Plenty to discuss ahead of Victoria 2026 after Birmingham 2022 Games

Despite there always being the risk that only a small number of member countries will be competitive in a sport or event selected to be on the program for any edition, so many contests this time around have been world class.

This is crucial - for if the athletes, their coaches and support teams don't value a four-yearly event like the Games then it becomes of little commercial value in an increasingly competitive landscape for fewer available dollars.

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Many Australian fans would have assumed that the Dolphins would sweep the medals in the swimming pool but in Birmingham there were races in which they have been dominant in the past, but they were nowhere near the victory dais this year.

In overall terms the Australian swim team was mighty but not so mighty that it devalued the overall meet to a stroll in the park.

Victoria 2026 will however need to look carefully at the disciplines to which the nod is given within those sports already chosen for the program and the four or five still to be selected.

Some disciplines which observers might think would work across the Commonwealth have not taken off - mountain bike for example. On paper it should be possible and popular across a range of member nations, but entry numbers have never reached acceptable levels.

The organisers of the next Games should also have a serious look at two aspects that have kept Birmingham from being an even more splendid presentation.

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Before Gold Coast 2018, the Commonwealth Games Federation, the over-arching body that sets the parameters for, and awards the hosting of, each Games introduced a quota system for each competing nation.

In turn each nation's CGA allocates that particular number amongst each of the individual sports within its team. The tournament team sports - rugby, netball and hockey - are treated differently with a selected number of teams invited in each, the athlete numbers for which are outside the quota.

The concept is designed to control the overall number of athletes and team officials - reducing costs for travel, accommodation and ground transport and thereby making the Games more financially attractive to potential host cities.

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But it has a significant downside. It means that many nations, the larger ones in particular, cannot select all the athletes they would wish. The impact is most noticeable in athletics.

In Birmingham some fields have been tiny compared to previous years - although it should be said without lacking in quality - as in general the top athletes have supported the Games despite the impact of the proximity in time of other major competitions.

The women's 800 and 1500 metres had only two heats each - and the latter would have been run as a final only had there not been a demand from those in charge of crowds and television for more content.

It would be an appropriate time - after two Games - to review the quota system and look at alternatives such as entry qualification standards. It would benefit both the fans and the athletes.

Outside the competitions themselves, there continue to be worrisome trends in planning and execution of events like the Commonwealth Games. It's pretty clear that there is an obsession with high-end strategic planning and the engagement of consultants to advise on myriad aspects without the slightest thought about how it all might play out in real life.

One such example is the decision to close catering outlets at venues 15 minutes before the end of each session. Big Brother controls everything including standardisation of opening times and the ability to switch on and off the only credit card readers allowed to be used - with, of course, no cash option.

Apart from reducing the spectator experience particularly after morning sessions, it means all those involved in the event who remain inside during the breaks cannot access the food stalls - even though they have been provided with a special debit card to do exactly that.

And then as usual there's the small matter of bus drivers losing their way.

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