Sport

Gold Coast withdraws bid to host 2026 Commonwealth Games

Rhys McClenaghan on his way to winning gold in the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast, Australia.
Rhys McClenaghan on his way to winning gold in the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast, Australia.
By John Besley, PA

The Gold Coast has withdrawn its bid to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, the city’s mayor has said.

In a statement on Sunday, Tom Tate said: “We did our best and that’s all people can expect.

“In simple terms, it seems our Games’ vision doesn’t align with the vision of the state or federal governments.”

The move comes after the Australian state of Victoria announced in July that it was to withdraw as host due to the cost of the event breaching estimates by around five billion Australian dollars (£2.6 billion).

Then state premier Daniel Andrews told media in Melbourne at the time he was not prepared to spend up to seven billion dollars (£3.6billion) on a “12-day sporting event”.

Read more:

  • Is Victoria cancellation the beginning of the end of the Commonwealth Games?
  • Commonwealth Games Federation calls Victoria's 2026 exit ‘hugely disappointing'

The state ultimately agreed to pay £190million to the Commonwealth Games Federation, Commonwealth Games Federation Partnerships and Commonwealth Games Australia for its decision.