BY ROB HARRIS AP Sports Writer Monday, July 21, 2014
COMPETING in just one event, Usain Bolt is likely to race in Glasgow for less than 20 seconds. Just convincing the sprint star to come to the Commonwealth Games, though, should go a long way to elevating the status of a sporting spectacle that might seem anachronistic.
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Two years after the exuberance of the London Olympics, where Bolt left with three gold medals, Britain is welcoming the world back this week — or former members of the British Empire at least — for Scotland's largest-ever multi-sports event.
Across 11 days, 4,500 athletes will be competing in 17 events as the 20th Commonwealth Games is broadcast for the first time to television audiences in all 71 competing nations and territories. How full the venues will be on those screens remains unclear, with the insatiable appetite for Olympic tickets in London not appearing to have been matched north of the border.
The ticket website shows "high availability" still for many events, including Wednesday's opening ceremony, headlined by rock star Rod Stewart at the home of his beloved football club Celtic, and Susan Boyle, the church volunteer whose soaring voice turned her into an overnight reality TV star.
Even track and field events, which start Sunday at the Hampden Park national football stadium, have tickets still on sale for all but two of the 10 sessions. Not though on August 1 and August 2 when Bolt will appear for the first time.
Unlike in London when he swept the 100, 200 and 4x100-metre relay titles, the Jamaican is restricting himself to the relay in Glasgow, with just a heat and inevitable final. Organisers should be relieved Bolt is participating at all, given his lack of action this season due to a foot injury.
"I have received lots of requests, invitations and messages of support from my fans in Scotland who are looking forward to a great event," said Bolt, who skipped the 2006 and 2010 Commonwealth Games. more
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