The Commonwealth Games closing ceremony was a disgrace to Australia!

The closing ceremony barely focused on athletes and featured long far too many rambling speeches, Gold Coast Commonwealth Games chairman Peter Beattie has admitted organisers got it wrong.

The athletes entered Carrara  Stadium before the television broadcast and were barely shown to TV audiences as they stood in darkness on the fringe of the stage.

There were reports many began leaving the venue less than an hour into the event.

Channel Seven’s own commentators, Johanna Griggs and Basil Zempilas, launched into an extraordinary attack on the ceremony immediately after it finished, saying they were “furious”.

Mr Beattie tweeted an apology on Monday morning, reports ABC news.

“The speeches were too many and too long. I was part of that and I acknowledge it. Again, we got that wrong,” he wrote.

This decision to bring the athletes into the stadium before the broadcast was operationally driven given there were restrictions on being able to keep the athletes waiting in comfort. We were driven by the welfare of athletes #gc2018

— Peter Beattie (@SmartState1) April 15, 2018

It is very simple. I should not have spoken. #gc2018 https://t.co/fWmlua3tbR — Peter Beattie (@SmartState1) April 15, 2018

“We wanted athletes to be part of and enjoy the closing ceremony. However, having them come in to the stadium in the pre-show meant the TV audience were not able to see the athletes enter the stadium, alongside flag-bearers. We got that wrong.”

Mr Beattie later told the ABC the athletes were brought into the stadium early to avoid a scenario where they would have been kept “standing around”.

“We were concerned about athletes’ welfare… but we made a mistake” — @SmartState1 responds to criticism of the #GC2018 #ClosingCeremony. pic.twitter.com/sDz0vUQ5Oe

— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) April 15, 2018

“At previous ceremonies athletes were herded around, they stand around, they hate it, they get bored, often they don’t go,” he said.

“Our decision to bring them in early was right, but what we should have done though is have them parade as well.

“The athletes would not have enjoyed last night. I understand that and frankly the buck stops with me on that.”

Mr Beattie said he wanted to personally apologise to Australian flag-bearer Kurt Fearnley.

“They made the decision not to have the actual athletes enter the stadium, they made the decision not to show the flag-bearers and I’m furious,” Jo Griggs said.

“You want to see the athletes come and you want to see them jumping in front of a camera, you want to see them celebrating 11 days of great sport. We missed out on all of that.”

Did it let our Aussies down?

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