Athletics Australia slams Dan Andrews for cancelling 2026 Commonwealth Games

Athletics Australia has slammed former Victorian premier Dan Andrews for cancelling the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The Victorian government will pay $380m in compensation after pulling out of the event in July amid concerns costs had blown out from $2bn to $7bn.

In a submission to the parliamentary inquiry into the decision, the peak body representing the sport of athletics said the move had caused “immeasurable” upheaval for athletes across the country.

“The upheaval this decision has caused for athletics in Victoria and Australia, as well as the Commonwealth Games, is immeasurable, with a blatant disregard for the significant logistic, emotional, financial and reputational damage caused,” the submission said.

The submission states the cancellation had a “devastating impact” on the sport and the Commonwealth Games brand that the body said it “may never recover” from.

“The Commonwealth Games brand may never recover from this episode, and in that, hundreds of past athletes who have competed in the green and gold for Australia with pride will now experience a diminished public perception on the value of their performances in this event,” the submission said.

Athletics Australia said it believed the impact of the cancellation would be felt by those involved in the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games.

“None of these impacts will be confined to Victoria,” the submission said.

Among those impacts, the body listed the reputation of Victoria and Australia as an event host, the disruption of a return to a regular four-year competition cycle for Australia’s elite athletes and loss of a structural pathway for the next generation of Australian athletes trying to break through in international competition.

It was also concerned about Australia’s ability to retain the technical knowledge required to successfully deliver international events of this stature.

Athletics Australia said it was also disappointed by the manner in which Mr Andrews delivered the cancellation announcement, particularly that it was without an apology.