Commonwealth Games baton revealed
QUEENSLAND – One of the most iconic symbols of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018), the Queen’s Baton, was this morning revealed to a packed theatre at Jupiters Gold Coast as the city marks 500 days to go until the Games.
The distinctive loop design will be the centrepiece of the Queen’s Baton Relay (QBR), a Games tradition that celebrates the Commonwealth’s diversity, inspires community pride and excites people about the world-class festival of sports and culture to come.
The Queen’s Baton carries a personal message to the athletes of the Commonwealth from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, on a journey from Buckingham Palace to the Opening Ceremony of the Games, where the message is removed from the Baton and read aloud by Her Majesty or a representative.
The QBR has been the traditional curtain raiser to every Commonwealth Games since the Cardiff 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.
GC2018 Ambassadors Sally Pearson and Kurt Fearnley, swimming champion and commentator Giaan Rooney, triathlete Ryan Fisher, weightlifter Damon Kelly and cyclist Kristina Clonan were all on hand to help reveal the Baton design, which until today has been a tightly-kept secret.
The design made a spectacular appearance on the stage, illustrated by a four-metre tall hologram.
Made using macadamia wood and reclaimed plastic sourced from Gold Coast waterways, the Baton’s design has been inspired by the region’s vibrant spirit, indigenous heritage and with sustainability in mind.
The Baton’s international sector was also revealed with a hologram of the world map illustrating its journey.
It will place the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia and GC2018 on the world stage as it takes an extraordinary journey through the entire Commonwealth.
The 288-day international sector starts next year at Buckingham Palace on March 13 during Commonwealth Day celebrations, when the Queen places her message within the Baton. The Baton’s first port of call from London is Sierra Leone. During its global journey, thousands of baton bearers will carry the Queen’s Baton over 230 000km as it makes its way through the six Commonwealth regions of Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and Oceania.
Landing on Australian soil in December 2017, the Baton will spend 100 days travelling through every state and territory before finishing its journey at the GC2018 Opening Ceremony on April 4, 2018. (PR)