Home advantage for 2034 Games?

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Opinion

Bombarded by what seems to be an endless series of bad news, from extreme weather to a cost-of-living crisis, it is refreshing to get some positive news in the fact New Zealand is considering a bid for the 2034 Commonwealth Games.

The NZ Olympic Committee has confirmed it is showing an early interest in the 2034 Games, the start of a long process to actually become the hosts.

Olympic committee chief executive Nicki Nicol said: “We believe this is a fantastic opportunity — a great opportunity for our sports and importantly a great opportunity for all New Zealand.”

All three of the Commonwealth Games the country has previously hosted — Auckland in 1950 and 1990 and Christchurch in 1974 —have been outstanding successes.

The Christchurch ones in particular produced two unforgettable images: the previously little known Dick Tayler winning the 10,000 metres and Tanzania’s Filbert Bayi narrowly beating John Walker in what is regarded as one of the greatest 1500-metre races ever run.

There is a particular advantage in the 2034 Games in that the various sports can be spread throughout the country and bring in a lot of other centres, rather than everything focused on just one major city. That opportunity is already being seen in the Women’s Football World Cup which is being hosted jointly with Australia and games will be played in a number of New Zealand cities.

This ability to spread the venues is a major cost bonus. Hopefully the facilities available in the country would be of a sufficiently high standard to mean major infrastructure investments would not be needed . . . although that may be wishful thinking.

Under the federation rules, athletics and swimming are the only compulsory disciplines along with lawn bowls and power lifting in para sports. That means New Zealand could include sports in which it has been traditionally successful in the mix, possibly as many as 20.

The Commonwealth Games are seen by some commentators as a poor cousin of the Olympic Games but they have traditionally been popular with sportspeople in this country.

New Zealand won a record 20 gold medals at the last Games in Birmingham and surely would hope to do at least as well with home advantage.

Incidentally, the next Games in 2026 are being hosted in four regional sites in Victoria, just across the ditch, which is another plus for our athletes.