Cook Islands at the 2018 Commonwealth Games Cook Islands at the 2018 Commonwealth Games The Cook Islands competed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast, Australia from April 4 to April 15, 2018. The Cook Islands delegation consisted of 18 athletes (7 male and eleven female) that competed across four sports: athletics (track and field), lawn bowls, swimming and weightlifting. It was The Cook Islands's 11th appearance at the Commonwealth Games. On February 27, 2018, track and field athlete Patricia Taea was named as the nation's flag bearer at the opening ceremony. Taiki Paniani and Aidan Zittersteijn won the country's first ever Commonwealth Games medal,
Economy of the Cook Islands industries have been partially successful in stimulating investment and growth. The Cook Islands has "Home Rule" with respect to banking, similar to Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man. This "Home Rule" banking confuses New Zealanders on vacation in the Cooks. Cook automated teller machines often fail to fully disclose the fact that the Cooks are not part of the New Zealand banking system, thus legally requiring banks to charge the same fees for withdrawing or transferring money as if the person was in Australia or the EU. The New Zealand dollar is the official currency of the Cook Islands,