Gold Coast Commonwealth Games: Who, what and when?

Gold Coast Commonwealth Games: Who, what and when?

AW
Published: 03rd April, 2018
Updated: 18th February, 2025
BY Athletics Weekly

We take a day-by-day sprint through the Commonwealth Games athletics schedule

Get set for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games as we take a day-by-day look through the athletics schedule and highlight some of the action on offer.

Times stated are local (with BST in brackets). Australia is nine hours ahead of the UK, so times given could be the previous day in the UK. Entry lists can be found here.

Once you’ve whet your appetite with the below, be sure to check out the April 5 edition of Athletics Weekly magazine for our full in-depth event-by-event previews.

Sunday April 8

7:00 (22:00) Men's 20km race walk FINAL
9:15 (0:15) Women's 20km race walk FINAL

14:00 (5:00) Men's hammer FINAL
14:05 (5:05) Women's 100m Rd1
14:45 (5:45) Men's 100m R1
15:18 (6:18) Women's T38 long jump FINAL
15:47 (6:47) Men's 400m Rd1
16:35 (7:35) Men's shot put qualifying
16:40 (7:40) Men's 5000m FINAL
17:12 (8:12) Women's 100m semi-finals
17:35 (8:35) Men's 100m semi-finals

Athletics action gets under way with the men's and women's 20km race walk events on the Currumbin Beachfront. England's Tom Bosworth is in good form and will be keen to bounce back from his DQ at the World Championships in London last year. British hopes in the women's event are led by Beth Davies of Wales and Gemma Bridge of England.

England has a strong gold medal contender in the first event in the Carrara Stadium as Nick Miller competes fresh from improving his British hammer record with a world-leading 78.29m in Stanford. The heats and semi-finals of the men's and women's 100m competition take place and world champion Olivia Breen competes for Wales in the T38 long jump final. No British athletes contest the men's 5000m final, where Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei looks like he might have the edge over his Kenyan rivals.

Monday April 9

10:05 (1:05) Men's decathlon 100m
10:20 (1:20) Men's high jump qualifying
10:30 (1:30) Women's 400m Rd1
10:50 (1:50) Men's decathlon long jump
11:30 (2:30) Men's 110m hurdles Rd1
12:00 (3:00) Men's T54 1500m Rd1
12:05 (3:05) Men's decathlon shot put

19:00 (10:00) Men's decathlon high jump
19:05 (10:05) Women's F46 javelin throw FINAL
19:10 (10:10) Men's T38 100m FINAL
19:25 (10:25) Women's 1500m Rd1
19:56 (10:56) Men's 400m semi-finals
20:25 (11:25) Men's shot put FINAL
20:35 (11:35) Women's 10,000m FINAL
21:25 (12:25) Men's decathlon 400m
21:50 (12:50) Women's 100m FINAL
22:15 (13:15) Men's 100m FINAL

The two-day decathlon competition begins, while the morning session will see Robbie Grabarz, Andrew Pozzi and Anyika Onuora among those in action.

Paralympic and three-time world champion Hollie Arnold contests the F46 javelin for Wales, while New Zealand's Tom Walsh goes into the shot put final as favourite. The women's 10,000m final looks to be wide open as, based on 2017-18 track times, the top six ranked are within 10 seconds of each other. Scotland's Eilish McColgan, daughter of 1986 and 1990 champion Liz, has the speed to win a medal but may focus on the 1500m. The 100m finals close the session, and should all have gone to their plan, England's Adam Gemili and Asha Philip will be among those hunting for medals.

England's Adam Gemili delighted with 100m silver

Tuesday April 10

10:05 (1:05) Men's decathlon 110m hurdles
10:30 (1:30) Men's 800m Rd1
10:50 (1:50) Men's decathlon discus
11:15 (2:15) Men's 400m hurdles Rd1
11:30 (2:30) Men's long jump qualifying
11:50 (2:50) Women's 400m hurdles Rd1
12:20 (3:20) Women's 200m Rd1
12:45 (3:45) Men's decathlon pole vault
13:05 (4:05) Men's 200m Rd1

19:20 (10:20) Men's decathlon javelin
19:35 (10:35) Women's triple jump FINAL
19:45 (10:45) Men's 110m hurdles FINAL
20:05 (11:05) Women's T54 1500m FINAL
20:27 (11:27) Men's T54 1500m FINAL
20:40 (11:40) Women's hammer FINAL
20:45 (11:45) Men's decathlon 1500m FINAL
21:16 (12:16) Women's 400m semi-finals
21:48 (12:48) Men's 400m FINAL
22:04 (13:04) Women's 1500m FINAL

The first round of the 800m takes place in the morning session, with Nijel Amos a strong tip to retain his title for Botswana. England’s Jack Green is a medal contender in the 400m hurdles and will start his campaign, with Dai Greene joining him on his return to major action. Scottish hope Eilidh Doyle will be looking for a strong start in the women's event. Dina Asher-Smith and Zharnel Hughes compete in round one of the 200m.

One month after winning the world indoor 60m hurdles title, England's Andrew Pozzi will hope for similar success over 110m hurdles in Australia. Scotland's Samantha Kinghorn takes on the first part of her T54 1500m and marathon double, while Sophie Hitchon could claim gold for England in the hammer. After two days of action, the decathlon comes to a close with the 1500m. Botswana's Isaac Makwala has a chance to prove what he can do in the 400m final and Australia will be hopeful of a medal in the women's 1500m, with Linden Hall and Zoe Buckman both inside 4:05 last summer and looking to make use of the home advantage. South Africa's Caster Semenya snatched a 1500m medal ahead of Laura Muir with almost her final stride at the world championships in London but should have a much easier task here.

Sophie Hitchon adds hammer bronze to England's medal tally

Wednesday April 11

19:00 (10:00) Women's long jump qualifying
19:15 (10:15) Women's javelin FINAL
19:20 (10:20) Men's 800m semi-finals
19:45 (10:45) Women's 3000m steeplechase FINAL
20:05 (11:05) Men's high jump FINAL
20:10 (11:10) Women's 200m semi-finals
20:32 (11:32) Men's long jump FINAL
20:36 (11:36) Men's F38 shot put FINAL
20:50 (11:50) Men's 200m semi-finals
21:22 (12:22) Women's T35 100m FINAL
21:45 (12:45) Women's 400m FINAL

England’s Iona Lake and Rosie Clarke plus Scotland’s Lennie Waite contest the 3000m steeplechase final, while Robbie Grabarz and Tom Gale could both jump for England in the high jump final following Monday's qualification round. South Africa's world champion Luvo Manyonga is the man to beat in the long jump, while Scotland's Maria Lyle races the T35 100m final. Jamaica's Stephenie-Ann McPherson will be among those looking to contest the 400m final, defending her title in a potentially open event.

Luvo-Manyonga-London-2017-Mark-Shearman

Thursday April 12

10:00 (1:00) Men's discus qualifying
10:05 (1:05) Women's heptathlon 100m hurdles
10:30 (1:30) Men's triple jump qualifying
11:00 (2:00) Women's heptathlon high jump
11:20 (2:20) Women's 100m hurdles Rd1
11:50 (2:50) Men's T12 100m Rd1
12:15 (3:15) Women's shot put qualifying
12:20 (3:20) Women's 800m Rd1

19:20 (10:20) Women's heptathlon shot put
19:25 (10:25) Men's pole vault FINAL
19:30 (10:30) Women's 400m hurdles FINAL
19:45 (10:45) Men's 400m hurdles FINAL
19:55 (10:55) Women's long jump FINAL
20:05 (11:05) Women's T38 100m FINAL
20:21 (11:21) Men's T12 100m FINAL
20:40 (11:40) Women's discus FINAL
20:57 (11:57) Women's heptathlon 200m
21:38 (12:38) Women's 200m FINAL
21:56 (12:56) Men's 200m FINAL
22:13 (13:13) Men's 800m FINAL

The heptathlon begins, with England's world indoor pentathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson strong favourite if she performs to her best. Adam Hague, after his recent 5.65m PB, has good medal chances in the pole vault, while Scotland's Eilidh Doyle will be looking to go one better than her two Commonwealth silver medals in the 400m hurdles so far.

English athletes have a great shot at gold in what looks like a wide-open women's long jump final, with Lorraine Ugen, Shara Proctor and Jazmin Sawyers competing, while Sophie Hahn has gold medal-winning and world record-breaking aims in the T38 100m. If the earlier rounds have gone smoothly, England's Dina Asher-Smith and Zharnel Hughes will have an eye on the 200m podium. British athletes hopeful of making the men's 800m final include Elliot Giles, Kyle Langford, Guy Learmonth and Jake Wightman.

Friday April 13

10:00 (1:00) Men's javelin qualifying
10:30 (1:30) Women's heptathlon long jump
11:05 (2:05) Men's 4x100m Rd1
11:10 (2:10) Men's javelin qualifying
11:35 (2:35) Men's 1500m Rd1
12:05 (3:05) Men's 4x400m Rd1
12:25 (3:25) Women's heptathlon javelin

19:25 (10:25) Women's pole vault FINAL
19:30 (10:30) Men's 3000m steeplechase FINAL
19:45 (10:45) Men's discus FINAL
19:52 (10:52) Men's T47 100m FINAL
20:05 (11:05) Women's heptathlon 800m
20:40 (11:40) Women's shot put FINAL
20:45 (11:45) Women's 800m FINAL
21:10 (12:10) Men's 10,000m FINAL
22:09 (13:09) Women's 100m hurdles FINAL

The relay teams get their first taste of action, while the scene is set for a close battle involving British record-holder Holly Bradshaw and Rio Olympic Games bronze medallist Eliza McCartney in the pole vault. The heptathlon ends with the 800m and in the shot put New Zealand’s star Valerie Adams will be hopeful of a winning return to major competition. South Africa's Caster Semenya is arguably the biggest favourite for any event in Gold Coast – even despite the fact the 800m final will be her fourth race in five days. Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei could complete a distance double in the men's 10,000m, but Sally Pearson's hopes of a third consecutive 100m hurdles title have been dashed as she has been forced to withdraw through injury.

valerie_adams

 

Saturday April 14

14:25 (5:25) Women's high jump FINAL
14:35 (5:35) Men's javelin FINAL
14:40 (5:40) Men's 4x100m FINAL
14:57 (5:57) Women's 4x100m FINAL
15:15 (6:15) Men's triple jump FINAL
15:20 (6:20) Women's 5000m FINAL
16:10 (7:10) Men's 1500m FINAL
16:38 (7:38) Women's 4x400m FINAL
17:07 (8:07) Men's 4x400m FINAL

England's Morgan Lake and St Lucia’s Levern Spencer seem set to battle it out for the title in the high jump, while Clive Pullen of Jamaica will be tough to beat in the triple jump final, though England's Nathan Douglas will also have an eye on the podium. A superb competitor, England's Laura Weightman won a medal in the 2014 Commonwealths and Europeans and was sixth in the 2017 World Championships, but this will be her first major attempt at the 5000m. In some endurance events, the Kenyans selected aren’t their very best but that certainly isn’t the case in the men's 1500m where they field the 1-2 from London 2017 in Elijah Manangoi and Timothy Cheruiyot. After the 4x100m finals earlier in the evening, the 4x400m finals close the athletics programme at the Carrara Stadium.

Sunday April 15

6:10 (21:10) Men's T54 marathon FINAL
6:10 (21:10) Women's T54 marathon FINAL
7:20 (22:20) Women's marathon FINAL
8:15 (23:15) Men's marathon FINAL

The final day of action sees athletics head back out on to the roads with the marathons taking place at the Southport Broadwater Parklands. English trio Callum Hall, John Smith and Simon Lawson join Australia's Kurt Fearnley in the men's T54 event, while the women's race features England's Jade Jones and Nicole Emerson plus Scotland's Samantha Kinghorn. A short while later, England's Alyson Dixon and Sonia Samuels and Wales' Caryl Jones and Eli Kirk will be among those racing, while the men's event will see Scotland's Callum Hawkins go for his first major road medal.

Callum-Hawkins-London-2017-by-Mark-Shearman

» Check out our dedicated online Gold Coast 2018 section for reports, news, interviews and more, while full entry lists can be found here. See the April 5 edition of Athletics Weekly magazine for our full in-depth event-by-event previews

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