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05.08.02

SPORT

BBC Commonwealth Games coverage breaks records

BBC coverage of the XVII Commonwealth Games closed, as it opened, on a real high. An enormous audience of nearly 10 million viewers watched last night's spectacular Closing Ceremony on BBC ONE (Sunday 4 August, 8.50pm-11.30pm), which peaked at 9.7m. The programme averaged 8.0m with a 40.7% share.

This exceeded the huge audience of nearly 9.0m viewers who watched the glittering Opening Ceremony (BBC ONE, Thursday 25 July, 8.55pm-11.20pm).

The Opening Ceremony peaked at 8.9million and averaged 8.2 million with a 39% share.

Commonwealth Games Grandstand (BBC ONE, Wednesday 31 July) attracted the biggest audience of the Games to watch the climax to the track and field action from the City of Manchester Stadium.

The audience built throughout the night to a 7.5m peak who watched England wrestle gold from Wales in a nail-biting finish to the men's 4x400m relays.

Also within this programme, 6.9m saw England win gold in the men's 4x100m; 6.7m saw Kathy Freeman help Australia take the gold in the women’s 4x400m; 5.5m watched Kelly Holmes conquer her demons to take the 1500m gold; and 5.4m saw Ashia Hansen in world-class form to win the triple jump gold.

The programme, which provided coverage of six English gold medals in total, including Steve Backley in the javelin and Mike East in the 1500m, averaged 6.2m with a 30% share.

Top Twenty Highlights

England & Wales men's 4x400m gold & silver Wed 31 July 7.5m BBC ONE

Paula Radcliffe 5000m gold Sun 28 July 7.0m BBC ONE

England men's 4x100m gold Wed 31 July 6.9m BBC ONE

Marlon Devonish & Darren Campbell 200m silver & bronze Mon 29 July 6.7m BBC ONE

Jonathan Edwards triple jump celebrations Sun 28 July 6.7m BBC ONE

Kathy Freeman 4x400m gold Wed 31 July 6.7m BBC ONE

Dwain Chambers & Mark Lewis-Francis 100m final Sat 27 July 6.0m BBC ONE

Kelly Holmes 1500m gold Wed 31 July 5.5m BBC ONE

Nigeria men's 100m EAD gold Wed 31 July 5.5m BBC ONE

Steve Backley javelin gold Wed 31 July 5.5m BBC ONE

Ashia Hansen triple jump gold Wed 31 July 5.4m BBC ONE

Lee McConnell women's 400m silver Sun 28 July 5.1m BBC ONE

England men's 100m medley silver Sun 4 August 4.9m BBC ONE

Colin Jackson 110 metres hurdles silver Tues 30 July 4.8m BBC ONE

Ben Challenger high jump gold Mon 29 July 4.4m BBC TWO

Ian Thorpe 400m free (WR) Tues 30 July 4.1m BBC TWO

Karen Pickering 200m free gold Tues 30 July 4.0m BBC TWO

Rebecca Cooke 400m free gold Sun 4 August 3.9m BBC TWO

England women's 4x200m free gold Thurs 1 August 3.8m BBC TWO

Tanni Grey-Thompson 800m EAD fourth place Wed 31 July 3.7m BBC TWO

Dave Gordon, BBC Sport Executive Editor Commonwealth Games, said: "The BBC is proud to have played its part in the success of the Games and the record television audiences have been a real reward for the home nations athletes, as well as the BBC team.

"The thousands of spectators in the stadia around Manchester gave all the athletes enthusiastic support and viewers in their millions added their applause for British sport from their living rooms."

BBC Sport is now heading straight from Manchester to Munich to continue to tell the story of the British athletes, from the European Championships (see transmission times below).

Notes to Editors

Spectacular start to Commonwealth Games on BBC ONE (26.07.02)

Denise Lewis takes part in the Commonwealth Games on the BBC (05.07.02)

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