Sport
Beach parties, street ball and summer vibes: Let the good times roll at the Commonwealth Games
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No matter how you're feeling, you can find a sport at the Commonwealth Games to get you in the right mood.
There are the smaller events like weightlifting and badminton that you might only see once every four years, but instantly fall in love with.
There are the big-ticket items like swimming, athletics, netball, or rugby sevens, with packed stands and crowd roars that shake you to your core.
Then there are the sports you go to if you just want to have a good time.
3×3 basketball is one of those sports that's been gaining traction attracting a younger audience with a shorter attention span.
It made its debut at last year's Tokyo Olympics, and it's at the Commonwealth Games for the first time, along with the wheelchair version of the sport.
It's played on a half court with no breaks, and it's all done after 10 minutes — or if a team gets to 21 points.
It's basketball's answer to T20 cricket, in a fraction of the time.
"It's just super fun and exciting and fast, and [has]that street ball vibe to it," Australian women's player Alex Wilson said.
"So you see showy things that you probably don't see in five on five, which is very regimented."
In Birmingham, it's being played at Smithfield, the former home of the wholesale markets that were established in 1817, now the festival hub of the Games.
There's a live stage with rolling entertainment, and the temporary basketball and beach volleyball venues, surrounded by industrial buildings.
"It's crazy, absolutely crazy, we love it, there's so many people here," Wilson said after the team won its third pool match to secure a spot in the semis.
"Most of the times the crowd is barracking against us, but that's OK."
Wilson's not just here to have fun — the proud Ngarrindjeri woman is flying her mob's flag too.
"That's super special to me, there's nine Indigenous athletes here from Australia, which is a record amount," she said.
"To bring visibility to that, and support and be role models for our culture back home, is a big thing for me."
Proud Wulli Wulli and Goreng Goreng woman Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar also shared the same stage as the basketballers in Smithfield.
Beach volleyball has become one of the fan favourites at multi-sport events.
It has the illusion of a beach party — there's even a cast of dancers dressed like they're in a 90s American teenager movie to really bring that to life.
But the uniqueness of the venues also adds an extra dimension.
"We never play on beaches, it is rare for us," Clancy said.
"And that's the beauty of our sport; you can literally whack it in the middle of the city and play anywhere and have an amazing atmosphere and bring everyone together."
"We get to play in the Swiss Alps and we get to play in the middle of cities in Europe, so when we do get to play on a beach, it's actually weird," Artacho del Solar said.
Their opening match, a win against Sri Lanka, had a summer feel.
For the first time in Birmingham since the Games began, it was shorts and T-shirt weather, and being the weekend, enthusiastic crowds turned out across a range of venues.
But make no mistake — Clancy and Artacho del Solar are here for business.
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Since winning silver at last year's Tokyo Olympics, they've become Australia's new beach volleyball dream team.
"We do it because we love the sport and we want to be a successful team, that's our goal," Clancy said.
"So the other side of things wasn't really why we set out to go on this journey."
"If we do use our profile, it's [about] having a positive impact on the next generation and being a role model," Artacho del Solar said.
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