Commonwealth Games In Countdown Celebration
Sporting stars Sir Chris Hoy, Rebecca Adlington and Louis Smith joined a host of young athletes on the weekend as Glasgow 2014 hosted a sporting takeover of London’s Millennium Bridge, to celebrate the countdown to next month’s Commonwealth Games.
The celebrations were timed to welcome the arrival of the Queen’s Baton to London as part of its 198,000km journey across the Commonwealth, visiting all 70 nations and territories.
The event featured Olympic silver medallist and Team England hopeful in this summer’s games, Louis Smith MBE, performing on a high bar balanced over the Thames River. Louis Smith was joined by Glasgow 2014 ambassadors, Sir Chris Hoy and Rebecca Adlington, official Queen’s Baton bearers from Lambeth and more than 55 pupils from local schools.
When it reaches Scotland on 14th June, the baton will embark on a 40-day journey through 400 communities across Scotland.
Lord Smith of Kelvin KT, Glasgow 2014 Chairman, said: ‘This is a thrilling moment for the Glasgow 2014 Organising Committee and Commonwealth Games England. With the Queen’s Baton travelling through London this weekend, through England next week and making its way back to Scotland a week today, the final countdown to the Games has well and truly begun.’
Glasgow 2014 Ambassador, Sir Chris Hoy, added: ‘It’s been an honour to take part in such a unique event here in London. There is so much excitement for the Games right across the country. With the arrival of the Queen’s Baton in to London, just a week before it’s homecoming in to Scotland, the UK’s next major sporting event is starting to feel very real. I’ll be in Glasgow cheering on the athletes, and I hope everyone else will be too.’
