One of the selling points for the Cologne bid for Gay Games VIII, and for the promotion of the event since then, was the fact that roughly half of all athletes in about half of sporting events would take place at Sportpark Muengersdorf, home of RheinEnergieStadion, site of opening ceremony, and the German Sports University.
The promise of this concentration of events has been amply met. Every tram on line 1 from the Gay Games Villages in Neumarkt and Rudolfplatz to Sportpark Muengersdorf is full of athletes and fans from so many places and practicing so many sports. The personal exchanges and encounters that make the Gay Games so special begin even before arriving at the sports venues, and continue there as each person can discover new sports, cheer on their friends new and old, and enjoy the peaceful greenery of this sports campus.
I saw the benefits of this concentration yesterday at the Powerlifting event. Although there were a bit fewer athletes than in previous editions, the number of spectators was the highest I've ever seen. Powerlifting is not the best known of sports, and we can hope that some athletes discovering the energy and concentration of these athletes will think about giving it a try themselves.
Bravo to Games Cologne, and thanks to the City of Cologne and the German Sports University for making this unique experience possible!
-- Marc
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