The 1994 Commonwealth Games proudly brought to you by
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And McDonald's or Sprite again.
Rest easy Australia for the wait is over. This is day one of the 15th Commonwealth Games coming to you live and exclusively through Network 10.
And this is Victoria, Canada. Not far on the map, not as the crow flies, yet somehow a world away from Vancouver hosts City of the 1954 Games.
Four decades down the track, an empire now of Commonwealth. And we're rolling back into British Columbia, back for 11 days of splash, sprint and some old fashioned silliness.
Fun. These gifted young athletes, the Kieran Perkins, the Hayley Lewis's, the Cathy Freemans, they congregate here not to learn about history but to create it.
Let them wait no longer. Today, the opening ceremony of the 15th Commonwealth Games.
Good morning Australia and welcome to Victoria, Canada for the 15th Commonwealth Games. It's just after four o'clock in the afternoon and like the scene behind me another postcard day.
Brilliant sunshine, little or no humidity and the finest athletes in the Commonwealth gathered before an international television audience tip to hit half a billion people.
For the next 10 days, Network 10 Australia will keep you on the pace with the coverage incorporating 160 hours.
From Centennial Stadium adjacent to us here at the International Broadcasting Centre, we welcome Anne Fulwood and Tim Webster.
Tim, how does the atmosphere compare to that of say an Olympic Games or a football grand final?
Well you can probably hear them Bill. Good morning to you, good morning everyone at home. This crowd is really pumped up. They're practising I think.
We've got the wave going and a lot of clapping and cheering. Look, I think Billy the difference is this is going to be a very peaceful, very harmonious and a spiritual thing once it gets underway rather than a very aggressive one that you'd find at the MCG or the football stadium.
Well preparation as usual has been very secretive but can you give us a clue just what to expect?
No I don't think we should do that Bill. Anne and I saw the dress rehearsal yesterday and there were a lot of gaps in it as you'd expect and we want everybody at home in Australia to see it along with us.
We really didn't see the full show but let me tell you it's going to be a mosaic of Canada that you're going to see, all its peoples and all its history and it's going to be just fantastic and these guys here behind me, Annie, are gearing up to get into it.
Oh my goodness it's actually giving me a rush of emotion much like I had yesterday Tim when I watched this preview of the opening ceremony. It is a spiritual and emotional moment. I think that's been the catch cry here in Victoria. It's an emotional city. They're full of spirit.
They've been so happy to have the Commonwealth Games here in Victoria Canada and they've been waiting for this moment for so long. You can hear the excitement. It's palpable. It's actually made us all a bit nervous and uptight up here in the box.
But Norman May you're a man who's an expert. You've been to nine. It's an emotional and a happy time in this magnificent city isn't it?
What a wonderful atmosphere and this is a city gripped in games fever and when you look at what we've seen around here just like being in Australia, wonderful conditions and what about the Australian team?
Well they're in great shape. You know they finished off their final preparation with a typical Aussie barbecue and that's the way to do it. They've received hundreds and hundreds of messages from back home and they feel that they're representing the whole country.
And over the next week and a half you get to see a feast of magnificent television entertainment. I believe the record must go. Australia has a wonderful team.
A two world record holders in swimming. Six Olympic medallists beside them. The gold medal of Kieran Perkins. A great cycling team. Everything. It's all there. I reckon they can win 70 gold medals.
In my opinion it will be a great games but more importantly a very great games for Australia.
You heard it from the expert ladies and gentlemen. Thank you very much Norman Mann as you saw on the screen a moment ago. That was the Australian team getting ready for the march around the Centennial Stadium here for the opening ceremony.
And now I'd like to introduce you to a man who I don't think needs introduction. An international commentator who I'm sure we're all familiar with. Phil Liggett.
Thanks Anne. Well back in 1958 at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff the Queen sent her message to the people of the Commonwealth in a baton and it went via 664 wrong distance relay athletes.
Now since then the Queen's baton relay has become a tradition and this year it all began in the courtyard of Buckingham Palace on March the 14th where the Queen handed the silver baton to Michael Smith the Canadian decathlete.
And so started the long journey to eight Commonwealth nations before the baton itself finally arrived in Canada.
The baton is solid silver designed by three artists from First Nations and engraved with the symbols of the frog the raven wolf and the young thunderbird.
And he completed his long journey here in Victoria this morning after traveling almost 100,000 kilometers.
Today the Queen will read that message here in Centennial Stadium and I can promise you that will be one of the many highlights here in what is often a very highly charged and emotional opening ceremony as you'll find out with us after this break.