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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-05-08 Daily Xml
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Gold Coast Commonwealth Games

Mr COWDREY (Colton) (14:59): My question is for the Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing. What celebrations did the government organise for our Commonwealth Games athletes?

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD (Gibson—Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (14:59): I thank the member—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader will not interject.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: —for his question and note his great contribution to South Australia in sport and in his local community, of course. He is our greatest ever Paralympian and now a wonderful member of this house and doing great things in his local community. Again, I know the others on the other side may not respect what happened at the Commonwealth Games and the great result of our South Australian athletes, but they were absolutely outstanding.

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order: the minister is imputing an improper motive on all members of this house.

The SPEAKER: What was the improper motive? Let's hear it. The minister will just be seated for one second, please. What was the improper motive?

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: He claimed that we didn’t care about the outcome of the Commonwealth Games, sir. It's appalling.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: On improper motive, it must be on an individual member, not a class of members—and, frankly, I think the minister was right.

The SPEAKER: I will listen carefully. Minister.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. As I said, it was a great performance by South Australians. As with the other portfolios I look after, we have some wonderful South Australians in the volunteer sector and also in the emergency services sector that do outstanding work and again in the sports sector, from the local clubs to our elite athletes in the Commonwealth Games, which were a great opportunity for our elite athletes to shine. They did an outstanding job.

South Australian Sports Institute athletes, current and graduates, contributed directly to 18 gold, three silver and six bronze medals in Australia's overall medal tally. Several South Australian athletes achieved multiple medals and broke games and world records at the 2018 Gold Coast games. Port Lincoln native Kyle Chalmers achieved an outstanding four gold medals, in the 200 metre freestyle, the 4 x100 metre freestyle relay, the 4 x 200 metre freestyle relay and the 4 x 100 metre medley relay. Kyle's 4 x 200 metre freestyle relay and the 4 x 100 metre medley relay teams both set impressive new Commonwealth Games record times on their way to gold. Chalmers remains a South Australian local, training at the South Australian Aquatic and Leisure Centre at Marion, which is great for the local community, and studying at university here as well.

Also in the pool, South Australian Paralympic swimmer Jessie Aungles won gold in the men's SM8 class 200 metres individual medley, and I know that Jessie looks up to Matt Cowdrey, the member for Colton and, as I mentioned before, a superstar of the pool.

South Australian cyclists shone at the velodrome, with Stephanie Morton taking home three gold medals, in the team sprint, keirin and individual sprint. Stephanie set a new games record in the team sprint and the qualifying rounds of the individual sprint event, as well as taking home a silver medal in the 500 metre time trial. Matthew Glaetzer secured two gold medals, in the men's keirin and in the men's 1,000 metre time trial, in which he delivered a games record-setting time. Despite not finishing on the podium in the men's sprint final, Glaetzer still managed to produce a new games record in the qualifying rounds. He also secured a bronze in the team sprint event.

The women's team pursuit achieved a gold medal and a new games record thanks to the contribution of South Australian locals Annette Edmondson and commonwealth games debutante Alexandra Manly. Annette also added a bronze medal to her medal collection in the individual pursuit event.

I must also make mention of the exceptional performance of the Adelaide based and prepared gold medal-winning and world record-breaking men's pursuit team, coached by Tim Decker. This was outstanding. It was an exciting moment to see the team cross the line in a time of three minutes and 49.804 seconds, the first time recorded below the three-minute 50 mark in the history of the sport. Much like the four-minute mile was many years ago, people thought this mark, the three-minute 50 mark, couldn't be topped, and it was, so that was outstanding.

At the athletics stadium, Kurtis Marschall, at just 20 years of age, showed the power and the talent and his dedication to get gold in the men's pole vault. Jess Trengove fought like a champion to achieve her second Commonwealth Games marathon podium finish in a field that suffered through the hot and humid conditions on the Gold Coast. It truly was a performance full of grit and determination.

In the gymnastics, Chris Remkes ended a 24-year drought of Australian success in the men's vault when he secured gold. Chris was adopted by his South Australian parents from the Philippines at age two. He was an absolute character.

South Australian exports also contributed significantly to team successes at the Commonwealth Games—Brad Newley in men's basketball, Cayla George, Nicole Seekamp and Stephanie Talbot with the Opals—and also, from the SA Sports Institute alumni, South Australian native Chris McHugh took gold with his partner, Damien Schumann, in a very tight final in the men's beach volleyball.

The presentations happened in Rundle Mall and also at the Town Hall. It was a very great performance and wonderful to celebrate these great performances from our South Australian athletes.

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