Earlier this month at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, Longines concluded this year’s edition of the Commonwealth Games, one of the longest-running international multi-sport competitions in the world. The Closing Ceremony of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games was a celebration of top-tier athletics and the latest event in a tradition going back nearly a century. In its role as Official Timekeeper and Official Partner of the event, Longines played an integral role in this year’s Games, timing events and supporting individual athletes, as well as commemorating the event with a special-edition Longines watch.
From July 28th to August 8th, the city of Birmingham in the British Midlands played host to more than 5,000 athletes representing 72 nations and territories. As Official Timekeeper and Official Partner of the event, it was down to Longines’s timekeeping and data handling specialists to keep track of all 286 medal events across 19 diverse sports – from international fan favourites like aquatics and hockey to more obscure events like squash and netball – ensuring fairness and accurate results for the record books.
In addition to teams from the UK, Australia, Canada and many other commonwealth nations, Longines fielded its own team of sorts, sponsoring a roster of athletes competing in track, swimming and other major events. Among these was Peter Bol, a middle-distance runner from Australia, who won a silver medal in the 800m final. Other members of the Longines 2022 Commonwealth Games Team also made their mark with outstanding performances, including artistic gymnast Alice Kinsella. As part of Team England’s women’s Artistic Gymnastics team, Kinsella wowed judges with her routine, bringing home a gold in the women’s floor exercise.
Among other standout athletes on the Longines 2022 Commonwealth Games Team was Josh Kerr, a British middle-distance runner who set a new record for the European mile with a time of 3:48.87. Not only did Kerr break the record which had stood since 1983, but he also set a new British record for the 1500m race. At the Longines House, the brand’s on-site hospitality venue, world and Commonwealth Games records like these were celebrated at ceremonies throughout the Games. Here, Longines honoured record-breakers like Kerr by presenting them with a Longines HydroConquest blue dial watch, along with personal records of achievement from the Commonwealth Games Foundation.
As Official Partner and Official Timekeeper of the Commonwealth Games, Longines plays an important role in supporting global athletics in this unique quadrennial competition. When the XXIII edition of the games opens in Victoria, Australia in summer 2026, Longines will be there, too, ready to lend its Swiss precision and enthusiastic sportsmanship to the next event. In the meantime, there are still a few limited-edition Longines Commonwealth Games HydroConquest watches available on the brand’s Canadian e-boutique, ready to commemorate this historic event for many years to come.
Comments