Editing 2002 Commonwealth Games (section)

== Preparation and development ==
=== Venues ===
[[File:Manchester-city-fc-stadium.jpg|alt=|thumb|The [[City of Manchester Stadium]] hosted Athletics and Rugby Sevens events]]
[[File:CWG027 Manchester Aquatics Centre.jpg|thumb|[[Manchester Aquatics Centre]] hosted Diving and Swimming events|left]]
[[File:MEN Arena, Manchester - panoramio.jpg|thumb|The [[Manchester Arena]] hosted the boxing and netball events|left]]
[[File:Manchester Velodrome.jpg|thumb|[[Manchester Velodrome]] hosted the track cycling programme]]
[[File:Manchester Central Arena.jpg|left|thumb|[[Manchester Central Convention Complex]] hosted gymnastics, judo, weightlifting and wrestling]]
[[File:Bolton Arena, Entrance - geograph.org.uk - 1221257.jpg|thumb|[[Bolton Arena]] hosted badminton]]
The Games' main venue was the [[City of Manchester Stadium]] (now Etihad Stadium), which hosted all athletics events, the rugby sevens and the opening and closing ceremonies. The stadium was a smaller and downscaled  version of that proposed during Manchester's bid for the [[2000 Summer Olympics bids|2000 Summer Olympics]]. Construction started in January 2000,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cae.org.uk/casemanchester.html|title=City of Manchester Stadium|work=Centre for Accessible Environments|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060719215927/http://www.cae.org.uk/casemanchester.html|archive-date=19 July 2006|url-status=dead|access-date=22 July 2006}}</ref> and was completed shortly before the Games. The cost was approximately £110 million, £77 million of which was provided by [[Sport England]], with the remainder funded by [[Manchester City Council]].<ref name="legacy">{{Cite web|url=http://www.gameslegacy.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi/30|title=City of Manchester Stadium|work=Commonwealth Games Legacy|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070103144802/http://www.gameslegacy.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi/30|archive-date=3 January 2007|url-status=dead|access-date=27 August 2006}}</ref> For the Commonwealth Games the stadium featured a single lower tier running around three sides of the [[athletics (sport)|athletics]] track, and second tiers to the two sides, with an open-air temporary stand at one end, giving an overall capacity of 41,000.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/home/a-question-of-sport/175036.article|title=a question of sport|last=Taylor|first=David|date=16 May 2002|work=The Architects Journal|access-date=11 June 2012}}</ref> The stadium formed the centrepiece of an area known as [[Sportcity]]. Other venues in Sportcity include the [[Manchester Velodrome]], which hosted cycling, and the £3.5 million [[National Squash Centre]], which was built specifically for the Games.<ref name="squashcentre">{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/articles/2005/09/21/national_squash_centre_venue_feature.shtml|title=National Squash Centre|work=BBC|access-date=2 May 2008}}</ref>

Swimming and diving events took place at [[Manchester Aquatics Centre]], another purpose-built venue, and until 2012,was the only one in the United Kingdom with two 50 metre pools.<ref name="aquatics">{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/commonwealthgames2002/spl/venue_guide/html/aquatics_ctr.stm|title=Venue Guide: Manchester Aquatics Centre|work=BBC|access-date=2 May 2008}}</ref>

The [[Manchester Arena]] built in 1994, at the time was the largest arena in Europe hosted [[netball]] finals and [[boxing]] preliminares.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/commonwealthgames2002/spl/venue_guide/html/man_arena.stm|title=Venue Guide: Manchester Evening News Arena|date=23 July 2014|work=BBC Sport|access-date=2014-07-23}}</ref>

The shooting events were held at the [[National Shooting Centre]] (NSC), Bisley (located in Surrey). The NSC saw major redevelopment of all its ranges in order to host the fullbore rifle, smallbore rifle, pistol and clay target events.

=== Athletes' village ===
The athletes' village of the event was located in the residential area of the [[University of Manchester]] Fallowfield Campus -in an area of 30 acres, being built specifically for the event and after the event, the buildings were donated to the university and turned an expansion of the housing complex.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://m2002.thecgf.com/The_Games/Village/default.asp|title=Athlete's Village|website=m2002.thecgf.com}}</ref>

=== Queen's jubilee baton relay ===
[[File:Bilston St.-Garrick St. - geograph.org.uk - 536739.jpg|thumb|The [[Queen's Baton Relay]] passes through [[Wolverhampton]] before the 2002 Commonwealth Games in [[Manchester]].]]
The [[Queen's Baton Relay#Manchester 2002|2002]] [[Queen's Baton Relay|Queen's Jubilee Baton Relay]], the continuation of a tradition that started with the [[1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games|1958 Games]], consisted of the relay of an electronic baton, containing a personal message from [[Elizabeth II]] across 23 Commonwealth nations. The relay culminated in the arrival of the baton at the City of Manchester Stadium, opening the Games. The speech was then removed electronically from the baton, and read by Her Majesty to open the Games.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Southport Reporter.|url=http://www.southportreporter.com/43/southportreporter43-main.shtml|access-date=2022-11-28|website=www.southportreporter.com}}</ref>

The 2002 Baton itself was designed by a company called IDEO, and was constructed of machined [[aluminium]] with the handle plated for conductivity. It weighed 1.69&nbsp;kg, reached over 710&nbsp;mm, and was 42.5&nbsp;mm to 85&nbsp;mm in diameter. The Queen's message itself was held in an aluminium capsule inserted into the top of the Baton. On either side of the Baton were two [[sterling silver]] coins, designed by [[Mappin and Webb]], which celebrated the City of Manchester as host of the XVII Commonwealth Games.

The Baton was also equipped with sensors that detected and monitored the Runner's pulse rate. This information was then conveyed to a series of [[light-emitting diode]]s (LEDs), via a light behaviour module. The lens then transformed the LEDs into a shaft of bright blue pulsating light which synchronised with each new Runner. The hearts of the Runner and the Baton then beat as one until it was passed on, symbolising the journey of humanity and the essence of life.

The Queen's Jubilee Baton Relay passed through over 500 cities, towns and villages across the UK and the Baton was carried by 5,000 individuals, with each Runner carrying the Baton up to 500 yards, however on Saturday 15 June, the baton was snatched from a runners hand in the town of [[Connah's Quay]], [[Deeside]] in [[north Wales]].

The UK Baton Runners were made up of people from all walks of life including athletes, celebrities and local heroes from all over the country. Around 2500 Jubilee Runners were nominated by the community to carry the Baton, because they made a special contribution to their community or achieved a personal goal against the odds.

The judging of the Jubilee Runners was conducted by a panel of judges under the supervision of The [[Duke of Edinburgh's Award]] in January 2002. The relay was sponsored by [[Cadbury Schweppes]], a major UK confectionery and soft drinks manufacturer.

=== Budget ===
The cost of hosting the 2002 Commonwealth Games was estimated at £300 million.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/others/commonwealth-games-corruption-chaos-amp-a-race-to-avert-a-crisis-2057234.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/others/commonwealth-games-corruption-chaos-amp-a-race-to-avert-a-crisis-2057234.html |archive-date=1 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Commonwealth Games: Corruption, chaos & a race to avert a crisis|date=20 August 2010|newspaper=The Independent|access-date=25 July 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Prior to the games, a £100 million was required to fill a financial black hole and the government agreed to provide the funding required,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/jul/02/sport.peterhetherington?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487|title=Manchester gets £100m lifeline to fund games|last=Hetherington|first=Peter|date=2 July 2001|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=25 July 2012}}</ref> despite some believing that £300 million was too much.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2001/jul/25/commonwealthgames2002.commonwealthgames|title=Why Manchester may rue the day it won the Commonwealth Games|last=Chaudhary|first=Vivek|date=25 July 2001|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=25 July 2012}}</ref>

=== Cultureshock and Festival Live ===
{{See also|Cultureshock at the 2002 Commonwealth Games}}
Cultureshock was the Commonwealth Games Cultural Programme which ran alongside the Games themselves. The events ranged from images of the athlete as hero in sculpture and photography ('''Go! Freeze''', which ran at Turton Tower in [[Bolton]]) to a [[Zulu people|Zulu]] performance at [[The Lowry]]. There was an exhibition at the [[Whitworth Art Gallery]] called '''Tales of Power: West African Textiles''', and a performance of the film [[Monsoon Wedding]] at [[Clwyd Theatr Cymru]]. The geographical range was from [[Cheshire]] in the south to [[Blackburn]] and [[Cumbria]] in the north, and included that year the various [[Mela]]s that take place around the region.

Cultureshock also ensured that a wide range of cultural events and acts reached the "man on the street", with the [[Manchester city centre|city centre of Manchester]] filled with bands, performers, and artists of various forms entertaining the thousands of visitors to the Games. It also coincided with the BBC's 2002 Festival Live series of open-air concerts and celebrations around the country, held to celebrate the Queen's [[Golden Jubilee]]. Many of the cultural events were covered by the [[BBC 2002]] radio station covering the games.

=== Opening ceremony ===
[[File:CWG007 Opening Ceremony.jpg|thumb|Opening Ceremony]]
The Project & Artistic Director for the Opening Ceremony was [[David Zolkwer]]. Five-time Olympic champion [[Steve Redgrave|Sir Steve Redgrave]] opened the two-and-a-quarter-hour opening ceremony by banging a large drum, which initiated a co-ordinated dance and fireworks act. The champion rower was joined on the stage by sporting stars including yachtswoman [[Ellen MacArthur]], heptathlete [[Denise Lewis]], long-distance runner [[Moses Kiptanui]], swimmer [[Susie O'Neill]] and sprinter [[Donovan Bailey]]. The [[Grenadier Guards]] shared the arena with pop band [[S Club]] and [[Salford, Greater Manchester|Salford]]-born opera singer [[Russell Watson]] sang the Games' theme, "[[Faith of the Heart]]", while the arrival of HM [[Elizabeth II|The Queen]] was greeted with a [[flypast]] by the [[Red Arrows]]. England football captain [[David Beckham]] helped chaperone Queen's Baton final runner [[Kirsty Howard]], assisting the terminally ill six-year-old to hand the baton to The Queen. A 4,000-strong cast took part in the £12 million spectacular, which in theme and tone consisted of a mix of "pomp and pop", combining the ceremonial aspects of the Games with a party-style atmosphere, based on Manchester's reputation as the party city of "[[Madchester]]".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/2002-commonwealth-games-opening-ceremony-7417848|title=WATCH: Relive the 2002 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony in full|last=Swettenham|first=Lee|date=2014-07-15|website=men|access-date=2020-01-11}}</ref> The ceremony was voiced by broadcaster [[Anthony Davis (comedian)|Anthony Davis]].

[[File:CWG015 Opening Ceremony Athletes Parade.jpg|thumb|Athletes Parade at the Opening Ceremony]]
The traditional athletes' parade was led by previous hosts [[Malaysia]], and England brought up the rear before The Queen as the [[Head of the Commonwealth]], declared the Games open:

"All of us participating in this ceremony tonight, whether athletes or spectators, or those watching on television around the world, can share in the ideals of this unique association of nations,"

"We can all draw inspiration from what the Commonwealth stands for, our diversity as a source of strength, our tradition of tolerance&nbsp;... our focus on young people, for they are our future."

"It is my pleasure in this my Golden Jubilee Year to declare the 17th Commonwealth Games open."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.royal.uk/opening-ceremony-17th-commonwealth-games-manchester-25-july-2002|title=Opening ceremony of the 17th Commonwealth Games, Manchester, 25 July 2002|last=Ciara.Berry|date=2002-07-25|website=The Royal Family|language=en|access-date=2020-01-11}}</ref>

=== Closing ceremony ===
The Project & Artistic Director for the Closing Ceremony was [[David Zolkwer]]. The Queen ended 11 days of competition at a rain-drenched closing ceremony in the City of Manchester Stadium. She declared the Games closed in front of a {{Formatnum:38000}} sell-out crowd gathered in the stadium. She also called on the athletes to assemble again in four years in [[Melbourne]] and to continue displaying the "friendship" they had shown in Manchester. The ceremony, attended by [[Prime Minister]] [[Tony Blair]] and several other dignitaries, took place in pouring rain and like the opening ceremony, mixed "pomp with pop". Australian Ian Thorpe, the star of the Games with his six swimming golds, carried his national flag into the arena, along with athletes from each of the other competing countries. Around {{Formatnum:40000}} balloons were released into the rainy Manchester sky as the ceremony concluded with a spectacular fireworks display.

Closing ceremony highlights included:<ref name="games hailed a success">{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/commonwealthgames2002/hi/front_page/newsid_2170000/2170044.stm|title=Manchester games hailed a success|date=3 August 2002|access-date=2 May 2008|work=BBC Sport|format=http}}</ref>

*Children covering themselves with red, blue and white paint to portray a giant British flag before unveiling a giant portrait of The Queen as a Golden Jubilee gift.
*The athletes bringing their national flags into the stadium
*South African swimmer [[Natalie du Toit]] being honoured as the outstanding athlete of the Games.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/commonwealthgames2002/hi/swimming/newsid_2172000/2172596.stm|title=Du Toit voted top athlete|last=Anon|date=4 August 2002|work=BBC Sport|access-date=6 October 2010|publisher=BBC}}</ref>
*The symbolic handover of the Commonwealth Games Ceremonial Flag to [[Melbourne]], host city for the 2006 Games.
*A spectacular presentation with over {{Formatnum:1700}} lanterns, which ended with the message 'Seek Peace' lit up in vast letters on the floor of the arena.
*[[Coronation Street]] stars [[Steven Arnold|Steve Arnold]] and [[Tracy Shaw]] (who played characters [[Ashley Peacock|Ashley]] and [[Maxine Peacock]]) arriving in one of 40 [[Morris Minor]]s which became the centre of a song-and-dance showpiece.
*Hip-hop DJ [[Grandmaster Flash]] encouraging the massed ranks to "make some noise" as athletes and volunteers poured into the arena to music from the likes of [[Will Young]], [[Dave Stewart (Eurythmics)|Dave Stewart]], [[Heather Small]], [[Jimmy Cliff]] and [[Toploader]].
*Australian singer [[Vanessa Amorosi]] sang her signature tune, ''Shine'' and a song about the city of Melbourne, "I'll always be a Melbourne girl" just as it began to pour with rain.