A mere 242 days after his athletics career culminated in an anguished yelp and a twanged hamstring on the London track, Usain Bolt returned here to the major championship stage, glad-handing Gold Coast volunteers galore and dancing with mascot Borobi, a bright-blue koala.

The only sour note of his day was the spectacle of his beloved Reggae Girls, the Jamaican netball team, losing to Australia 72-51.

There was to be no repeat of the controversy that marred his last Commonwealth Games, which he allegedly described as "a bit s---" in response to the dismal Scottish summer weather. This time, there was just some obligatory gushing about Australia as part of his duties as a Games ambassador.

Bolt is understood to have been paid handsomely for his appearance, designed to elevate the last few days of competition, although Gold Coast chief executive David Grevemberg insisted that the fee was "not exorbitant".