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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-05-16 Daily Xml
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Motions

Gold Coast Commonwealth Games

Mr COWDREY (Colton) (10:37): I move:

That this house—

(a) acknowledges the outstanding performance of South Australia's 60 athletes, both able-bodied and para sport, at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games;

(b) recognises the gold medal winning performances of South Australian and South Australian Sports Institute (SASI) athletes Kurtis Marschall (pole vault), Cayla George, Brad Newley, Nicole Seekamp, Stephanie Talbot (basketball), Christopher McHugh, Damien Schumann (beach volleyball), Cameron Meyer, Ashlee Ankudinoff, Amy Cure, Annette Edmondson, Matthew Glaetzer, Alexandra Manly, Kaarle McCulloch, Stephanie Morton, Alex Porter, Sam Welsford, Rebecca Wiasak (cycling), and Kyle Chalmers and Jesse Aungles (swimming); and

(c) recognises the many family members and partners of our South Australian athletes for the support they give and sacrifices they make to provide our athletes with the opportunity to succeed and represent our state and country with distinction.

We sent to this most recent Commonwealth Games that took place on the Gold Coast one of the biggest contingents of South Australian athletes in history. Given my background, I am sure you are aware that I was lucky enough to have been at a number of the previous Commonwealth Games and be part of both the South Australian and Australian contingents, but this, by far, at 60 athletes, is one of the biggest teams we have ever sent to a games.

I would like to acknowledge the fantastic work of the South Australian Sports Institute. To have our athletes have clear pathways of development here in South Australia is extremely important, both from a grassroots perspective and from a high-performance sport perspective. Wes and his team at SASI have done a fantastic job.

Wes has been there certainly as long as I can remember, so at least the past 15 years, and has ably led the South Australian Sports Institute through a number of reforms and reviews of the Australian sporting landscape, how the Australian sporting landscape is constructed and how and where we are directing the funding, whether that be towards high-performance elite sport or whether that be more tailored to grassroots participation.

It is always a very tough thing to understand where you get the most value as a government, but it is certainly something that has been consistent across my time in the sporting world that South Australia and its athletes have always performed well above our population share. We should be very proud of that fact, that our South Australian athletes for many years have gone and have conquered. Whether it be at the Commonwealth Games, world championships or an Olympics, they have gone and well and truly performed, and outperformed everybody else involved.

I also at this point want to make a quick reference to the Chef de Mission of the Commonwealth Games Association, the CGA team or the Australian team at the Commonwealth Games, Mr Steve Moneghetti, who is a fantastic athlete in his own right and somebody who has represented Australia with distinction on numerous occasions. Mr Moneghetti announced post the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast that this would be his last Chef de Mission duty. He has served both the Commonwealth Games Association and Australia for many years in his capacity both as a sports administrator and as an athlete but, most notably, as the Chef de Mission of the Commonwealth Games team.

I think one of the stark points of difference between him and many other people who seek to lead our Australian teams was evident on the opening ceremony night at the Commonwealth Games. Every single athlete walked in front of Steve. He was the last person to enter the stadium. He stayed at the rear of the team right the way through. I think that is a very important sentiment, that he always has and always will lead from behind. He never made himself the point of attention for the Commonwealth Games team and he went about his duties in a way that he should be applauded for. I think everybody who has been part of a Commonwealth Games team over that time is very thankful to have had Steve lead those teams.

From a personal perspective and as the member for Colton, I certainly am very proud of the athletes from my area who took part in the Commonwealth Games. We have some of the best athletes in the world. I am lucky enough to have the South Australian Sports Institute located in Colton as well, which is something I am very proud of, obviously. Of note, the clear standout in the Colton area is Kyle Chalmers, a man originally from Port Lincoln who has come across to Adelaide.

As I said, given my background, I have had a lot to do with the Kyle over my time. I trained with him for a short period of time as well. He is an outstanding young man, first and foremost, and certainly an outstanding athlete. He made it very clear on his arrival to the international scene that he was there not only to participate but to dominate competition right from the very beginning. Nowhere was this more evident than in his performance at the Rio Olympic Games in 2016. I do not think many, other than himself and his coach, would have expected him to have gone and performed in the way that he did.

I think he captured the imagination of both the South Australian public and the Australian public with the extreme performance that he had in the final of the 100 metres freestyle. As a swimming person, he certainly would not have been in the top eight or the top 16 fastest people in the world leading into that event. He certainly was not in the fastest top eight people in the world leaving that event, but he was the one who raced on the night, and he proved that again at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast with a thrilling performance in the 200 metres freestyle. He is well known for his ability to finish races very quickly and to swim over the top of people, and that is certainly what he did again in that 200 metres freestyle.

I also want to quickly point out the performance of one of our young parasport athletes by the name of Jesse Aungles. I have also got to know Jesse over the years, and he is a fantastic lad. He swam at the Norwood Swimming Club for a number of years and has spent the past three years at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra. He has dedicated himself entirely to his sport and making an impact. He was fortunate to win the 200 metres individual medley on the Gold Coast.

It was fantastic to see his first breakthrough performance at an international meet. For a guy who faces circumstances that perhaps others do not—he was born without his lower limbs—he has overcome that in strides and continues to show a fantastic example for what can be done. I coached Jesse when he was very young as well and it has been fantastic to see his progression through sport.

We are very lucky in South Australia. I have already touched on the South Australian Sports Institute, but we also have the Australian Institute of Sport cycling program based in South Australia, and that is something that at times helps add to our medal tally as a state, and we are very thankful for having those athletes based here. It is incredibly important for the grassroots development of a number of young South Australian riders to have that program based in South Australia. The likes of Anna Meares would never have come here to South Australia to be a part of our great state had it not been for that program being located in South Australia, so we are very thankful for their contribution to our South Australian performance at those games as well.

There were many standout performances across the Commonwealth Games. I am sure many in this chamber, as in the broader South Australian population, were glued to their screens. I think some ventured up there as well to see the great performances of our Australian team. Our women's basketball team dominated like no women's basketball team has in recent times. They did not drop a single game through the competition and very much dominated every game they participated in, and I think we should be very proud of the performance of our women's basketball team as well.

However, you do not have a great performance by a team without great coaches and great administrators behind them. Again, I am going to indulge in a way and turn to my swimming past and mention a guy by the name of Peter Bishop, who has been unheralded for most of his career, who is the coach of Kyle Chalmers. I was lucky enough to be under his tutelage for quite a number of years through my swimming career—16 years, I think. In South Australia, in terms of a swimming state, we often do not get the recognition that we probably deserve.

As I said, similarly, we generally bat above our weight in terms of performance. To have Peter here in South Australia, who I note is now attracting swimmers from Queensland to our great state, is a feat that we could never have imagined in the swimming world just three or four years ago. To have Olympians moving to South Australia to swim at our fantastic facility at Marion, but to be part of what we have here based on our coaching capacity and capability, is an incredible change in the swimming landscape in Australia, and that has to be put down to one of the quietest achievers in national sport.

Peter Bishop has done a fantastic job with Kyle and his development and in bringing him here to Adelaide; keeping him here in Adelaide as well, I think, is an important thing to remember. Often clubs and states compete for talent—that is essentially the game that we are playing in many ways—and to have him stay in South Australia and commit to South Australia is a feat. Unfortunately, he is a very proud Port Power supporter; I am not sure how that happened. I am sure his father had something to do with that, but we will not hold that against him. As I said, we have many great coaches across all the sports, but I wanted to highlight that about Peter.

Mr Pederick: He backs a winning team.

Mr COWDREY: I can't agree with that. In terms of the management of the Commonwealth Games federation, or association as it is known now, the CGA went through quite a substantial change when the long-term CEO, Perry Crosswhite, retired three years ago and moved to a new CEO in Craig Phillips who came over from the Olympic committee. He has done a fantastic job in ably leading that organisation for a number of years.

The Commonwealth Games are the friendly games. There is a slight difference in how our athletes approach those games, but, as a learning opportunity, it is an incredibly invaluable event. Coupled with the main Commonwealth Games, we also have the Commonwealth Youth Games, which provide young athletes who are 15 to 18 years old with an opportunity to compete in a multisport event similar to the Commonwealth Games but with fewer sports. To have that pathway for our athletes is incredibly important.

We had a number of South Australian athletes compete in the Commonwealth Youth Games both in 2015 and in 2017. To have had the ability to see their progression through sport is an incredible thing to be a part of. Hosting the Commonwealth Youth Games is something that we should potentially look at as a state in the near future because the possibilities and the eyes that are opened through those events to what could be in the future is very special.

As I touched on earlier, the opening ceremony of this Commonwealth Games and the way the team came out was certainly something that the Commonwealth Games Association made a very distinct point of doing and doing well. The opening ceremony was fantastic for our athletes to be a part of. One thing that does change between an Olympic Games and a Commonwealth Games is the ability to go out and walk in the opening ceremony, no matter when you compete.

Finally, I would like to touch on the motion that I put to the house, particularly outlining and recognising the importance and the contribution that families, friends and supporters make to the performances of each of our athletes, and none more so than Jesse, or Kyle, or Annette Edmondson and their families—those I know are on this list of athletes who have been so ably supported by their families and friends.

No athlete, like no person in this house in regard to making their way here, can achieve what they do without the support of their families and friends, and that is all so important. If I can take the liberty to speak on their behalf, I give a vote of thanks to their families and friends for the hours, for the effort, for the time commitment, for everything that they do to get them to that point. The sacrifices, both financially and in family time, are incredible, but the results speak for themselves. Sixty athletes and the gold medal performances are certainly the highlights that should be noted by this house.

Ms HILDYARD (Reynell) (10:52): I rise to wholeheartedly echo the member for Colton's remarks and also to convey Labor's support for this motion and our deep congratulations to all the fine athletes who participated in this year's Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast. It was an absolutely brilliant event made possible by the Queensland government, numerous dedicated staff, an extraordinary cohort of generous volunteers, talented athletes, all who support them, and many, many others who can all be rightly proud of bringing this mammoth event to life so successfully.

This Commonwealth Games were, I believe, the most inclusive in their history, and our nation's efforts have set the bar high for future games. We rightly brought everyone together into one inclusive event. We equally highlighted and celebrated the talent, determination and courage of every athlete, and we sent a message across the globe about what is important in sport and everywhere else: equality, inclusion and respect. I hope that every athlete enjoyed the outstanding competition, forged new friendships and is filled with pride about the many memorable moments of excellent sportspersonship that they created throughout the games.

It is such an honour to represent your country, but it is an honour that comes with a lot of hard work, mental, physical and emotional strength and commitment, and we thank you for all of it. We also thank those who coach those athletes and perform the many other support roles that enable them and put them at the centre of well-supported teams. I also pay tribute to the other crucial members of our athletes' teams, their family members, loved ones and friends. Their love and support is critical, and for the parents of many of our athletes that support often begins when their child is at school and they are doing the early morning runs to the pool, to the court, to the track or to the field for training and often doing it again in the evenings and on weekends. Their unwavering love and support makes our athletes who they are today, and to them I say thank you.

South Australian athletes comprised 13 per cent of our Australian team, took home 20 per cent of the medals and, through some outstanding perseverance, achieved many personal bests and brilliant performances. I want to make special mention today of Stephanie Morton. Steph, everyone in our southern community is so proud of you. Steph won three gold medals in cycling: the women's sprint, the women's team sprint with Kaarle McCulloch, and the keirin. I cannot wait to see what is next for Steph. Thank you, Steph, for thrilling us with your cycling but also for inspiring us with your friendliness, your humility and willingness to include others. You are inspiring girls and women in cycling to follow their sporting dreams.

I also want to pay tribute to Jess Trengove for her incredible performance and sheer mental and emotional determination in the marathon where she claimed a bronze medal. Jess said this about the final stages of the marathon:

They say that practice makes perfect. I don't feel that any form of practice can totally prepare one for the final stage of a Marathon. Mastery requires a whole-hearted desire in the given moment and the choice to commit when at your most vulnerable. Don't get me wrong, physical and mental training, an appropriate taper, footwear, nutrition and hydration strategies are crucial but when you are stripped to your core and the inevitable hurt kicks in, none of this matters unless one is prepared to fight. It boils down to how badly you want it.

I continue her remarks:

After a short period of tuning out to escape my body's physical signs, I brought my awareness back to the race. I was on the final hill and told myself that it would be easier on the other side. Adam had talked to me about this climb during our jog together. The simple postural cues that he had provided teased my limbs as they desperately tried to respond. I was aware of familiar voices to my right as I hugged the fence to draw on the crowd's energy and the soothing shade. If I had been an antelope with a Lion chasing me, I honestly don't know if I could have run any faster. This was 'survival mode' (as Liam Adams described his experience in the men's Marathon). The downhill run was not providing the dose of pain relief that I hoped it would…

'One foot in front of the other' I chanted—so easy one day, so hard the next. Finally, it was time to make that highly-anticipated turn towards the final straight. My body and brain felt like sponges, desperately trying to soak up and enjoy every second but too wet to absorb much more. Crossing the line was bliss. I smiled with relief. Delayed reflexes caught me as I fell to the left. My eyes were crossed and moving my body in a forward direction required more concentration than I had the energy to give. Two women swept their arms under my own and provided much appreciated support. A bottle of water was handed to me and a wet towel placed behind my neck…

If I were to sum up the emotions of the final seven kilometers with seven words I would choose heart, belief, desire, strength, commitment, will and skill. Training and preparation create the appropriately equipped vehicle but it is a combination of these crucial values which power the drive. It's not always a pretty journey which makes reaching the destination all the more satisfying. Would I do it all again?

Yes.

Jess's words and her performance are incredible and inspiring. I have had the pleasure of working alongside Jess over the past couple of years on our South Australian Women in Sport Task Force. Jess is wise, relentlessly focused on what she can give back to her sport and the young people who aspire to follow in her footsteps, and she is a fierce advocate for equality and respect in sport. She is a person who is an absolute pleasure to know, and she is a credit to our state.

I was also thrilled to see local southern community member Kurtis Marschall take gold in the pole vault. Kurtis is an absolutely lovely person who always takes time to give to his former school community and to our broader southern community. Some of his early athletics was undertaken with Southern Athletics, a brilliant local club of which I am proud to be patron. Kurtis is standing shoulder to shoulder with our club currently as we seek support from the City of Onkaparinga for a home ground for the club at Knox Park. Taliqua Clancy, the first Aboriginal Australian to represent Australia in beach volleyball, and Mariafe Artacho del Solar impressed with their silver medal winning performance in the beach volleyball.

There are so many favourite moments and performances, but one that will long stick in my mind happened at the conclusion of a race. In a display of sportspersonship that demonstrated what was so special about the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, three Australian women—Celia Sullohern, Madeline Hills and Eloise Wellings—who had all crossed the finish line of the 10,000 metres minutes earlier and were exhausted, waited for Lineo Chaka, representing the southern African nation of Lesotho, to run the last few laps on her own. They cheered, clapped and encouraged her on as she crossed.

It was a moment that demonstrated what should be at the heart of every sporting contest: grit and determination to do your best, yes, but also inclusion, camaraderie, friendship and respect for your fellow athletes. Thank you once again to everyone involved in these Commonwealth Games. They were all part of something we can all be proud of.

Mr DULUK (Waite) (11:00): Can I just begin by congratulating the member for Colton on bringing forward this, his first private member's motion and obviously a motion he has a lot of knowledge of and involvement with through his participation in the Commonwealth Games and the Paralympics as well as being one of South Australia's great Paralympians and champions. So congratulations to the member for Colton for his initiative in this motion.

I do not want to speak for too long, but I just want to congratulate all Australian able-bodied and para sports athletes who participated in the recent Commonwealth Games up on the Gold Coast, which were a fantastic success, especially for those South Australian athletes. The time, effort and determination that athletes put into their sports are amazing, and they should be so proud of all they do in representing their state and, more broadly, their nation. The Australian athletes should be particularly proud of their performance, ranking first in the medal tally, with 198 gold, silver and bronze medals.

In particular, obviously quite a few South Australians did exceptionally well at the Commonwealth Games, but I want to talk about one South Australian in terms of his results and efforts at the games—that is, Mr Alex Porter. Alex Porter is a local in my electorate of Waite, and his efforts are just fantastic. This year alone Alex has participated in the Tour Down Under here in Adelaide, the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, the track nationals and, of course, the Commonwealth Games.

Alex also participated in the 4,000 metres team pursuit in the world championships in Hong Kong last year, the team ranking first. As world champions, there was a lot of pressure going into the Commonwealth Games for our team pursuit members. I congratulate Alex on his gold medal winning performance in the 4,000 metres team pursuit. I want to congratulate Alex and his team on not only winning the gold medal but also their record-breaking time of three minutes, 49 seconds. The team smashed not only the Commonwealth Games record but also the world record in that event. Alex is only 21 years old, and I am sure he will be a fixture in the cycling calendar for many, many years to come. I certainly look forward to following his achievements, and I am sure his selection and participation in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is a sure thing.

I also want to recognise all the family members and the partners of the athletes who competed. Athletes do not reach selection for the Commonwealth Games alone; it involves many, many years of support from parents, paying the sports fees, driving their children to events and to training, especially, as the member for Colton alluded to in his maiden speech, in the swimming, where most of the practice is done in the wee hours of the morning. So all those parents who have supported their children to achieve their ambition by participating in the Commonwealth Games I think are truly to be commended.

The Australian Institute of Sport has been recently conducting research into the benefits that the early support of family and friends has on the development of an athlete. The research has demonstrated that the type of support parents provide can include helping with physical preparation, emotional and financial support, technical advice and providing access to appropriate coaching. Parents play a huge role, and for any potential athletes looking forward to participating in future games, getting their parents on board is so important. Partners also provide a great support service to the athletes by providing a home to come back to and comfort when sporting glory is not always achieved; at times, that is not too dissimilar to politics as well.

I want to once again congratulate all the athletes on their performance at the Commonwealth Games, whether they won medals or not. It is an amazing achievement to be selected as an athlete in an Australian team for any sport, and I wish them all the best in their endeavours. As the member for Reynell touched on in her contribution, I also had the opportunity to spend a day or two at the Commonwealth Games, particularly watching the swimming. The absolute pride of the Australian competitors participating, and also of course that of those from around the commonwealth, was just immense. It is to be commended that sport brings out the best in all of us most of the time, and I think that at these commonwealth games we certainly saw that happen.

Mr ELLIS (Narungga) (11:05): I commend the member for Colton for moving this motion and wholeheartedly offer my support to the motion. He, of course, knows better than anyone in this room the importance of representing your country and state with dignity, and we were certainly lucky to have a wonderful group of athletes at the most recent Commonwealth Games who did just that.

I rise briefly to acknowledge a couple of athletes with connections to the electorate of Narrunga who participated in the recent Commonwealth Games. Personally, I took great pleasure in watching the Commonwealth Games and thought that it was a well-televised event. I congratulate the organisers on combining the able-bodied athletes with the parasports athletes. I thought it made for improved viewing and certainly increased recognition of those involved in the parasports. Hopefully, it continues in that vein going forward at all the other meets around the world.

In particular I acknowledge basketballer Steph Talbot and her contribution to the all-conquering women's basketball team.

Mr Murray interjecting:

Mr ELLIS: Well, more importantly, Norwood, member for Davenport—she is from Kadina. There are two basketball teams in Kadina: the Kadina Basketball Club and the Bears Basketball team. As far as I am concerned, Steph grew up playing for the wrong team of those two, that is, the Bears. I vividly recall watching her progress through the ranks and dominating all in front of her, but it was pleasing to see her take the court at the Commonwealth Games and play a significant role in that team's gold medal winning campaign.

Steph is the daughter of the deputy mayor of the Copper Coast Council and a former football coach of mine, Ros and Trevor Talbot. I knowledge their contribution to her ascension to such high achievements on the sporting field. As an aside, Trevor coached the basketball team that defeated me in the most recent Yorke Valley Basketball Association grand final, so I have a bit of a grudge to bear against Trevor, but I congratulate him on his daughter's achievements, nonetheless.

I had the pleasure of covering Steph in her trials as a basketballer during her time with a team in Poland, whose name I will not endeavour to pronounce, and more recently with the Phoenix Mercury, under Australian coach Sandy Borello, where she played a significant role in their run to the finals in that competition. Thankfully, she did one better at the Commonwealth Games and won the gold medal, but she has played a couple of high-level basketball competitions recently.

I also briefly acknowledge long jumper Henry Frayne. Henry finished second with a jump of 8.33 metres in what was a tremendous effort at the most recent Commonwealth Games. Henry is the son of a well-respected former local dentist in Kadina, Geoff Frayne, and his results are still well followed among the community and often feature in the pages of the Yorke Peninsula Country Times.

In concluding, congratulations to all athletes, particularly the South Australian ones, on an excellent show, I very much enjoyed watching it. It was a great event, and we were well represented by the wonderful athletes, staff and officials who accompanied them.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (11:08): I rise, too, to support this excellent motion moved by the member for Colton on the fantastic exhibition of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and certainly acknowledge the excellent efforts of the 60 athletes from South Australia. As other members have put to this house already, combining all abilities—and I will use the word 'abilities'—was such a fantastic thing to watch, as was seeing how people overcome whatever they have to in order to compete in sport and those amazing events.

We have already heard about Jess Trengove, and I watched her as she came to the finish line. I am not sure whether she had another 80 metres left in her, but she came in and got the bronze medal. You see the other athletes right across the board performing to their absolute maximum. I certainly believe that, yes, it is great to get the medals—and I will acknowledge some of those in a moment—but just to be there representing your country (and, obviously, we are acknowledging those from Australia and from the commonwealth) is such a thrill for athletes right across the board.

In regard to the Commonwealth Games, Australia was the dominant nation of the Gold Coast  2018 Commonwealth Games. We had a total of 198 medals: 80 gold, 59 silver and 59 bronze. England came second, with 136 medals: 45 gold, 45 silver and 46 bronze. I have already talked about how impressive the contribution from this state was, especially when you look at the population ratio to the other states. We certainly do our job as a state competing at this level.

I want to talk about the critical role that the South Australian Sports Institute and the Office for Recreation and Sport play in supporting and partnering with a number of world-class national training centres based here in Adelaide. As a result, Adelaide is the primary training environment in a place that a disproportionate number of Australia's world-class athletes live and train. That is a good thing at a range of levels. Apart from having training facilities that are accessible to all athletes, it brings people here, which also contributes to our economy, and it invites excellence across the board so that people can get on board with whatever sport they choose.

I have looked at what one of my sons did at his school. He went through the process of how they work out, do the tests and see how you are as an athlete. I think he was told he could potentially have been a cyclist or a kayaker. He is not a bad cyclist, but when I saw him kayaking I think he probably made the right decision by not taking it further. I think that was more to do with the fact that he was already congested with basketball and Aussie Rules football commitments. It is quite a process testing thousands of schoolchildren (I think in this case it was 5,000 schoolchildren) and getting down to the 1 per cent who have done all the tests—the beep test, the running test, physical endurance tests—to see where they sit.

We do punch above our weight and it is proven in the results we get at the Commonwealth Games. Certainly, in regard to the Sports Institute, 43 South Australian athletes or graduates were selected for the 2018 Commonwealth Games team. On top of that, out of the other 60 athletes, 17 live and train primarily in Adelaide as part of their relevant National Centre of Excellence programs in partnership with the South Australian Sports Institute and competed at the games.

The South Australian Sports Institute athletes contributed to 18 gold, three silver and six bronze medals in Australia's tally. Those athletes contributed to 23 per cent of Australia's gold medals. In total, this group of athletes collectively brought home 35 medals, including 21 gold, taking into account the multiple athletes in medal-winning teams, such as the three female basketball gold medallists. The women's basketball team has already been mentioned and I really do want to congratulate them on their fantastic performance at the games.

The impact of South Australia on the games was 29 per cent of Australia's gold medal total of 80, and South Australian athletes contributed to 38 of Australia's 198 medals, or 19 per cent. That is a fantastic effort all round. I talked before about how inclusive these games were and, as I said, they were the most inclusive games ever. It is a fantastic approach to sport; instead of having one level of ability first and then other abilities later on, as we have seen in past international meets like the Olympics, I think it is a great way for kids growing up today to see that it does not matter what your ability is, you can compete. You can see the absolute passion that people have. It is just amazing and exemplary to watch how some of these people run, how they can push a wheelchair for a marathon or how they can swim.

We saw South Australian Jesse Aungles win gold in the men's SM8 200 metres individual medley. Several South Australian senior elite athletes achieved multiple medals and broke games and world records at the Commonwealth Games. Obviously Kyle Chalmers, a champion from the electorate of Flinders, achieved an outstanding four gold medals in the 200 metres freestyle, the 4 x 100 metres freestyle relay, the 4 x 200 metres freestyle relay and the 4 x 100 metres medley relay.

Some of these teams set impressive new Commonwealth Games record times on their way to gold. Some of these races were down to the last couple of strokes getting to the edge. But that is all you need; you only need that one-hundredth of a second. Especially in swimming, when you see a dead heat, that is something, because the electric clocks are set so finely. Mind you, I did see a problem at the start of a race. I am trying to remember the race. It was a long distance women's race; I will probably get it wrong, whichever one I quote. There was a fair way between the two—1,500 or 10,000 metres. The timing gear was not operating and I thought to myself, 'Surely someone has a spare set out the back.' Anyway, they got a race going. I cannot imagine how off-putting that would be for athletes who are warmed up and ready to get going and who are told, 'Hang on, no, you can't get going for a moment. We haven't got the timing clocks going.'

We saw the cyclists shine, with Stephanie Morton taking home three gold medals in the team sprint, keirin and individual sprint. We saw Matthew Glaetzer secure two gold medals in the men's keirin in the 1,000 metres time trial. He delivered a games record-setting time. Certainly across individual gold and team gold, South Australian and Australian athletes did such good work.

In concluding, I want to give praise to the families that give up all their time. We heard from the member for Colton that his parents were always watching him on the TV, but then his sponsors got them to London as a surprise. It is great to see that commitment from friends and family to give their support, and if they cannot get to that event, the athletes know that they have that support from home, but also the ones who make that extra commitment and get to those games, if they can, and support their family members or their friends. It was a great effort. Congratulations to all the South Australian athletes and well done.

Mr PATTERSON (Morphett) (11:18): I rise also to support the motion by the member for Colton. The Commonwealth Games that were held at the Gold Coast starting on 4 April 2018 ran for an unforgettable 11 days. It was an electrifying experience and it will be remembered not only for the many medal-winning exploits but also as a games where all the athletes strived to reach their dreams and performed at their best on the world stage.

The games themselves were a combination of many years of training for not only the athletes themselves but also the coaches and support staff. I would like to recognise that over 6,600 athletes and team officials from 71 nations and territories competed in what was an inclusive games. The opening ceremony itself, on 4 April, culminated in the lighting of the flame. That flame began its journey 388 days earlier via The Queen's Baton Relay. So I wish to touch on a slightly different perspective from what has already been discussed, which is how the Commonwealth Games touched our electorate in Morphett. Over 3,500 baton bearers carried The Queen's Baton throughout 70 different countries. The Gold Coast is renowned for its beach lifestyle and so is Glenelg, in South Australia, in the electorate of Morphett, so it was fitting that The Queen's Baton passed through Glenelg on its way to the Gold Coast on 21 February.

Glenelg is such a spectacular location to carry The Queen's Baton. To run or walk along the coast with the backdrop of azure-blue waters allowed the baton bearers to carry the spirit of the games with pride. Those baton bearers were selected throughout the local community based on a number of criteria, ranging from those who make a significant contribution to sport, education, art or charities within their community, as well as people who contribute to the fun, friendly, vibrant and inclusive community in which they live.

The Glenelg baton bearers included Rachael Leahcar, who carried the baton accompanied by her seeing eye dog; and Max Richardson and Eddy Cornes. Eddy is the son of Lucy and Kane Cornes and was born with a rare heart condition—his heart is on the wrong side of his body, and he has also lost a kidney. It was a brave effort by Eddy and a highlight of the baton relay in Glenelg. Those baton bearers inspired others with their passion and commitment to sport in our community.

Overall, 60 South Australian athletes, including able-bodied and parasport athletes, competed at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast. It was an inclusive games, with an equal number of medals for both men and women athletes. Of the medals on offer at these Commonwealth Games, the South Australian athletes, including athletes from the South Australian Sports Institute, won 27 medals: 18 gold, three silver and six bronze. I congratulate not only those athletes but all the Australian athletes on their performances.

Touching on some of those medals, Glenelg beach is obviously home to beach Volleyball SA. These Commonwealth Games saw the introduction of beach volleyball to the Commonwealth Games. In that sport, we are fortunate to have a men's pair of Chris McHugh and Damien Schumann who have competed at Glenelg beach previously in lead-up events. They won gold against Canada, two sets to one. The last set was a thrilling set. They were behind 9-12 and had to come from behind, so congratulations to them. At the same time, the women's team of Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar competed heroically to make the final of the women's beach volleyball contest. While not winning, their achievement to take home silver showed a really brave performance.

In swimming, we had Kyle Chalmers. He attended Immanuel College, which is located in Novar Gardens and is one of the fantastic schools in Morphett. He came away with four gold medals and a silver medal, which is a fantastic achievement. His gold medal in the 200 metres freestyle signifies a move away from winning the 100 metres gold medal in Rio and shows that he really is starting to develop and mature as he develops in the sport. Unfortunately, he won the silver medal in the 100 metres freestyle, but it was a fantastic performance coming off a reduced training load, given the health issues he has had. He was also in the two fantastic relay teams who won gold medals in the 4 x 200 metres freestyle in a games record time of seven minutes and five seconds, and in the 4 x 100 metres medley relay, again in a games record time of three minutes and 31 seconds. Congratulations to Kyle on his performance.

In the pole vault, Kurtis Marschall won the gold medal, but there was also heartache there for local Declan Carruthers, who went to school at the local St Mary's Memorial School in Glenelg. Unfortunately, he had to withdraw because of injury. We wish him well for the future, and no doubt he will bounce back. Knowing his parents, in particular, really does bring home the great work that parents, family and partners do to contribute towards an athlete's success.

As we know, no athlete can reach their goals alone. I think it is good to really reinforce the motion moved by the member for Colton, which recognises the many family members and partners of our South Australian athletes. They drive these athletes, when they are children, to training six or seven days a week and they support them financially, not only when they are young but quite often as they move through their sport.

These athletes have to sacrifice and they cannot work full time, so their family is always there for them. I offer a heartfelt thank you to the families for helping these athletes—not only Australian athletes but also South Australian athletes—to contribute to these fantastic games that will be remembered by all as an inclusive games.

Mr COWDREY (Colton) (11:25): I want to thank all members for their support, particularly those who have spoken this morning in support of this motion. In particular, I want to touch on something that the member for Reynell and other members, including the member for Morphett, raised about the legacy of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games and the participation of our South Australian athletes. The inclusiveness that these games demonstrated is something we need to highlight, both from a perspective of inclusivity around parasport events and in terms of the even distribution of medal events between male and female athletes.

We need to appreciate the point that we have now reached where it is now readily accepted that the Commonwealth Games, Olympic Games and Paralympic Games—but in this instance, of course, the Commonwealth Games—are happy to have a distribution of events that covers this spectrum. Both from my personal perspective and that of others who have been involved in the journey of the Paralympic Games and the Paralympic movement here in Australia over the last 10 years, it is a significant milestone that it would be remiss of us not to acknowledge. We have reached a point where the Australian public is very supportive and, in fact, very happy to watch and appreciate the efforts of all athletes who competed so ably at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.

Again, we want to acknowledge the 60 South Australian athletes for their contributions, hard work, effort and many years of training that brought them to the point where they could represent our state and our country. We recognise the 18 gold medals that were won and the numerous other medals. As an athlete, you always say that you win a silver medal and you win a bronze medal—it is certainly never a disappointment and it is something that every athlete should be proud of. In hindsight, and many years down the track, I am sure every athlete will appreciate what they were able to achieve at these games.

It is fantastic that many members in this house also appreciated the contribution that our South Australian families, friends, supporters and coaches made to these performances. They are, at the end of the day, the people who sacrifice the most to have our athletes be in a position where they can achieve. Again, I thank the members for their support of this motion, and I appreciate the opportunity to put forward this motion in this house.

Motion carried.

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