Edmonton, Canada 1978
The XI Games was the first to bear the current day name of the Commonwealth Games. Whilst Edmonton had won the right to host the Games with an audacious vision presented six years earlier to the Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly, the organisers had to walk a careful tightrope in the immediate run up to the Edmonton Games to ensure that there was no repeat of the African nations boycott of the 1976 Montreal Olympics caused by a New Zealand rugby tour of South Africa.
Forty-six countries sent a total of 1,474 athletes and 504 officials to the Edmonton Games. As host nation, Canada also topped the medal table for the first time.
Ten sports were featured at the Edmonton Games:
- Aquatics (diving & swimming)
- Athletics
- Badminton
- Boxing
- Cycling
- Gymnastics
- Lawn bowls
- Shooting
- Weightlifting
- Wrestling
The Scottish contingent that travelled to Canada in 1978 was the largest that had ever been sent abroad, consisting of 100 competitors and 25 officials. The entire team flew direct to Edmonton by charter flight on 23rd July and were greeted at the airport by a welcoming crowd and the skirl of pipes. The standard of the facilities at the Games Village proved to be excellent, though due to the huge number of competitors that attended, the accommodation was a little cramped. A friendly and cheerful atmosphere prevailed throughout the Games and in particular, the Edmonton Scottish Society provided a wonderful display of traditional Scots hospitality.
On the sporting side there was much to be pleased about with two British and two Commonwealth Games records being set by Scots, and 13 national records being established. Allan Wells gave brilliant performances, winning a gold and a silver in individual events and capturing another gold, along with David Jenkins, Cameron Sharp and Drew McMaster, in the 4x100m Relay.
The other Scottish gold medal at Edmonton came from shooter Alister Allan in the smallbore 50m rifle with a wonderful display of marksmanship. It was also encouraging that our other medals, six silver and five bronze, were spread throughout seven different sports, and the performance of Billy Gilliland and Joanna Flockhart in the Badminton Mixed Doubles was particularly noteworthy.