The Commonwealth Games countdown has begun ahead of the opening ceremony on April 4 and the majority of Welsh competitors are now in Australia for events on the Gold Coast. Rob Cole delves into the archives to honour the Welsh legends who have gone before them.
When it comes to winning Commonwealth Games medals, no male ever did it better than Welsh weightlifter David Morgan.
He won no fewer than nine golds and three silvers to become the first man from any nation to take home a medal from six different Games.
Having started his gold rush as a 17-year-old in Brisbane in 1982, the Cambridge strongman, who also went to two Olympic Games, brought down the curtain on his incredible career in Manchester in 2002 at the age of 37.
In Brisbane he won the then single, combined title in the -67.5kg weight category. Four years later in Edinburgh he struck gold again in the -82.5kg class.
From 1990 onwards there were medals up for grabs in the three sections of each weight limit – clean & jerk, snatch and combined. Morgan’s dominance in the -82.5kg continued as he won all three golds in Auckland.
Twenty years on from his Games debut down under he won three silvers in Manchester, two of which were upgraded to gold after the winner, India’s Satheesha Rai, failed a drugs test.
Morgan’s achievement in winning medals at six successive Games equalled the feat of the English shot putter Judy Oakes, who won three gold, two silver and a bronze medal between 1978 and 1998.
Games Event Medal Result
1982 – 67.5kg Combined Gold 295.0 kg
1986 – 82.5kg Combined Gold 350.0 kg
1990 – 82.5kg Clean & Jerk Gold 192.5 kg (GR)
1990 – 82.5kg Combined Gold 347.5 kg
1990 – 82.5kg Snatch Gold 155.0 kg (GR)
1994 – 76kg Clean & Jerk Silver 180.0 kg
1994 – 76kg Combined Gold 327.5 kg (GR)
1994 – 76kg Snatch Gold 147.5 kg (GR)
1998 – 77kg Snatch Silver 145 kg
2002 – 77kg Clean & Jerk Gold 160.0 kg (GR)
2002 – 77kg Combined Gold 305.0 kg (GR)
2002 – 77kg Snatch Silver 145.0 kg
Our athletes have started arriving in the @GC2018 village today. 15 sports, one team. It’s great to be together as @TeamWales. First in today: @Welsh_Shooting @HockeyWales @WelshWeightlift @WelshGymnastics @WelshCycling #teamwales pic.twitter.com/j5wtq6xJ7K
— Team Wales (@TeamWales) March 25, 2018
THE FIRST WELSH MEDALIST AT THE EMPIRE GAMES
The first medals for Wales at the Commonwealth Games were won by a women – Valerie Davies.
The future Olympic Games medallist won two silvers and a bronze in Hamilton, Canada, in 1930.
Swimming was one of seven sports in those inaugural Games, which ran from 16-23 August, and the only one in which women were allowed to compete. Davies struck silver in the 400 yards freestyle and 100 backstroke, and bronze in the 100 freestyle.
OH RADDY!
Paulo Radmilovic may be one of Wales’ greatest sporting heroes with an impressive haul of four Olympic gold medals from six Games, but he didn’t enjoy his final international appearance for Wales at the inaugural Commonwealth Games in 1930.
‘Raddy’ was selected to swim for Wales in the 1650 yards, or modern day 1500 metres. He asked English backstroker John Trippett to help him out by counting the laps in the freestyle race.
Half-way through he asked Trippett where he was lying in the race and when the reply came back “last”, he said “bugger this!” And he promptly got out of the pool and quit the race.
To be fair to ‘Raddy’, he was 44 at the time! It didn’t blot his copybook, however, as in 1967 he became only the second British swimmer to be inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. The first was Captain Webb, the first man to swim the Channel.
WELSH ATHLETICS FIRST GOLD MEDALIST
The honour of becoming the first Welsh athlete to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal in athletics fell to Jim Alford in the mile at the 1938 Games in Sydney.
Fellow Welsh middle distance ace Reg Thomas had struck gold in the mile and silver in the 880 yards at the inaugural Games in Hamilton, Canada, in 1930, but as part of an all-British team that went under the banner of England.
How catchy is this!
A special #TeamWales song for @GC2018
Take a bow @cerihaggett
We are Wales!#WeAreRed pic.twitter.com/UsLZBXKaKl
— Team Wales (@TeamWales) March 24, 2018
JUMBO STRIKES GOLD
The son of Welsh speaking parents from North Wales, Hugh ‘Jumbo’ Edwards picked up two gold medals at the 1930 Commonwealth Games in Hamilton, Canada, in the men’s coxed fours and eights boats – representing England!
His double success was a precursor to his incredible achievements in Los Angeles two years later when he won two Olympic gold medals inside three hours.
One of the true greats of British rowing, he later coached Oxford University, the British Olympic team and the Welsh rowing team in Perth in 1962, where two of his sons, John and David, were in the men’s coxless fours boat that upgraded from bronze four years earlier to silver.