The Commonwealth Games closing ceremony gave us a bright, bold, and banging Brummie farewell, and an uplifting handover to Victoria 2026.
So with the Games now officially over, we’ve picked out some of our favorite moments from the 11 absorbing days of competition.
Oliver Hoare stuns hot field to win 1,500m
From an Australian perspective, when it comes to a pure sporting spectacle against a world-class field, Oliver Hoare’s win in the men’s 1,500 meters is at the top.
Oliver Hoare won in breathtaking fashion.(Getty Images: David Ramos)
Hoare was racing against the current world champion as well as the reigning Olympic bronze and silver medalists.
It was perhaps the strongest field of any athletics event at the Games.
And not only did Hoare win it, he did it in the most breathtaking fashion.
Coming fourth around the bend, he started gaining ground in that final stretch, with those watching thinking, ‘He’s going to get bronze, he’s going to get silver … OH MY GOSH, HE’S WON IT!’
He lunged to the line as Kenya’s Abel Kipsang stumbled, and cemented his place in Australia’s middle-distance running folklore.
Packed crowds create brilliant atmosphere, especially for local athletes
When the members of the ABC Sport team turned up to Birmingham a few days before the Games began, we were a little worried.
The people we spoke to seemed almost oblivious that the Games were about to start, and there was an air of indifference around the town.
But once the opening ceremony rolled around, it was like a flick was switched, and Brummies turned out in force and in full voice.
Australia has become the first country to rack up 1,000 Commonwealth Games gold medals on the second last day of competition in Birmingham.
Day 10 saw some impressive team victories, including the Australian Women’s Cricket Team’s win over India and The Diamonds’ close win over Jamaica in the netball.
The victories by green and gold athletes means Australia maintains its lead at the top of the standings by 11 gold medals.
You can check out how theaction unfolded in our Commonwealth Games blog, or have a look at the medal winners and the top 10 medal standings by country below:
Day 10 medal standings:
Gold:
The Diamonds, netball
The Australian Women’s Cricket Team
Maddison Keeney, diving, 3m springboard
Kelsey-Lee Barber, athletics, javelin
Chris McHugh and Paul Burnett, beach volleyball
Georgia Baker, cycling, women’s road race
Cassiel Rousseau, diving, 10m platform
Silver:
Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Arcacho del Solar, beach volley ball
A classic smash-and-grab heist in the Bronx netted a clutch of thieves more $2.15 million in “high-end diamond jewelry” during a wild, caught-on-video robbery on Friday, police said.
The foursome scurried into Rocco’s Jewelry on Webster Ave. in Fordham after they were buzzed in by a manager, cops said.
Surveillance video shows a suspect, clad in a white T-shirt and a black cap and wearing sunglasses, acting like a customer when he’s buzzed in around 2:30 pm Instead of going inside, the man let in the robbery crew, video shows.
The caper lasted about 30 seconds, the security footage shows. DCPIA classic smash-and-grab heist in the Bronx netted a clutch of thieves more $2.15 million in “high-end diamond jewelry.”DCPISurveillance video shows a suspect acting like a customer when he’s buzzed in.DCPI
A hammer swinging man then smashes the glass cases while the other thieves pulled out trays of pricey baubles, cops said.
“Once inside the store, the three individuals used a hammer to smash open the display cases and removed a large amount of high-end diamond jewelry,” police said.
The jewelry was placed into bags that were carried by the thieves, who fled the location on a foot heading southbound on Webster Avenue, cops said.
The caper lasted about 30 seconds, the security footage shows.
Australia has exacted revenge on defending champions England with a 60-51 win to reach the netball final at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
Key points:
The Diamonds led England at every change
Gretel Bueta was outstanding with 43 goals from 44 attempts
The Diamonds face Jamaica in the end
The Diamonds will face Jamaica in the gold-medal match after the Caribbean nation defeated world champions New Zealand 67-51 in their semifinal.
Jamaica beat the Diamonds 57-55 in their final pool match last Thursday.
The Diamonds’ victory over the host nation was built on the brilliance and fluidity of their movement as they repeated their Quad Series final demolition of England in London in January.
It gives the Diamonds the chance of a fifth Commonwealth Games crown after they were sensationally dethroned in the 2018 Gold Coast final by Helen Housby’s last-ditch goal.
This time around, the Diamonds took command midway through the first quarter and never released their vice-like grip.
Inspired by the brilliance inside the shooting circle of Gretel Bueta, who dominated England’s defenders with her 43 goals from 44 attempts, the Diamonds led by three after the first quarter, six at half-time and nine after the third.
It was a relentless stranglehold, the speed of Australia’s ball movement in contrast to England’s cumbersome build-up towards the net.
Diamonds captain Liz Watson led by example against England.(Getty Images: Mark Kolbe)
Every one of Stacey Marinkovich’s team, led by captain Liz Watson and Courtney Bruce, had a fine match.
There had been a bizarre early stoppage in the opening period at 3-3 when England’s Layla Guscoth crashed into the net post while trying to make an interception.
That prompted a delay to the game as running repairs were made to the post, but from that moment Australia never looked back.
The Diamonds have reached the end of every Games since netball became a fully fledged part of the program at Kuala Lumpur in 1998, winning gold in 1998, 2002 and 2014.
