Sally's a Commonwealth of experience

19 July 2001

Rainy days in Edinburgh, water fights in Auckland and a whale of a time in Victoria are all locked away in Sally Gunnell's Commonwealth Games memory bank. Along with five gold medals, of course.

So there are no prizes for forecasting that our 1992 Olympic champion will be suffering from an acute case of Games Fever when Manchester 2002 goes into orbit a year from now.

The XVII Commonwealth Games will be opened by the Queen at the £90m City of Manchester Stadium on July 25 next year, lighting the blue touch paper for 10 days of spectacular action in 17 sports.

The Games, the largest multi-sport event to be held in the UK, will feature over 4,000 athletes from 72 nations and will attract a million spectators live and a television audience approaching the billion mark.

And Gunnell, the Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth 400m hurdles champion in the early nineties, will be savouring the action as a television pundit - giving her opportunities galore to re-live some of those magic Commonwealth moments...

Like Edinburgh, 1986, when she won her first championship gold in the 100m hurdles: "I can't believe how naive I was! I just didn't know what a major championship was all about."

"Before the Games started, winning never even crossed my mind; mental preparation was non-existent. I was just carried away with the whole event and determined to love every minute of it. And I really did - even though it seemed to rain all the time."

"But there was a serious side, too. Edinburgh taught me what winning was all about, how to handle the pressure of a major final. And that gold medal showed me what I could go on and achieve."

"I was able to find a part-time job and some sponsorship and I realised I had made the right decision in concentrating on my sport."

Like Auckland, 1990, when she struck gold in the 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay and silver in the 100m hurdles: "Auckland was probably the most enjoyable championship of my career."

"The previous summer had been a bit of a disaster for me so what could be better than going away to the sunshine for three weeks in January? It was almost like a holiday with the odd bit of running in between. I was so relaxed."

"I only really ran the 100m hurdles because I happened to be around so a silver medal was a bit of a bonus but to win gold in the relay was marvellous and, needless to say, another reason to party!"

"There was a tremendous atmosphere in the Village at Auckland. We were all girls together, having a great time. Laughing, joking, water fights, the lot. Everyone was so friendly. Looking back, it was very special."

Like Victoria, 1994, when she once again triumphed in the 400m hurdles and the 4x400m relay: "I went into the Games as the Olympic, World and European champion and here was a chance to hold all four major titles at the same time."

"That was something I desperately wanted so there was a lot more pressure for me in Canada than in either of the other Games."

"The timing was awkward because there were Grand Prix meetings right up to the start of the Games. In fact one or two of the athletes, like Linford Christie and Colin Jackson, didn't fly out to Canada until the last minute."

"But I didn't want that. I needed to sample the atmosphere again - and prepare myself properly for that fourth championship."

"We went whale watching during the build-up and had a lot of fun as usual. But this time, I was one of the big-name athletes and there were more outside pressures on me than before."

"And there was a dark side, too, when Diane Modahl was sent home when the result of a drug test earlier in the season was published. Diane was a friend as well as a team-mate and it was a very worrying situation for us all. And as team captain there were extra responsibilities involved for me."

"So for one reason or another, Victoria wasn't quite as enjoyable for me as Edinburgh and Auckland. But nothing can take away all the good times from the three Games. Because the Commonwealth Games really are the Friendly Games for everyone involved. The competition is tough but away from the events, people relax."

"Athletes don't have a problem about going into bars and restaurants and mixing with fans. It's all so easy-going. And that's what makes the Games so special."

So Manchester has a lot to live up to on and off the track. But Sally, whose new lifestyle book 'Be Your Best' was launched at Easter and is selling well, is confident the 2002 Games, supported by £135m of lottery funding from Sport England, will rank with the best.

"Its tremendous that England is staging the Commonwealth Games. It is a massive event and it's absolutely vital that the infrastructure is in place to make sure the Games are a success."

"But I know for a fact how much it's going to mean to our athletes. To win a gold medal in front of your own fans is something everyone dreams about. It never happened for me but it's going to come true for a lot of people next year. It will be a fantastic feeling."

"And as the start of the Games gets nearer, you'll find the whole country will be caught up in the build-up. Everyone will want the Games to be a success."