Participating teams
editDue to the boycott only 27 teams from across the Commonwealth were represented at the 1986 Games.
| Participating Commonwealth countries and territories |
|---|
|
^ Note: Bermuda withdrew from the games to join the boycott after the opening day of competition.[3] |
| Debuting Commonwealth countries and territories |
Boycott
editThirty two of the eligible fifty nine countries (largely African, Asian and Caribbean states) boycotted the event because of the Thatcher government's policy of keeping Britain's sporting links with apartheid South Africa in preference to participating in the general sporting boycott of that country and the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Consequently, Edinburgh 1986 witnessed the lowest turnout since Auckland 1950.[4] Bermuda was a particularly late withdrawal, as its athletes had appeared in the opening ceremony and in the opening day of competition before the Bermuda Olympic Association decided to formally withdraw.[5]
Opening ceremony
editThe theme of the opening ceremony celebrated the "Spirit of Youth" and included 6500 Scottish schoolchildren taking part in a series of large Mass Games-style Gymnastics routines. The theme song "Spirit of Youth" was written by Gerard Kenny. The ceremony began on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle from which hundreds of schoolchildren ran down the Royal Mile, through Holyrood Park to Meadowbank Stadium.[7]
Venues
edit- Balgreen, (Bowls)[8]
- Barry Buddon (Shooting)[9]
- Ingliston Centre (Boxing)[8]
- Meadowbank Stadium (Badminton)[8]
- Playhouse Theatre (Wrestling and weightlifting)[10]
- Royal Commonwealth Pool (Aquatics)[8]
- Strathclyde Park, Glasgow (Rowing)[8]
Medals by country
edit* Host nation (Scotland)
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 52 | 43 | 49 | 144 | |
| 2 | 51 | 34 | 31 | 116 | |
| 3 | 40 | 46 | 35 | 121 | |
| 4 | 8 | 16 | 14 | 38 | |
| 5 | 6 | 5 | 12 | 23 | |
| 6 | 3 | 12 | 18 | 33 | |
| 7 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 15 | |
| 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 11 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | |
| 12 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| 13 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Totals (15 entries) | 163 | 163 | 176 | 502 | |
Medals by event
editAquatics
editAthletics
editBadminton
editBowls
editBoxing
editCycling
editTrack
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | ||||||
| Time Trial | 00:01:06 | 00:01:06 | 00:01:07 | |||
| Sprint | ||||||
| Individual Pursuit | 00:04:44 | 00:04:51 | 00:04:54 | |||
| Team Pursuit | Glenn Clarke Brett Dutton Bill Hardy Wayne McCarney Dean Woods |
00:04:27 | Gary Anderson Russell Clune Stephen Swart Andrew Whitford |
00:04:34 | Chris Boardman Gary Coltman Rob Muzio Jon Walshaw Guy Rowland |
overtaken |
| 10 Miles (16 Kilometres) Scratch | 00:19:41 | 00:19:41 | 00:19:41 | |||
Road
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | ||||||
| Road Race | 04:08:50 | 04:08:50 | 04:08:50 | |||
| Team Time Trial | Alan Gornall Deno Davie Keith Reynolds Paul Curran |
02:13:16 | Blair Cox Graeme Miller Greg Fraine Paul Leitch |
02:14:50 | Alastair Irvine Cormac McCann Joseph Barr Martin Quinn |
02:16:13 |
Judo (demonstration sport)
editRowing
editShooting
editPistol
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men/Open | ||||||
| 50m Free Pistol | 551 | 549 | ||||
| 50m Free Pistol – Pairs | Tom Guinn Claude Beaulieu |
1099 | Paul Leatherdale Richard Wang |
1090 | Phil Adams Bengt Sandström |
1085 |
| 25m Centre-Fire Pistol | 583 | 582 | 580 | |||
| 25m Centre-Fire Pistol – Pairs | Phil Adams Rod Hack |
1165 | Bob Northover Michael Cutler |
1157 | Rex Hamilton Barry O'Neale |
1153 |
| 25m Rapid-Fire Pistol | 591 | 588 | 585 | |||
| 25m Rapid-Fire Pistol – Pairs | Brian Girling Terry Turner |
1169 | Pat Murray Jack Mast |
1152 | Mark Howkins André Chevrefils |
1150 |
| 10m Air Pistol | 575 | 574 | 574 | |||
| 10m Air Pistol – Pairs | Paul Leatherdale Ian Reid |
1143 | Phil Adams Bruce Favell |
1143 | Greg Yelavich Barrie Wickins |
1140 |
Rifle
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men/Open | ||||||
| 50m Rifle Prone | 599 | 598 | 597 | |||
| 50m Rifle Prone – Pairs | Michael Ashcroft Gale Stewart |
1175 | Donald Brook Alan Smith |
1171 | Terry Wakefield Colin Harris |
1165 |
| 50m Rifle Three Positions | 1170 | 1167 | 1150 | |||
| 50m Rifle Three Positions – Pairs | Malcolm Cooper Sarah Cooper |
2278 | Jean-François Sénécal Michael Dion |
2276 | Alister Allan Bill MacNeill |
2241 |
| Full Bore Rifle | 396 | 396 | 395 | |||
| Full Bore Rifle – Pairs | Bill Baldwin Alain Marion |
583 | James Corbett Stan Golinski |
583 | David Calvert Martin Millar |
582 |
| 10m Air Rifle | 588 | 583 | 582 | |||
| 10m Air Rifle – Pairs | Guy Lorion Sharon Bowes |
1167 | Wolfgang Jobst Anton Wurfel |
1151 | Malcolm Cooper Robert Smith |
1146 |
Shotgun
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men/Open | ||||||
| Trap | 195 | 192 | 192 | |||
| Trap – Pairs | Peter Boden Ian Peel |
185 | Tom Hewitt Eamon Furphy |
183 | Terry Rumbel Domingo Diaz |
183 |
| Skeet | 196 | 195 | 195[20] | |||
| Skeet – Pairs | Joe Neville Ken Harman |
195 | Brian Gabriel Don Kwasyncia |
193 | John Woolley Jeff Farrell |
189 |
Weightlifting
edit| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | ||||||
| Flyweight – Overall | 212.5 | 185 | 177.5 | |||
| Bantamweight – Overall | 245 | 217.5 | 215 | |||
| Featherweight – Overall | 252.5 | 250 | 235 | |||
| Lightweight – Overall | 315 | 307.5 | 290 | |||
| Middleweight – Overall | 302.5 | 300 | 270 | |||
| Light Heavyweight – Overall | 350 | 325 | 317.5 | |||
| Middle Heavyweight – Overall | 350 | 342.5 | 340 | |||
| Sub Heavyweight – Overall | 360 | 332.5 | 327.5 | |||
| Heavyweight – Overall | 375 | 372.5 | 370 | |||
| Super Heavyweight – Overall | 392.5 | 347.5 | 342.5 | |||
Wrestling
edit| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | ||||||
| Light Flyweight | ||||||
| Flyweight | ||||||
| Bantamweight | ||||||
| Featherweight | ||||||
| Lightweight | ||||||
| Welterweight | ||||||
| Middleweight | ||||||
| Light Heavyweight | ||||||
| Heavyweight | ||||||
| Super Heavyweight | ||||||
See also
edit- 1970 Commonwealth Games, held in Edinburgh
- 2014 Commonwealth Games, held in Glasgow.
- 2026 Commonwealth Games, to be held in Glasgow.
References
edit- ^ "The forgotten story of … Robert Maxwell's 1986 Commonwealth Games | Sport | theguardian.com". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 7 April 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
- ^ "Glasgow makes final call for 2014 Games - Athletics - Scotsman.com". News.scotsman.com. 9 May 2007. Archived from the original on 17 May 2007. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
- ^ Fraser, Graham (25 April 2014). Glasgow 2014: The Bermuda boycott of 1986 that still hurts Archived 11 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine. BBC Sport. Retrieved on 19 August 2015.
- ^ "Scottish independence referendum will increase interest in Glasgow 2014, it is claimed | Glasgow 2014". insidethegames.biz. 29 February 2012. Archived from the original on 11 August 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
- ^ Fraser, Graham (25 April 2014). Glasgow 2014: The Bermuda boycott of 1986 that still hurts Archived 11 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine. BBC Sport. Retrieved on 2 November 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u "8 More Nations Join Boycott of Commonwealth Games; Total Now 23". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 21 February 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
- ^ "Power From Within – Commonwealth Games 1986 Opening Ceremony – YouTube". youtube.com. Archived from the original on 30 July 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
- ^ a b c d e Bell, Daniel (2003). Encyclopedia of international games. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co. p. 122. ISBN 0-7864-1026-4.
- ^ "Barry Buddon Training Centre from The Gazetteer for Scotland". www.scottish-places.info. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
- ^ Ducker, Chris (30 July 1986). "Colossus of Oz fills the stage". Evening Post. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
- ^ "Mike Burrell". New Zealand Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 3 May 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
- ^ "Neil Gibson". New Zealand Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 31 October 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
- ^ "Barrie Mabbott". New Zealand Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 19 April 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
- ^ "Shane O'Brien". New Zealand Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 3 May 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
- ^ "Andrew Stevenson". New Zealand Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 18 April 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
- ^ "Don Symon". New Zealand Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
- ^ "Carl Vincent". New Zealand Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 3 May 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
- ^ "Ian Wright". New Zealand Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 18 April 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
- ^ "Andrew Hay". New Zealand Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 18 April 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
- ^ "Day Eight: All the Results". The Sydney Morning Herald. 3 August 1986. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
External links
edit- Commonwealth Games Official Site
- 1986 Commonwealth Games – Australian Commonwealth Games Association official website
- Video of the Opening Ceremony
| Preceded by Brisbane |
Commonwealth Games Edinburgh XIII Commonwealth Games |
Succeeded by Auckland |