The 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow are being run at an estimated cost of AU$400m, half of which has come from Victorian taxpayers as compensation for their withdrawal as hosts of the event in 2023.
The number of sports has been halved from 20 to ten in a vastly scaled down event that has also seen the traditional 'Athletes Village' and most of its related provisions scrapped.
Australia's contingent of roughly 250 athletes, as well as all other participants at the Comm Games, will be staying at existing accommodation close to their relevant venues, in a break with the expensive tradition of housing all athletes and officials in one purpose-built hub.
As a result of their own budget constraints, Australian team management will be offering laundry services to their athletes only twice a week, instead of the daily service that would be provided by a traditional village.
"We’ve encouraged athletes to bring spare smalls, just in case," team chef de mission Petria Thomas told AAP on Tuesday.
"No one wants to be caught going commando!"
The Games will run from July 23 to August 6, with the swimming program taking place from July 24-29 and the athletics meeting from July 27 to August 1.
Aaron Murphy has been with Flashscore since 2018 and, as the founding editor of the Australian newsdesk, has reported on-site at several major events in Melbourne including the Australian Open, State of Origin, A-League, NBL and international cricket. You can read his pieces here and contact him on X or LinkedIn.
