UP NEXT 2026 Youth Olympics · Dakar · 30 Oct – 15 Nov in 21 days
Athletics Podium
Commonwealth Games
Regional

Commonwealth Games

first edition, Hamilton
1930
editions held
23
medal nations
49
latest · Glasgow
2026

History

The Commonwealth Games is an international multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and has taken place every four years since then.

The Commonwealth Games were known as the British Empire Games from 1930 to 1950, the British Empire and Commonwealth Games from 1954 to 1966, and British Commonwealth Games from 1970 to 1974. Athletes with a disability are also included as full members of their national teams, making the Commonwealth Games as the first fully inclusive international multi-sport event. It is also the world's first multi-sport event which inducts equal number of women’s and men’s medal events and was implemented recently in the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Their creation was inspired by the Inter-Empire Championships, as a part of the Festival of Empire, which were held in London, United Kingdom in 1911. Melville Marks Robinson founded the games as the British Empire Games which were first hosted in Hamilton, Canada in 1930.

During the 20th and 21st centuries, the evolution of the games movement has resulted in several changes to the Commonwealth Games. Some of these adjustments include the creation of the Commonwealth Winter Games for snow and ice sports for the commonwealth athletes, the Commonwealth Paraplegic Games for commonwealth athletes with a disability and the Commonwealth Youth Games for commonwealth athletes aged 14 to 18.

The first edition of the winter games and paraplegic games were held in 1958 and 1962 respectively, with their last edition held in 1966 and 1974 respectively and the first youth games were held in 2000. The 1942 and 1946 Commonwealth Games were cancelled because of the Second World War. / More on Wikipedia

MOST SUCCESSFUL ATHLETES

7-2-0 Raelene Boyle (AUS)

7-0-0 Marjorie Jackson (AUS)

6-0-0 Don Quarrie (JAM)

6-0-0 Pam Kilborn-Ryan (AUS)

5-1-0 Sally Gunnell (ENG)

5-0-0 Decima Norman (AUS)

THREE-PEATS

3 Valerie Sloper-Young (NZL) in SP (1958, 1962, 1966)

3 Howard Payne (ENG) in HT (1962, 1966, 1970)

3 Pam Kilborn (AUS) in 80H/100H (1962, 1966, 1970)

3 Don Quarrie (JAM) in 100m (1970, 1974, 1978)

3 Daley Thompson (ENG) in Decathlon (1978, 1982, 1986)

3 Jane Saville (AUS) in 10kmW/20kmW (1998, 2002, 2006)

3 Valerie Adams (NZL) in SP (2006, 2010, 2014)

3 Lindon Victor (GRN) in Decathlon (2018, 2022, 2026)

3 Jemima Montag (AUS) in 20kmW/10,000W (2018, 2022, 2026)

3 Kurtis Marschall (AUS) in PV (2018, 2022, 2026)


LONGEST WIN STREAK BY A COUNTRY

10 Kenya in Men's 3000SC (1990-2026) - active

5 England in Men's HT (1958-74)

5 Australia in Men's 20kmW (1998-2018)

5 Australia in Women's PV (1998-2014)

5 Kenya in Women's 10,000m (1998-2014)

OLDEST ACTIVE GAMES RECORD

Men's 800m: Steve Cram (ENG), 1:43.22 in Edinburgh 1986

Men's Marathon: Ian Thompson (ENG), 2:09:12 in Christchurch 1974

Women's Marathon: Lisa Martin (AUS), 2:25:28 in Auckland 1990

Women's Heptathlon: Jane Flemming (AUS), 6695 in Auckland 1990

MOST SUCCESSFUL NATION IN ONE EDITION

Englang (ENG) in Edinburgh 1986 (18-18-12)

MOST MEDALS IN TOTAL (Single Edition)

England (ENG) in Edinburgh 1986 (48 medals)

Editions

Scroll for all 23 · newest first
  1. 2026 Glasgow 43 events
  2. 2022 Birmingham 46 events
  3. 2018 Gold Coast 46 events
  4. 2014 Glasgow 44 events
  5. 2010 India 46 events
  6. 2006 Melbourne 47 events
  7. 2002 Manchester 46 events
  8. 1998 Kuala Lumpur 46 events
  9. 1994 Victoria 42 events
  10. 1990 Auckland 42 events
  11. 1986 Edinburgh 41 events
  12. 1982 Brisbane 39 events
  13. 1978 Edmonton 38 events
  14. 1974 Christchurch 37 events
  15. 1970 Edinburgh 36 events
  16. 1966 Kingston 34 events
  17. 1962 Perth 31 events
  18. 1958 Cardiff 29 events
  19. 1954 Vancouver 29 events
  20. 1950 Auckland 28 events
  21. 1938 Sydney 28 events
  22. 1934 London 30 events
  23. 1930 Hamilton 21 events

All-time medal table

49 nations
#NationTotal
1 Australia AUS200167139506
2 England ENG195211191597
3 Canada CAN84101134319
4 Kenya KEN817161213
5 Jamaica JAM724751170
6 Republic of South Africa RSA433534112
7 New Zealand NZL415153145
8 Nigeria NGR24302579
9 Scotland SCO20233982
10 Wales WAL14161848
11 Bahamas BAH12151037
12 Uganda UGA1161027

Most golds

  1. 1 Raelene Boyle 100m, 200m, 400m +1 · 1970–82 Gold 7 Silver 2 Bronze 0
  2. 2 Marjorie Jackson 100 yards, 220 yards, relays · 1950–54 Gold 7 Silver 0 Bronze 0
  3. 3 Don Quarrie 100m, 200m, relays · 1970–78 Gold 6 Silver 0 Bronze 0
  4. 4 Pam Kilborn-Ryan 80m hurdles, 100m hurdles, Long jump +1 · 1962–70 Gold 6 Silver 0 Bronze 0
  5. 5 Valerie Sloper-Young Shot put, Discus throw · 1958–74 Gold 5 Silver 1 Bronze 1
  6. 6 Sally Gunnell 100m hurdles, 400m hurdles, relays · 1986–94 Gold 5 Silver 1 Bronze 0
  7. 7 Decima Norman 100 yards, 220 yards, Long jump +1 · 1938 Gold 5 Silver 0 Bronze 0
  8. 8 Harry Hart Shot put, Discus throw, Javelin throw · 1930–34 Gold 4 Silver 1 Bronze 1
  9. 9 Allan Wells 100m, 200m, relays · 1978–82 Gold 4 Silver 1 Bronze 1
  10. 10 Yvette Williams Long jump, Shot put, Discus throw +1 · 1950–54 Gold 4 Silver 1 Bronze 0
Programme · all time

70 events contested since 1930

From 21 events in Hamilton to 43 in Glasgow.

Men 35

Women 34

Mixed 1

↑ ↓ move ↵ open ⇧ ↵ all results esc close / open search anywhere