By Tom Degun in St Kitts and Nevis

JohnCoatesAOCAnnualGeneralMeetingqikgxP9y5pkp2lNovember 13 - The President of the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC), John Coates, has congratulated the Gold Coast after they secured the right to stage the 2018 Commonwealth Games.


The city in Queensland defeated sole rivals Hambantota of Sri Lanka after the 70 voting delegates at the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) General Assembly here voted by 43 votes to 27 in their favour.

"Take a bow Queensland", said Coates.

"The Gold Coast Bid Committee, Queensland Government and the Australian Commonwealth Games Association (ACGA) have done an excellent job and the result is very important to Australian sport and our country.

"The 2018 Commonwealth Games will showcase the Queensland coast but it will also encourage young children to participate in sport after watching their role models compete."

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The 2018 victory, spearheaded by bid chairman Mark Stockwell, was a double boost for the city because the Gold Coast's very own athletics star Sally Pearson was this week named the IAAF Female Athlete of the Year in Monte Carlo after becoming world champion in the women's 100m hurdles earlier this year.

The Olympic silver medallist, who was born in Sydney but has lived in the Gold Coast since she was eight, expressed her delight at hearing the news that her city will stage the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

"It's still seven years away and we have a lot of work to do but I think we will pull off one of the best Commonwealth Games," said the 25-year-old reigning Commonwealth Games champion.

"So it's very special for me being in my hometown but seven years is a long time for an athlete to train.

"For the sport of athletics, having another major championship in our country is fantastic, especially for our emerging athletes coming through, it gives them something to strive for."

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