Home > Events > Multi > Commonwealth Games > Hosts > Christchurch 1974

The 1974 British Commonwealth Games (as the Commonwealth Games were known at the time) were held in Christchurch, New Zealand. This was the second time that the event was held in New Zealand, the first was in Auckland 1950. Auckland would also host the Games in 1990. These Games were held between 24 January – 2 February, 1974.

---

---

Trivia

• Following the massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics, the tenth Commonwealth Games at Christchurch was the first multi-sport event to place the safety of participants and spectators as its uppermost requirement. Security guards surrounded the athlete’s village and there was an exceptionally high-profile police presence. Even so, Christchurch enchanted the watching world as a city of beautiful churches and gardens.
• On the running track, Jamaica’s Don Quarrie successfully defended both his 1970 100m and 200m gold medals. Quarrie was to go on to win the 100m in 1978 as well.
• On the track one of the greatest 1500 meter races of all time was held. The race was won by Filbert Bayi of Tanzania in a time of 3:32.2 - a new world record by almost a full second. Local runner John Walker also beat the previous world record. see video.

Sports

Nine sports were featured in the Christchurch Games – athletics, badminton, boxing, cycling, lawn bowls, shooting, swimming and diving, weightlifting and wrestling.

Medal Count

• Only 22 countries succeeded in winning medals from the total haul of 374 medals on offer, but first time winners included Western Samoa, Lesotho, Swaziland, St Vincent and the Grenadines

The following list includes the first four ranked teams. The ranking list for all years is available here.

---

---

Related Pages

• Videos from the 1974 Commonwealth Games
• List of Commonwealth Games Host Cities
• Sport in New Zealand
• 1974 The Year in Sport