Venues of the 2014 Commonwealth Games facts for kids

This article is all about the amazing places where the 2014 Commonwealth Games happened! These Games were a huge sports event held in Glasgow, Scotland. Athletes from many different countries in the Commonwealth came together to compete. Let's explore the cool venues where all the action took place!

East End Cluster: Where the Games Began

Celtic Park

The Commonwealth Arena and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome

Ibrox Stadium

Hampden Park

The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre

The Clyde Auditorium

The SSE Hydro

The Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh

The East End of Glasgow was home to several key venues. One of the most important was Celtic Park. This famous stadium hosted the exciting opening ceremony for the Games.

The Commonwealth Arena and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome was another big spot. It's located in an area called Parkhead. This venue was perfect for both Badminton and Track cycling events.

Glasgow Green is a large park that played a special role. It was the starting line for the free-to-watch Athletics (Marathon), Cycling (Road Race), and Cycling (Time Trial) events. Glasgow Green also had a brand new place built for Field hockey, called the Glasgow Green Hockey Centre.

For swimming fans, the Tollcross International Swimming Centre was the place to be. It already had a huge 50-meter pool. For the Games, they made it even better and added a second 50-meter pool for warm-ups. They also added more than 5,000 seats so lots of people could watch the swimming races!

South Side Cluster: Rugby and Athletics Hub

The South Side of Glasgow had its own set of important venues. Ibrox Stadium was chosen for the fast-paced Rugby Sevens tournament.

If you liked biking, Mountain bike racing was held on the Cathkin Braes. This is a hilly area near Rutherglen.

Hampden Park is another very famous stadium. It hosted all the exciting track and field events. This included running, jumping, and throwing. Hampden Park also had the honor of hosting the closing ceremony.

West End Cluster: Indoor Sports and Bowls

The West End of Glasgow was home to the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre. This large complex hosted many indoor sports. These included Wrestling, Judo, and Boxing. It was also the main place for news reporters and broadcasters.

Inside the SEC Centre area, the Clyde Auditorium was used for Weightlifting. The amazing new SSE Hydro hosted Gymnastics and Netball events.

Kelvingrove Park is a beautiful park in the West End. It was the perfect spot for Bowls. Five special bowling greens were set up for the competition. The park was made even better before the Games started.

Finally, Scotstoun Leisure Centre hosted the fast-paced games of Table tennis and Squash.

Satellite Venues: Beyond Glasgow's City Limits

Some sports needed special locations outside of Glasgow. The Shooting competitions took place at the Barry Buddon Training Area. This is near Dundee. They even built temporary ranges for some of the shooting events.

Diving was held at the Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh. This pool is about 45 miles (72 km) east of Glasgow. It was a busy time because the famous Edinburgh Festival was also happening!

The Triathlon event, which combines swimming, cycling, and running, was held at Strathclyde Country Park. This park is located near Hamilton and Motherwell.

Athletes' Village: Home Away From Home

The Athletes' Village was a special place built for the Games. It was located in Dalmarnock, a part of Glasgow. This huge area was designed to be a temporary home for all the athletes and their team officials.

The village had everything the athletes needed. There was a retail zone for shopping and a large dining hall for meals. It also had medical facilities, a gym, a place for different religions, and areas for relaxing. It was a true community for the athletes during the Games!

The 2014 Commonwealth Games athlete's village in Dalmarnock, Glasgow

See also

• List of Commonwealth Games venues