As the action draws to a close in Birmingham, there's been plenty of reasons for Australian athletes - including from the Illawarra - to celebrate. We hope more gold will be added to the collection when the Kookaburras contest their men's hockey final on Monday night. But, for now, here are five things we learned from the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
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McKeon etches her name into history
There's no better place to start than to reflect on our very own swim queen Emma McKeon becoming the greatest ever Commonwealth Games athlete. The Wollongong talent moved past Aussie swimming royalty in Ian Thorpe, Leisel Jones and Susie O'Neill to secure the most Games gold medals in history.
McKeon competed in eight events in Birmingham, collecting six golds, a silver and bronze, and now has 20 career Commonwealth medals, eclipsing the previous record of 18, shared by South African swimmer Chad le Clos and two shooters, Australia's Phillip Adams and England's Mick Gault.
Amid ongoing speculation about her relationship with Cody Simpson, and rumours about a rift with fellow swimmer Kyle Chalmers, the 28-year-old showed that not much fazes her while in the pool.
"I just get in there and do my best. I take each race one at a time. Obviously when I get in, I want to win - like everyone else in the race," McKeon told Channel Seven after her 50m freestyle victory.
"I feel like I'm a lot more relaxed this year than last year [at Tokyo Olympics], I'm a lot happier. And I hadn't done as much work as I had done this time last year. But I think the place that I'm in mentally is showing in my performances."
Easton stuns opponent to clinch gold
The Illawarra had a few gold medallists during the Comm Games, but Tinka Easton's victory in Birmingham was arguably the most surprising.
The Berry athlete appeared in deep trouble during the women's 52kg judo final against Kelly Deguchi, who forced the gold medal match into a "golden score" period. The Canadian looked to have potentially done enough to win, but Easton had other ideas, surprising her opponent with a waza-ari throw to clinch the crucial point and claim her maiden gold medal.
The 26-year-old became the first Australian judoka to secure a Commonwealth Games gold since Tom Hill in 2002.
"It hasn't really sunk in. I'm super ecstatic, but at the same time, it doesn't feel real," Easton told the Mercury the following day.
"I was definitely getting nervous towards the end of that fight. I'd fallen a bit behind on penalties, and had to pull something special out. It was a bit stressful, but it ended up okay."
Pople leads Wombats to victory
Luke Pople's superb 2022 continued at the Games.
Just two weeks after playing a role in his beloved Wollongong Roller Hawks becoming national champions, the Illawarra athlete captained Australia's 3x3 men's wheelchair basketball team to a Commonwealth Games gold medal, with the Wombats beating Canada 11-9 in the final.
Pople has long lived in the shadow of some Roller Hawks teammates - including Brett Stibners and Tristan Knowles - but not anymore. He has now etched his name into the record books, leading a team to the first ever 3x3 basketball gold at a Comm Games.
"I'm very proud of Luke, he led the team very well. He's a quiet achiever and a hard worker. He doesn't say a lot and just does his job, but he's a good guy to be around. He loves his beer. He really fits into the way we play down here and with our culture, on and off the court," Stibners told the Mercury.
"Luke doesn't brag, there's no bravado. He's all about head down, bum up, and does the hard work."
The Illlawarra's other gold medallist was Figtree-born Para-athlete Jasmine Greenwood, who won the women's 200m individual medley SM10.
Barber saves best until last
Switching the focus away from the Illawarra, Kelsey-Lee Barber produced a superb finish to snatch the gold from fellow Aussie MacKenzie Little in the women's javelin.
In the final round, Barber absorbed the pressure to complete a gold-medal throw of 64.43m to beat Little, who twice produced personal best efforts of 64.03m and 64.27m.
And she did it again on Sunday with the gold-medal throw of 64.43m in the final round edging out Little, who had twice exceeded her personal best with efforts of 64.03m and 64.27m. India's Annu Rani (60.0m) secured the bronze.
The Illawarra had two track athletes competing in Birmigham, with Wollongong's Sarah Carli finishing sixth in her 400m women's hurdles final, while Albion Park's Jessica Hull took eighth in the women's 1500m final.
Wilson's unforgettable celebration
Finally, we don't always associate lawn bowls with exuberant celebrations, but Aussie Aaron Wilson was quick to rip off his shirt after winning gold in Birmingham.
Wilson became the first lawn bowler in 44 years to win consecutive men's singles gold, successfully defending his title from 2018.
He proved far too strong in the 2022 final, thumping Warilla-based athlete, Northern Ireland's Gary Kelly, by 21-3. Wilson was obviously delighted, quickly whipping off his shirt and running around the green to celebrate before being hugged by some fellow Australians.
"I wish I had a better rig, but that's life," Wilson said on the Australian Commonwealth Games website.
"That [body] has been well seasoned."
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