Meet the fastest man in the Commonwealth

Team South Africa 'medal winners' Press Conference

By Liam Flint

Over the past few days Tom and I have been investing a lot of time into securing interviews which will give exclusive access and content to our listeners from around the Commonwealth.

We have seen a real flurry of openings and have had the opportunity to interview some of the biggest names at these Games, about their medal-winning performances and their faith in Jesus.

100m Gold Medalist- Akani Simbine

South Africa's Akani Simbine, is officially the fastest man in the Commonwealth, after pipping the much-fancied Yohan Blake (Jamaica) to the Gold medal. We managed to catch up with Akani the day after his triumph to get some fresh reaction and his thoughts on his huge achievement.

He spoke honestly and openly about how the result, in his eyes, was no surprise and that he always knew he was capable of the Gold. Very early on he stated that it was through his faith in Jesus, that he was given this success and he is passionate about 'shining his light' to others around the world. He was humble in victory and even has the word 'faith' tatooed on his arm.

Ugandan Rugby star- Philip Wokorach

Our most recent interview was with Uganda Rugby Sevens star, Philip Wokorach, a man who is highly regarded in the world game as a world-class talent. We spoke to Philip about how much it means for the country of Uganda to be at the Commonwealth Games. This is a man who has come back to the top of his sport, twice after breaking his leg and he gave all the credit to Jesus, quoting his favourite bible verse as Philippians 4:13. We look forward to watching him as the Rugby Sevens finally gets going over the next few days!

The Games have begun!

By Liam Flint

We were fortunate enough to attend the opening ceremony at the iconic Carrara Stadium, home to the Gold Coast Suns AFL team. It was a spectacle packed with colour, world-class choreography and a detailed history of what it is to be Australian. The 35,000 capacity arena was sold out, the spectators made themselves heard and even though rain threatened to derail the start of the live coverage, it did not dampen any spirits. 

The pace of the evening kept everyone on the edge of their seats and there was no moment for anyone to catch their breath, from singing, to dancing, to tributes and interview there was always something interesting going on.

Perhaps one of the most-loved elements of any opening ceremony is when the competing athletes parade around the track under their country's flag. It was fascinating to see some of the smaller nations and territories that had come to the Games to compete for those 275 Gold medals. Unsurprisingly Team Australia stole the show with their record turnout of 473 athletes. Team England weren't too far behind but the passionate crowd roared their local heroes all of the way round. 

To top the evening off, the Games were officially declared open by the Prince of Wales, representing the Queen, the head of the Commonwealth.

Now into Day 2 of these Games, we have already seen some great stories developing and some surprises, thrown in with some shocks. From a Team England viewpoint, the two Brownlee brothers missing out on medals in the Triathlon was a nightmare start but currently they are sitting pretty at the top of the medal table.

Long may it continue!