The 2018 Commonwealth Games is under way.

Gold Coast 2018 organisers today held a spectacular opening ceremony welcoming the 71 nations & territories and 4,500 athletes from across the Commonwealth.

HRH The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall were present at the Ceremony to help with launch the Games alongside CGF President Louise Martin and Gold Coast 2018 Chairman Peter Beattie.

HRH The Prince of Wales read the message from the Queen’s Baton, which has spent the last year travelling across all Commonwealth nations and was finally brought into the stadium by Australian athletics star Sally Pearson.

Prince Charles read the message, placed in the Baton by Her Majesty the Queen on Commonwealth Day last year, and HRH discussed his delight at being able to officially open the 21st edition of the Commonwealth Games.

He added: “These friendly Games have showed the potential of the Commonwealth to connect people of different backgrounds and nationalities.

The Opening Ceremony, which focused on celebrating the history of the Gold Coast, featured many of Team England’s athletes who were the third nation to be paraded through the Carrara Stadium, the athletics competition venue.

Team England was led out by reigning Commonwealth triathlon champion Alistair Brownlee, with the team proudly wearing Team England’s special Opening Ceremony wear; “The Journey”.

With the Games now underway, Team England’s team on 390 athletes will compete For Team and Country over the next 11 days. Team England is the best representation of England as it is today with almost athletes from all across the nation, able bodied and para competing as one team and from all walks of life and a nearly equitable number of male and female athletes.

Team England will be the best prepared team we have ever been for this year’s Games. Having experienced an Olympic and Paralympic style preparation camp in Brisbane ahead of the Games, and now in a world class performance centre based in the athlete’s village, the team will be ready to give their best.

Info about Team England at the 2018 Commonwealth Games

  • 390 athletes
  • 194 male and 196 female athletes
  • 41 para-athletes plus 3 pilots/directors
  • The team will compete across all 18 sports at the Games including 7 para-sport disciplines
  • 198 support staff – media, medical, village
  • Jade Jones will be competing in both para-triathlon and para-athletics.  The first Team England athlete since 2002 to compete across two separate sports.
  • The youngest athlete on the team is rhythmic gymnast Hannah Martin who is 15 years and 10 months at the time of the opening ceremony.
  • The oldest athlete on the team is lawn bowler Michael Thomas Robertson who is52 years and 4 months at the time of the opening ceremony and making his debut at the Games
  • Ellen Falkner (lawn bowls) and Geva Mentor (netball) are the most experienced members of the team and will be competing at their 5th Commonwealth Games.