| Athletics at the 14th Commonwealth Games | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Dates | 27 January – 3 February 1990 |
| Host city | Auckland, New Zealand  |
| Venue | Mount Smart Stadium |
| Level | Senior |
| Events | 42 |
| Participation | 585 athletes from 45 nations |
| Records set | 6 Games records |
At the 1990 Commonwealth Games , the athletics events were held at the Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand from 27 January to 3 February 1990. A total of 42 events were contested, 23 by male and 19 by female athletes.
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 metres (wind: +3.9 m/s) |  Linford Christie (ENG) | 9.93w |  Davidson Ezinwa (NGR) | 10.05w |  Bruny Surin (CAN) | 10.12w |
| 200 metres (wind: +2.4 m/s) | Marcus Adam (ENG) | 20.10w | John Regis (ENG) | 20.16w | Ade Mafe (ENG) | 20.26w |
| 400 metres |  Darren Clark (AUS) | 44.60 |  Samson Kitur (KEN) | 44.88 | Simeon Kipkemboi (KEN) | 44.93 |
| 800 metres | Sammy Tirop (KEN) | 1:45.98 | Nixon Kiprotich (KEN) | 1:46.00 | Matthew Yates (ENG) | 1:46.62 |
| 1500 metres | Peter Elliott (ENG) | 3:33.39 | Wilfred Kirochi (KEN) | 3:34.41 | Peter O'Donoghue (NZL) | 3:35.14 |
| 5000 metres | Andrew Lloyd (AUS) | 13:24.86 | John Ngugi (KEN) | 13:24.94 |  Ian Hamer (WAL) | 13:25.63 |
| 10,000 metres | Eamonn Martin (ENG) | 28:08.57 | Moses Tanui (KEN) | 28:11.56 | Paul Williams (CAN) | 28:12.71 |
| Marathon | Douglas Wakiihuri (KEN) | 2:10:27 | Steve Moneghetti (AUS) | 2:10:34 |  Simon-Robert Naali (TAN) | 2:10:38 |
| 110 metres hurdles | Colin Jackson (WAL) | 13.08 | Tony Jarrett (ENG) | 13.34 | David Nelson (ENG) | 13.54 |
| 400 metres hurdles | Kriss Akabusi (ENG) | 48.89 | Gideon Yego (KEN) | 49.25 | John Graham (CAN) | 50.24 |
| 3000 metres steeplechase | Julius Kariuki (KEN) | 8:20.64 | Joshua Kipkemboi (KEN) | 8:24.26 | Colin Walker (ENG) | 8:26.50 |
| 4 × 100 metres relay | England Clarence Callender John Regis Marcus Adam Linford Christie Tony Jarrett* | 38.67 | Nigeria Victor Nwankwo Davidson Ezinwa Osmond Ezinwa Abdullahi Tetengi | 38.85 |  Jamaica Wayne Watson John Mair Clive Wright Ray Stewart | 39.11 |
| 4 × 400 metres relay | Kenya David Kitur Samson Kitur Simeon Kipkemboi Stephen Mwanzia | 3:02.48 GR |  Scotland Mark Davidson David Strang Tom McKean Brian Whittle Duncan Mathieson* | 3:04.68 | Jamaica Clive Wright Devon Morris Trevor Graham Howard Burnett John Mair* | 3:04.96 |
| 30 kilometres walk | Guillaume Leblanc (CAN) | 2:08:28 | Andrew Jachno (AUS) | 2:09:09 | Ian McCombie (ENG) | 2:09:20 |
| High jump |  Clarence Saunders (BER) | 2.36 m GR | Dalton Grant (ENG) | 2.34 m | Milton Ottey (CAN) Geoff Parsons (SCO) | 2.23 m |
| Pole vault | Simon Arkell (AUS) | 5.35 m | Ian Tullett (ENG) | 5.25 m | Simon Poelman (NZL) | 5.20 m |
| Long jump | Yusuf Alli (NGR) | 8.39 m (w) | David Culbert (AUS) | 8.20 m (w) | Festus Igbinoghene (NGR) | 8.18 m (w) |
| Triple jump |  Marios Hadjiandreou (CYP) | 16.95 m | Jonathan Edwards (ENG) | 16.93 m | Edrick Floreal (CAN) | 16.89 m |
| Shot put | Simon Williams (ENG) | 18.54 m | Adewale Olukoju (NGR) | 18.48 m | Paul Edwards (WAL) | 18.17 m |
| Discus throw | Adewale Olukoju (NGR) | 62.62 m | Werner Reiterer (AUS) | 61.56 m | Paul Nandapi (AUS) | 59.94 m |
| Hammer throw | Sean Carlin (AUS) | 75.66 m | Dave Smith (ENG) | 73.52 m | Angus Cooper (NZL) | 71.26 m |
| Javelin throw | Steve Backley (ENG) | 86.02 m GR | Mick Hill (ENG) | 83.32 m | Gavin Lovegrove (NZL) | 81.66 m |
| Decathlon | Mike Smith (CAN) | 8525 pts | Simon Poelman (NZL) | 8207 pts w | Eugene Gilkes (ENG) | 7705 pts |
* Host nation (New Zealand)
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England | 13 | 14 | 13 | 40 |
| 2 | Australia | 10 | 11 | 5 | 26 |
| 3 | Kenya | 4 | 7 | 1 | 12 |
| 4 | Canada | 4 | 0 | 6 | 10 |
| 5 | Nigeria | 3 | 4 | 3 | 10 |
| 6 | Jamaica | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Wales | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | |
| 8 | New Zealand * | 1 | 2 | 6 | 9 |
| 9 | Scotland | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 10 | Bermuda | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Cyprus | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 12 |  Northern Ireland | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 13 |  Bahamas | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 14 | Tanzania | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (14 entries) | 42 | 42 | 43 | 127 | |
Australia (83) Bahamas (3)
Bangladesh (4)
Barbados (1) Bermuda (4)
Botswana (9)
British Virgin Islands (1) Canada (81)
Cayman Islands (1)
Cook Islands (4) Cyprus (7) England (105)
Falkland Islands (2)
Gambia (4)
Ghana (8)
Guernsey (1)
Guyana (2)
Hong Kong (3)
Isle of Man (3) Jamaica (13)
Jersey (1) Kenya (29)
Lesotho (4)
Malawi (5)
Malaysia (3)
Mauritius (3) New Zealand (81) Nigeria (14)
Norfolk Island (1) Northern Ireland (9)
Pakistan (5)
Papua New Guinea (8)
Saint Kitts and Nevis (1) Scotland (25)
Seychelles (5)
Sierra Leone (1)
Swaziland (4) Tanzania (4)
Tonga (4)
Trinidad and Tobago (5)
Uganda (6)
Vanuatu (3) Wales (14)
Zambia (6)
Zimbabwe (5)
The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games, are a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exception of 1942 and 1946, have successively run every four years since. The Games were called 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 included as full members of their national teams since 2002, making the Commonwealth Games the first fully inclusive international multi-sport event. In 2018, the Games became the first global multi-sport event to feature an equal number of men's and women's medal events and four years later they are the first global multi-sport event to have more events for women than men.
At the 2006 Commonwealth Games, the athletics events were held in Melbourne, Australia from 19 March to 25 March 2006. A total of 47 events were contested, of which 24 by male and 23 by female athletes. Furthermore, three men's and three women's disability events were held within the programme. All athletics events took place within the Melbourne Cricket Ground, while the marathon and racewalking events took place on the streets of Melbourne and finished at the main stadium.
At the 2002 Commonwealth Games, the athletics events were held at the City of Manchester Stadium on 26–30 July 2002. The route for the marathon event crossed Manchester city centre and finished in the stadium. The race walk events began alongside the Lowry Centre at Salford Quays. There were twenty-five men's events and 23 women's events; the schedules were identical except that there were men's 3000 metres steeplechase and 50 kilometres walk events. Pole vaulter Dominic Johnson won a bronze medal, Saint Lucia's only medal of the Games.
At the 1994 Commonwealth Games, the athletics event were held in Victoria, BC, Canada, at the Centennial Stadium on the grounds of the University of Victoria. A total of 44 events were contested, of which 22 by male 19 by female athletes. Furthermore, 2 men's disability events were held within the programme.
At the 1986 Commonwealth Games, the athletics events were held at the Meadowbank Stadium in Edinburgh, Scotland. A total of 41 events were contested, of which 23 by male and 18 by female athletes.
At the 1978 Commonwealth Games, the athletics events were held at the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. A total of 38 events were contested, 23 for men and 15 for women.
At the 1982 Commonwealth Games, the athletics events took place at the QE II Stadium in Brisbane, Australia from 3–9 October 1982. A total of 39 events were contested, 23 for men and 16 for women athletes.
At the 1930 British Empire Games, the athletics events were held at the Civic Stadium in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The programme featured 21 men's events, with all measurements being done in imperial units.
At the 1950 British Empire Games, the athletics events were held at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand in February 1950. A total of 28 athletics events were contested at the Games, 20 by men and 8 by women. A total of seventeen Games records were set or improved over the competition.
At the 1934 British Empire Games, the athletics events were held at the White City Stadium in London, England in August 1934. A total of 30 athletics events were contested at the Games, 21 by men and 9 by women.
At the 1938 British Empire Games, the athletics events were held at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, Australia in February 1938. A total of 28 athletics events were contested at the Games, 20 by men and 8 by women.
At the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, the athletics events were held at Empire Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in July and August 1954. A total of 29 athletics events were contested at the Games, 20 by men and 9 by women. A total of twenty-four Games records were set or improved over the competition, leaving just five previous best marks untouched. The 1954 edition saw the introduction of the shot put and discus throw for women, as well as the first 4×110 yards relay for women.
At the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, the athletics events were held at Cardiff Arms Park in Cardiff, Wales in July 1958. A total of 29 athletics events were contested at the Games, 20 by men and 9 by women. Four Games records were improved during the competition and three world records were set.
At the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, the athletics events were held at Independence Park in Kingston, Jamaica. A total of 34 events were contested, of which 23 by male and 11 by female athletes. This was the final athletics competition at the quadrennial games to feature events measured in imperial, rather than metric units. It was also the last edition to allow four athletes from each country in a single event before that number was reduced to three. Eleven Games records were improved over the course of the competition.
At the 1970 British Commonwealth Games, the athletics events were held at the Meadowbank Stadium in Edinburgh, Scotland. A total of 36 events were contested, of which 23 by male and 13 by female athletes. This was the first athletics competition at the British Commonwealth Games to feature events in metric units, rather than imperial units. One world record and two Games records were broken at the competition.
At the 1974 British Commonwealth Games, the athletics events were held at the Queen Elizabeth II Park in Christchurch, New Zealand between 25 January and 2 February. Athletes competed in 37 events — 23 for men and 14 for women.
The athletics competition at the 2010 Commonwealth Games was held in New Delhi, India between 6 and 14 October. The track and field events took place between 6–12 October at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium while the marathon contests were held on a street course running through the city on 14 October.
At the 1995 Summer Universiade, the athletics events were held at the Hakatanomori Athletic Stadium in Fukuoka, Japan from 29 August to 3 September. A total of 43 events were contested, of which 23 by male and 20 by female athletes.
Tomas Walsh is a New Zealand athlete who competes mainly in the shot put. He is the current national record holder both outdoors and indoors for the event. His personal best of 22.90 m, set in Doha, 5 October 2019, is also the Oceanian record and makes him the sixth best shot putter in history.
Stewart McConnell is a former New Zealand international lawn bowler.
