Tonight sees the commencement of the 21st Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast and hopes are high for Australia to dominate the medal tally.
Since the first edition in 1930, held in Hamilton, Canada the Australian team has generated plenty of highlights for the fans taking the games in at home.
So as we prepare for a week and a half of non-stop sport on our TV screens, we wanted to look back at some of the best Australian moments from Commonwealth Games past.
1930 – The First Golds
In those first Games, Australia claimed just three gold medals, two of which came in the pool.
Swimmer Noel Ryan won the 400 and 1500 yard freestyle events and defended both titles four years later in London.
Australia’s other gold came in the rowing with Bobby Pearce winning the single sculls event.
1954 – The Miracle Mile: John Landy vs Roger Bannister
An athletics heavyweight race highlighted the 1954 Vancouver Games with England’s Roger Bannister and Australia’s John Landy going head to head over a mile.
It would be Bannister claiming the honours in a neck and neck contest with both men breaking four minutes.
1982 – Rob de Castella Wins Marathon in Brisbane
De Castella was locked in a back and forth battle with Tanzania’s Juma Ikangaa around the streets of Brisbane.
However it would be the Australian emerging victorious in a moment regarded by many as the finest of his career, running down the two men who had been leading for most of the race.
1998 – The Thorpedo Breaks Out & O’Neill’s Gold Rush
Australia’s remarkable 80 gold medal haul in Kuala Lumpur was driven by a massive haul in the pool.
Spearheading that campaign was teen sensation Ian Thorpe and Madame Butterfly herself Susie O’Neill.
Thorpe announced his arrival on the international stage with four gold medals, two from individual events and two relays.
O’Neill won an Australian record six gold medals in the pool and claimed another two silvers just for good measure.
Since then, Thorpe has been able to match that record in 2002 with six gold medals in Manchester but it was 1998 where they were the leaders of the pack in the pool.
2006 – Womens’ Marathon Sprint Finish
After 24 years the Commonwealth Games returned to Australia and the women’s marathon provided one of the most famous finishes in recent memory.
Kerryn McCann, the defending Commonwealth Champion, defended her title in a back and forth battle with Kenyan Hellen Cherono Koskei.
The lead changed back and forth throughout the race, but the MCG crowd spurred McCann home to an outstanding victory!
2006 – John Steffensen Flies Home
A rather successful athletics campaign featured West Australia’s John Steffensen saving his best performance for this stage setting back to back PB’s in the semis and final of the 400m to claim the gold.
In a perfectly timed campaign, Steffensen beat his PB with a time of 45.05 to have a chance at a medal and came up against a field that had all recorded better times than him.
That would not phase Steffensen as he went even better to win gold with a time of 44.73 before backing up with a gold in the relay to top it all off.
2006 – Steve Hooker Vaults Onto the Stage
Before he became Australia’s first male track and field Olympic gold medallist, Hooker won his first career title at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games.
Of course his training was not always spot on…
2014 – Diamonds Redemption
After two straight defeats to New Zealand in the Commonwealth Games, the Diamonds would not let it become a third time as they hammered New Zealand in the final claiming victory for the first time since 2002.