Tasmania's athletes have reflected on their experiences at the 22nd Commonwealth Games.
From Games debutants to world record-setting multiple champions, the state's representatives have been making their mark on Birmingham where their medal tally of nine gold (Ariarne Titmus four, Georgia Baker three, Eddie Ockenden and Josh Beltz) and three bronze (Jake Birtwhistle, Josh Duffy and Jake Templeton) would have placed Tasmania eighth on the overall medal table.
The Games had the perfect start and finish for Eddie Ockenden who began as Tasmania's first major Games' flag-bearer and wrapped up with the Kookaburras' seventh straight gold medal and his own fourth.
"This one has been really good," he said.
"Birmingham is obviously so excited to have everyone here. They've put on a great event.
"The venue is amazing for the hockey. The crowds have been really good and got bigger the later it went. I'm so happy to be here.
"Gold Coast was amazing, they've all been good but this one is great. The venue's cool, the turf's really good and fast. Good crowds and it's quite loud out there when it's full. It's just a good feeling out on the turf."
The widely-travelled four-time Olympian said he enjoyed breaking new ground.
"I'd not been to Birmingham before. Just driving through between the venue and the training venue, it seems pretty good. They're trying to show us a lot of Birmingham through their videos which is pretty cool and you've got to admire that. They're excited about having people in their city and I can feel that excitement."
Fellow Kookaburra Josh Beltz added: "I haven't been here before and I really like it. Unfortunately, with COVID we haven't been able to get out and explore too much but the people and the volunteers are lovely and we've been made to feel very welcome."
No Tasmanians, and few other athletes, had more success than Ariarne Titmus whose two Commonwealth Games have yielded seven golds and one silver medal from eight races.
"It's a little bit different!" she said.
"I think I prefer the Gold Coast to be honest but I think they've put on a great show. More than anything, having a full crowd is such a treat for us. We haven't had it in years really so I'm excited for that.
"The Commonwealth Games is just a different vibe to other meets."
Rebecca Van Asch may have been unable to repeat her double-gold success on the Gold Coast bowls greens but still enjoyed being part of the Tasmanian contingent in Birmingham.
"It was so cool to see Eddie as flag-bearer," she said. "The bowls team ran a bit of a pool beforehand taking guesses on who we thought would be the flag-bearer and I had my money on Eddie so won the pool.
"The team always laughs at me saying: 'You do know Tasmania is still a part of Australia right?' And I'm like 'yeah, but I like to keep track of the Tasmanians'. I think it's a Tassie trait because I know Eddie does it too. We all follow each other which is pretty cool. The bowls girls wanted a photo with Eddie so I went up to him and said 'Mate, can the girls have a photo?' and we got a really cool photo together."
Van Asch said Birmingham had even dished up some surprisingly Australian conditions.
"The weather's been beautiful, we've been really lucky. Because we've been here for that extra bit of time, we were here right in the middle of that heatwave and had a training day against a local club when it was 38.8 degrees. Although that felt like a Tassie 27 because I think our heat always feels so much hotter. So that's a different experience.
"All the fridges in the supermarkets broke down because they couldn't handle the heat.
"The Comm Games experience has been brilliant. I don't think anything will ever compare to a home Comm Games. We were very lucky on the Gold Coast. A few different things about this because the villages are split up so we're not in the main athletes' village, we're in one of the sub-villages, which is still cool and it's still a really good set-up and it sounds like our accommodation is one of the best ones so we've hit the jackpot there."
Another Gold Coast champion comparing the surf of Queensland with the canals of the English Midlands before flying home was Jake Birtwhistle.
"Gold Coast for me was all completely new - my first Com Games experience," he said. "Then obviously a couple of years later the world kind of got flipped upside down and things haven't been the same since and this is as close as we've got to that in quite a long time so it's really cool to be back here at a Games. To have that atmosphere is pretty special and a real privilege to be able to race here.
"I do feel a long way from home but a big part of me feels at home on the circuit as well. I'm pretty well travelled and kind of used to the suitcase life so to be able to have the family here makes it feel a bit like home anyway."
Fellow triathletes Hayden Armstrong and Erica Burleigh shared their observations from a maiden Commonwealth Games.
"It's been such a new experience for me and I embrace that and hope there are others out there that will have a look at this and say 'I think I can do that as well' because as long as we have more people following these footsteps I'll look proudly upon these moments," Armstrong said.
"The Games have been fantastic for Tassie and it's great to be a part of that."
Burleigh added: "I'm missing the beaches back in Tassie but Birmingham's got nice countryside. I've done lots of walks along the canals and it's nice."
Swimmer Jake Templeton said the experience had left him keen to return.
"I've heard that it's called the Friendly Games and it really is," he said.
"Even all the volunteers, every single one of them say 'how are you doing?' every day and I think with all the other guys from the different countries it is a Friendly Games and it's really cool to be here."
"Birmingham's awesome - I love it. I haven't been able to get out much but I'm a big fan of the coffee machines in the village, they're pretty good, and the flapjacks - they're amazing, we don't have those in Australia and they're pretty good."
Also won over by an impressive performance at the Sandwell Aquatic Centre was diver Emily Meaney.
"It's been great," she said. "The village is great. I've just been having a really good time. There's some great athletes around and some great swimmers, Emma McKeon, Shayna Jack, really big names, and it's been awesome to be around those athletes."
Sprinter Jacob Despard was among those keen to return for another taste of the Games.
"It's been pretty cool," he said.
"Trying to keep the days busy and not tire the legs out walking around the village is a bit hard but it's an unreal atmosphere with all the countries around and the food hall and different languages, it's very stimulating mentally.
"I definitely want to come back and will be even hungrier next time and hopefully get that individual (100m) spot as well. This is something these Games have really opened me up to. Just watching on has really made me want to be a part of it."
Cyclist Sam Fox spoke for many athletes when he reflected on the perks of attending a Commonwealth Games.
"It's been phenomenal. I almost don't have to do any washing I've got so much gear," he said.
"The whole atmosphere in the village with all the other sports and just having Australians around. I've been overseas for so long it's amazing to have the sound of Aussies around again and that relaxed atmosphere where everyone's pretty happy and interested in what you're doing and sharing the love for being outside and playing sport."
THE FINAL STORY:
JAKE BIRTWHISTLE (men's triathlon) 4th; (mixed team relay) BRONZE
GEORGIA BAKER (women's team pursuit) 1st qualification, GOLD; points race GOLD; (women's road time trial) 4th; (women's road race) GOLD
JOSH DUFFY (men's team pursuit) 3rd qualification, BRONZE; (men's scratch race) 6th qualification, DNF
ARIARNE TITMUS (women's 200m freestyle) 1st qualification, GOLD; (women's 4x200m relay) GOLD (WR); (women's 800m freestyle) 1st qualification; GOLD; (women's 400m freestyle) 1st qualification, GOLD
BEC VAN ASCH (women’s fours) dw Botswana 15-15, d Fiji 16-10, lt Scotland 9-16; 3rd in pool; (women’s triples) d Singapore 21-11, d Falkland Islands 29-8, lt South Africa 12-17, d Northern Ireland 19-9, quarter-final lt New Zealand 10-14
JAKE TEMPLETON (50m freestyle S13) BRONZE
EDDIE OCKENDEN, JOSH BELTZ (men's hockey) d Scotland 12-0, d New Zealand 7-2, d South Africa 3-0, d Pakistan 7-0, d England 3-2, d India 7-0 GOLD x2
HAYDEN ARMSTRONG (guide for Gerrard Gosens, para triathlon) 6th
ERICA BURLEIGH (para triathlon) 6th
SAM FOX (men's mountain biking) 6th; (men's road race) 48th
EMILY MEANEY (women's 10m platform diving) 12th qualification, 5th
JACK HALE and JACOB DESPARD (men’s 4x100m) DNF qualification
STEWART McSWEYN withdrew