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Officiating

Following the completion of the games, the governing bodies will again openly communicate in regards to results, doping and ensuring that athletics events were concluded in line with the code of conduct and are determined to be a success. Athletics Australia will measure the success of the games based on medals and top 8 finishes, participation rates in athletes, coaches and officials which usually spikes after a particularly inspiring performance and financial capability.

Officiating is a crucial aspect of the commonwealth games by helping presiding over the sports and making sure the rules are followed. Officiating can make or break the successfulness of the games for example in deli 2010 where Sally Pearson was disqualified from her gold medal after winning the gold medal race.

A devastated Pearson broke down upon hearing the news on a farcical night at the Nehru Stadium on which she was almost awarded the 100m gold medal. Pearson crossed the line first ahead of Nigeria's Osayemi Oludamola and Natasha Mayers of St Vincent and the Grenadines , with England's Katherine Endacott fourth. England protested after Pearson avoided disqualification for a false start on the second of three attempts to run the final. She and England's Laura Turner jumped the gun but referees awarded a red card only to Turner on the grounds that her reaction time was the quicker. After a long argument with Turner, the referees relented and allowed her to race under protest. Pearson finished first. But England claimed that Pearson should also be disqualified as she appeared to move off the blocks before Turner. Pearson was in the stadium hall waiting to walk out to the medal ceremony – the Australian flag was already laid out waiting to be raised - when she heard that a protest had been lodged against her and had been disqualified. Pearson admitted in a post-race interview that she had "twitched first".

To avoid issues like these Australia will have to train officials as well as the selection process due to the mass amounts of officials needed for the games to avoid issues like this repeating.  For the Glascow 2014 approximately 1200 technical officials will be required to officiate at the Games, ensuring that all sport specific rules and technical regulations are implemented. Scotland has created a specialist programme, the first of its kind in Scotland, has been launched which could give up to 600 Scots the unique opportunity to train as world-class technical officials for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. The development programme aims to identify and support Scottish technical officials to ensure that the maximum number is qualified, experienced and available to be considered for selection. The programme will also contribute to the legacy of the Games. Not only will it provide each Scottish Governing Body with skilled technical officials capable of overseeing Scottish national competitions, but it will provide Scotland with a pool of skilled technical officials, capable of officiating in top internationals competitions around the world.

Athletics Australia has already started attempting to recruit officials for athletic events stating as the standard of competition rises, more highly trained Technical Officials will be required. It is Athletics Australia’s responsibility to make sure that Technical Officials are recruited, trained and given the necessary structure and support to perform their duties. Getting to the commonwealth games stage will be a long and time consuming process due to the multiple levels for officials to make sure they are qualified at every level. There are 3 levels of officiating in Australia:

C Level

To achieve this level of qualification, you will need to have a few days experience, then sit for a series paper. This is a multiple choice, open book exam which is based on the IAAF Handbook. Officials can also be tested for this exam verbally.

C Level qualifications are the minimum required to officiate at a state championships or Athletics Australia event.

B Level

To achieve a B Level qualification, you will need to have held your C Level qualification for at least 12 months before sitting for the B Level exam. The B Level test is similar to the C Level in that it is a written test. The knowledge required to achieve B Level is significantly greater.

A Level

This is the top qualification level in Australia. To achieve an A Level, you will need to have held your B Level qualification for at least 2 years before sitting for the A Level exam. The exam is an in-depth written exam that tests not only knowledge of the rules, but a person's ability to interpret the rules and make decisions about certain incidents based on them. This ability to interpret the rules is tested because this is the key part of being an event referee or chief. The highest level of official qualification in the world is an International Technical Official (ITO

International Technical Official

The on-line learning programme provides an accessible way of educating and training potential Technical Officials and is a mandatory part of the IPC Athletics International Technical Officiating Pathway (see Figure - Stage 1 of the pathway).

Successful completion of the on-line learning programme, together with a recognized National Technical Official (NTO) qualification by an IAAF National Federation member organization, is a prerequisite for entry to the international pathway to become an IPC Athletics International Technical Official (ITO) (Stage 1). Adequate Knowledge of English is also required.

Individuals are then eligible to attend an on-site IPC Athletics ITO Programme. Upon successful completion of the ITO Programme individuals shall be awarded an IPC Athletics Trainee ITO status (Stage 2). These competencies based Programmes are run by certified IPC Athletics Educators.

The final stage (Stage 3) is for an IPC Athletics Trainee ITO to undertake the Practicum component of the pathway where they are required to assist in officiating in IPC Athletics Competitions whilst being mentored and observed by the IPC Athletics Educators

 officiating will be an important aspect of the commonwealth games and due to the fact that there will be  a lot of officials that are needed for the games so Australia will have to train officials due to the huge amount of officials needed.

Reference lists

Athletics Australia: Partners & Sponsors, viewed 21 April 2013,
< http://www.athletics.com.au/inside/sponsors>.

Masterman, G 2009, Strategic Sport Event Management (2nd ed), Oxford: Elsevier

Telegraph 2010, ‘Commonwealth Games 2010: Osayemi Oludamola stripped of 100m gold medal’, 12 Oct, viewed 20 April 2013, via Factiva database <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/commonwealthgames/8059623/Commonwealth-Games-2010-Osayemi-Oludamola-stripped-of-100m-gold-medal.html >.

‘Triple Bottom Line Assessment of the XVII Commonwealth Game’, 2006, Insight Economics Pty Ltd, viewed 24 April 2013.

Nigel Chamier OAM, 'Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Major Projects Conference 2012', 22 Nov 2012, viewed 02 May 2013.

Weston, P. 'Commonwealth Games Cost to Hit $2.4b'.10 Feb 2013, viewed 05 Mat 2013.

Gold Coast Hambantota, '2018 Commonwealth Games Candidature: Report of the CGF evaluation commission', 10 Sep 2011, viewed 28 April 2013.

Department of Planning and community development, 'Commonwealth Games: Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games Delivers Lasting Legacies', n. d, viewed 01 May 2013.

Opportunities and Challenges for Athletics

Opportunities & Challenges

-      Pre-game stage

Opportunities

l  Expand of sponsorship and interesting groups through Media in Australia.

IAAF can expand their sponsorship with Australian companies such as Quantas Airline and Flight Centre Group Travel. They are the sponsor of Australian athletics federation so the commonwealth game will be a good opportunity to expand the connections between two federations.

Challenges

l  Attendance of key athletes.

The attendance of famous athletes will bring more interest from people and media. Throughout this interest, it will finally create more capital and investment. The key athletes’ decision to attend the game will make the game more valuable and important.

l   Selection of games

Total 35 different lengths of games and each commonwealth games were held differently.

-      During-game stage

Opportunities

l   Introduce of rookies.

2018 game can be used as the introduction of new rookie athletes. The rising stars will create an issue and interest that makes the athletics as well as commonwealth game more valuable.

Challenges

l  Weather

Weather can affect the condition of athletes. In addition, the weather of Gold Coast can be too much warm to the foreign athletes.

l  High-Expectation

Generally the result of host country’s athletes is above their averages scores. The pressure from the local people, media and federation can affect the condition of the athletes.

-      Post-game stage

Opportunities

l  The use of stadiums after the game

According to the great success of the commonwealth game in Melbourne 2006, the decision of re-developing the stadium of cricket was successful. The stadium was used for opening and closing ceremony and also after the game, it is now the symbol of the region and the cricket game (good facilities). The stadiums can also be used for public to increase the interest and their health or used as privately for professional athletes.

Challenges

l  Drug test.

The most important Challenge of Athletics. In 2010 commonwealth game, women’s 100m champion –the blood sample of Oludamola Osayomi (Nigeria) was confirmed a positive finding for Methylhexaneamine so she lost the gold medal after the game. This kind issue that is related with drugs will decrease people’s interest. Furthermore, Athletics can lose their value of core game. 

Opportunies and Challenges for Australia

it is clear that hosting a mega event, Olympic and Commonwealth games, will create a huge positive impacts with variety ways. throughout the 2018 Commonwealth Game, Gold Coast will gain Political, Economic and Socio-economic benefits.

1. Political impacts.

according to Shoval, he pointed out that "Hosting the games mark rehabilitation process in a symbolic way and emphasize new sets of values they had successfully adopted as a nation". Gold Coast, the host city, can gain positive national image through the Commonwealth game. it will be the great opportunity to show other countries how well-organised, clean and developed the city is.

2. Economic impacts.

there will be a huge exchange of spending and earning as well. firstly, direct benefits which is brought by ticket selling, sponsorship and media will be created. secondly, indirect benefits, created by tourism, hotel, food and beverages will be a huge amount.
according to Akison, he noted that 2000 Sydney olympic made Australian GDP growth by 18.2%.

3. Socio-economy impacts.

the enemployment rate of the region will be decreased through the Commonwealth game.
to host this kind of mega event, many of people will be needed to satisfy people's demands. however it will the short-term strategy to reduce the unemployment   

the new infrastructure will increase the value of the city as well as the quality of life. the new infrastructure can be the boost for sport and well-being life which will increase people's health. 

  

Equipment legacy, New products opportunity

one of the most important part of the sport is the equipment.
it has been always important but especially these days because of the
high and rapid development of technology.
these days, winning and losing sometimes depends on the equipment of athletes.
especially, the game such as Athletics and swimming that fighting to break and reduce
the time lab. in these kind of games, the weigh of equipment which could be achieved by  technology is so important.

Due to the reason and great success of the marketing through athletes' equipment,  more and more major sport brands are starting to have a sponsorship contracts. the most famous athlete Usain Bolt also has a sponsorship with Puma. his shoes and uniforms are created by Puma with their latest technology to support him. in 2008 Beijing Olympic, he could break his record with the support of Puma's equipment. after the game, the sales of his shoes was extremely increased and it gives the positive image and guarantee of the quality for Puma. it will be expected that major sport brands such as Puma, Adidas and Nike will be develop their technology and try to be the number one with their athletes  in addition, they will pay attention of the Commonwealth game. it will bring bright future of athletics and can be good chance for rookies to fine their sponsor through the game.

According to the Melbourne game 2006, we realised that the re-developing of the infrastructure is so important and it will bring much better result. the Melbourne cricket stadium that was re-developed for the game, now it became the greatest and biggest legacy of the game. it set new benchmarks in the environment planning.

Community engagement

having a good connection and communication among local communities is really important and essential to develop its level and increase the people's interest. as athletics is the core game, it has good connection with local people. in the Athletics Australia Federation, there are 5 different local communications and each of them have a unique history and characters. 

Adelaide Harriers Athletics Club, Alice Springs Athletics, Armidale Athletic Club Inc., Ashgrove Rangers Athletic Club, Athletics Chilwell

most of them are well-organised with different ranges of ages and professional leaders with careers. Especially, Ashgrove Rangers Athletic Club is located in Brisbane which is close to Gold Coast the place that the Commonwealth game will be held. 

Moreover, Active After-school Communities (AASC), they provide athletics program with qualified coaches that is sponsored by Australian government and federation. it will definitely develop the quality of Australian athletics in the future. in addition, the 2018 Commonwealth game will be a good opportunity to expand this program in the school and class.