The 1978 Commonwealth Games were held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, from 3 to 12 August, two years after the 1976 Summer Olympics was held in Montreal, Quebec. They were boycotted by Nigeria, in protest at New Zealand's sporting contacts with apartheid-era South Africa, as well as by Uganda, in protest at alleged Canadian hostility towards the government of Idi Amin. The Bid Election was held at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.

This was the first Commonwealth Games where a computerized system was used to handle ticket sales. This was the first Commonwealth Games to be named under the current title as Commonwealth Games, having dropped British. The Games were opened by Queen Elizabeth II for the first time since becoming Queen in 1952.

thumb|right|250px|The Commonwealth Stadium

Host selection

{| class="wikitable"

|+ 1978 Commonwealth Games bidding results

|-

! City

! Round 1

|-

|| Edmonton

||36

|-

|| Leeds

||10

|}

Venues

thumb|right|450px|Lister Hall in the University of Alberta accommodated the athletes

The main stadium was the Commonwealth Stadium, constructed specifically for the

Games at the cost of $42 million.

The athletes' village was located at the University of Alberta and had accommodation for 2,000 athletes (2 per room) in the Lister Hall Residential Complex. The dining hall could seat up to 1,000 and was open 24 hours a day. A shuttle bus ran from the University campus to the main stadium five miles away.

  • Aquatics (diving and swimming) - Kinsmen Aquatic Centre
  • Athletics - Commonwealth Stadium
  • Badminton - University of Alberta Arena
  • Gymnastics - Northlands Coliseum
  • Weightlifting - Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
  • Wrestling - University of Alberta main varsity gymnasium

Sports

  • Aquatics

References

  • "Edmonton 1978". Commonwealthsport.com. Commonwealth Sport.
  • Going the Distance, an NFB documentary