1994 Commonwealth Games

Multi-sport event held in Canada May 2013 October 2022 XV Commonwealth Games 1994 Commonwealth Games logo.svg 250 Logo of 1994 Commonwealth Games Victoria, Canada 63 2,557 217 events in 10 sports 18 August 1994 28 August 1994 Elizabeth II Prince Edward Myriam Bédard Catch The Spirit Centennial Stadium XIV XVI The 1994 Commonwealth Games (French: XVéme Jeux du Commonwealth) were held in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, between 18 and 28 August 1994. It was the 15th Commonwealth Games. These were the fourth and most recent Commonwealth Games to be hosted by Canada, after Hamilton 1930, Vancouver 1954, and Edmonton 1978. The Games featured ten sports: athletics, aquatics (diving and swimming), badminton, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, lawn bowls, shooting, weightlifting and wrestling. Judo which had replaced wrestling in 1990 was dropped in favour of wrestling returning, the latter being dropped from the Games for the first time in 1990.http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/commonwealthgames2002/hi/judo/newsid_1946000/1946304.stm Tailor-made for Manchester BBC News 20 June 2002 12 February 2026 Host selection Three bids for the 1994 Commonwealth Games were submitted. Victoria, New Delhi, and Cardiff were the bidding cities. On 15 September 1988, the Commonwealth Games Federation voted to award Victoria the 1994 Commonwealth Games.Victoria wins 1994 Games https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1309&dat=19880916&id=0a1UAAAAIBAJ&pg=3003,139394&hl=en The New Straits Times 16 September 1988 9 March 2016 + 1994 Commonwealth Games bidding resultsCityCountry Votes Victoria Canada Canada 29 New Delhi India India 18 Cardiff Wales Wales 7 Venues thumb|right|350px|The opening ceremony Many of the venues were existing, with the Saanich Commonwealth Place being built for $22 million CAD being the biggest cost for a new building.Newnham Blaine 16 July 1994 The Friendly Games https://newspaperarchive.com/winnipeg-free-press-jul-16-1994-p-35/ Seattle Times Winnipeg Free Press Winnipeg, Manitoba 2 August 2025 Other new venues included four new lawn bowl courts and the velodrome. Venue list University of Victoria – Athletes' Village Centennial Stadium – Athletics Saanich Commonwealth Place – Aquaticshttps://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0005186/19940713/118/0021 Danny's got team spirit Kilsyth Chronicle 13 July 1994 21 British Newspaper Archive subscription 7 February 20262013-11-19 Saanich's Commonwealth Place celebrates 20 years https://www.vicnews.com/news/saanichs-commonwealth-place-celebrates-20-years-16071 2025-07-31 Victoria News en McKinnon Gymnasium – Badmintonhttps://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000564/19940818/321/0022 Victoria 94: The Event Venues Dundee Courier 18 August 1994 22 British Newspaper Archive subscription 27 February 2026https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0005290/19940817/489/0042 Graham faces top class Malaysians Coleraine Times 42 17 August 1994 British Newspaper Archive subscription 23 March 2026 Archie Browning Sports Centre (Esquimalt) – Boxing Victoria Memorial Arena – Gymnastics Royal Athletic Park – Field Lacrosse (demonstration) Heal's Range – Shootinghttps://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0005290/19940817/483/0041 Tommy has medal pedigree Coleraine Times 17 August 1994 41 British Newspaper Archive subscription 4 March 2026 Royal Theatre – Weightliftinghttps://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004928/19940828/072/0072 Winter wonder Wales on Sunday 28 August 1994 72 British Newspaper Archive subscription 1 March 2026 Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre Juan de Fuca Velodrome – Track cycling https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0005114/19940826/533/0057 Wallace in vain pursuit as McGee smashes a record Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph 26 August 1994 57 British Newspaper Archive subscription 11 February 2026 Juan de Fuca Bowling Club – Lawn bowls Juan de Fuca Arena – Wrestlinghttps://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000540/19940822/312/0024 Wrestling The Scotsman 22 August 1994 24 British Newspaper Archive subscription 11 February 2026 BC Hwy 17 (Patricia Bay Highway) – Road cycling Final "Original Games" The 1994 games was the last time team sports were excluded. In 1991, the Commonwealth Games Federation deemed the original setup of ten sports to be obsolete. Beginning with the 1998 games, team sports such as Rugby sevens, Basketball, and Field hockey were added. The decision was taken to encourage more revenue streams from television by making the games more attractive to viewing audiences. Opening ceremony The opening ceremony featured production design by Mary Kerr in collaboration with Chief Adam Dick, Clan Chief Kwaxistella of the Kwaxkwaka'wakw (then known as the Kwakiutl), and Kim Recalma Clutesi.Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia – Kerr, Mary https://www.canadiantheatre.com/dict.pl?term=Kerr,%20Mary 2025-06-02 www.canadiantheatre.com A simple friendly atmosphere was the theme to the Opening Ceremonies. In the presence of Prince Edward, the Athletes had a long march past to their seated area (an idea created four years previously and emulated since at the 2014 Games in Glasgow). Welcome speeches and flag raisings were followed by a precision horse riding display by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. A visual and theatrical display by the Four Nations Tribes culminated in a massive Thunderbird symbol covering the entire inner field. This was followed by a flypast by the Snowbirds Canadian Forces aerobatic display team. Games Participating teams There were 63 participating nations at the 1994 Commonwealth Games. The XV Commonwealth Games marked South Africa's return to the Commonwealth Games following the apartheid era, and 36 years since the country last competed in the Games in 1958. Namibia participated in its first Games after gaining independence from South Africa in 1990, and the Caribbean island of Montserrat also made their Games debut. This was Hong Kong's last appearance at the Games before the transfer of sovereignty from Britain to China. Participating Commonwealth Countries & Territories18em Antigua and Barbuda at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Australia at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Bahamas at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Bangladesh at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Barbados at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Belize at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Bermuda at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Botswana at the 1994 Commonwealth Games British Virgin Islands at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Brunei at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Canada at the 1994 Commonwealth Games (host) Cayman Islands at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Cook Islands at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Cyprus at the 1994 Commonwealth Games 1960 Dominica at the 1994 Commonwealth Games England at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Falkland Islands at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Gambia at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Ghana at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Gibraltar at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Guernsey at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Guyana at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Hong Kong at the 1994 Commonwealth Games 1959 India at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Isle of Man at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Jamaica at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Jersey at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Kenya at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Lesotho at the 1994 Commonwealth Games 1987 Malawi at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Malaysia at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Maldives at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Malta at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Mauritius at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Montserrat at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Namibia at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Nauru at the 1994 Commonwealth Games New Zealand at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Nigeria at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Norfolk Island at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Pakistan at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Papua New Guinea at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Saint Kitts and Nevis at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Saint Lucia at the 1994 Commonwealth Games 1979 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Scotland at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Seychelles at the 1994 Commonwealth Games 1977 Sierra Leone at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Singapore at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Solomon Islands at the 1994 Commonwealth Games South Africa at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Sri Lanka at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Swaziland at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Tanzania at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Tonga at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Trinidad and Tobago at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Uganda at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Vanuatu at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Wales at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Flag of Samoa.svg Western Samoa Zambia at the 1994 Commonwealth Games 1964 Zimbabwe at the 1994 Commonwealth GamesDebuting Commonwealth Countries and Territories 18em Montserrat at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Namibia at the 1994 Commonwealth Games thumb|center|550px|Nations that competed at the Games Sports There were events in 14 disciplines across 10 sports for the 1994 Commonwealth Games. 22em Aquatics Diving 6 Swimming 34 Synchronised swimming 2 Athletics 44 Badminton 5 Boxing 12 Cycling (Cycling at the 1994 Commonwealth Games) 20px Road (4) 20px Track (9) Gymnastics (Gymnastics at the 1994 Commonwealth Games) 20px Artistic gymnastics (14) 20px Rhythmic gymnastics (6) Lawn bowls 8 Shooting 32 Weightlifting 30 Wrestling 10 Calendar The following table shows a summary of the competition schedule. OCOpening ceremony●Event competitions1Event finalsCCClosing ceremony August18Thu19Fri20Sat21Sun22Mon23Tue24Wed25Thu26Fri27Sat28SunEvents Ceremonies OC CC20px|alt=|link= Athletics | | | | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |9 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |4 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |11 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |6 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |11 | 4420px|alt=|link= Badminton | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |5 | | 620px|alt=|link= Boxing | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |12 | | 1220px|alt=|link= Cycling | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |3 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |3 | | 1320px|alt=|link= Diving | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | | | | 620px|alt=|link= Gymnastics | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |10 | | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |4 | | 2020px|alt=|link= Lawn bowls | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | | 820px|alt=|link= Shooting | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |4 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |4 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |4 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |4 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |4 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |3 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |3 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |3 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |3 | | 3220px|alt=|link= Synchronised swimming | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | | | | | | | 220px|alt=|link= Swimming | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |6 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |5 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |6 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |5 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |6 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |6 | | | | | 3420px|alt=|link= Weightlifting | | | | | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |6 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |6 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |6 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |6 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |6 | | 3020px|alt=|link= Wrestling | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |5 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |5 | | | | | | | | 10Total events | | 13 | 17 | 20 | 24 | 25 | 22 | 19 | 25 | 41 | 11 | 217Cumulative total | | 13 | 30 | 50 | 74 | 99 | 121 | 140 | 165 | 206 | 217 | August18Thu19Fri20Sat21Sun22Mon23Tue24Wed25Thu26Fri27Sat28SunEvents Medal table This is a full table of the medal count of the 1994 Commonwealth Games. These rankings sort by the number of gold medals earned by a country. The number of silvers is taken into consideration next and then the number of bronze. If, after the above, countries are still tied, equal ranking is given and they are listed alphabetically. This follows the system used by the IOC, IAAF and BBC. This was the first time since the commencement of the British Empire Games (in 1930) that England did not achieve a medal ranking in the top two. CAN flaglink at the 1994 Commonwealth Games 87 52 43 40 42 46 yes 31 45 49 11 13 13 7 4 5 6 11 7 6 3 11 5 16 20 5 8 6 5 2 3 3 0 0 2 4 5 2 4 2 2 3 2 2 1 2 CYP at the 1994 Commonwealth Games 1960 1 2 0 1 1 2 ZAM at the 1994 Commonwealth Games 1964 1 0 1 0 3 3 0 1 0 0 1 0 WSM at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Western Samoa 0 0 4 HKG at the 1994 Commonwealth Games 1959 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 SEY at the 1994 Commonwealth Games 1977 0 0 1 0 0 1 Marketing Mascot The official mascot of the Games was an anthropomorphic killer whale named "Klee Wyck".http://www.umanitoba.ca/cm/cmarchive/vol21no6/revkleewyck.html CM Archive 1 March 2010 6 June 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110606073024/http://www.umanitoba.ca/cm/cmarchive/vol21no6/revkleewyck.html dead This nickname, meaning "the laughing one", was given to Canadian painter and sculptor Emily Carr by the Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ Nation.http://bcheritage.ca/emilycarrhomework/writing/klee.htm Klee Wyck 7 November 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20130602035703/http://bcheritage.ca/emilycarrhomework/writing/klee.htm 2 June 2013 dead See also Knowledge Totem Pole Victoria bid for the 2022 Commonwealth Games References External links Commonwealth Games Official Site 1994 Commonwealth Games Legacy Fund website Auckland Commonwealth GamesVictoriaXV Commonwealth Games Kuala Lumpur Sports 1990s Canada Category:Sports competitions in Victoria, British Columbia Category:International sports competitions hosted by Canada Category:Commonwealth Games in Canada Commonwealth Games Commonwealth Games Commonwealth Category:August 1994 sports events in Canada Category:Sports competitions in British Columbia Category:20th century in Victoria, British Columbia