Athlete Genevieve LaCaze invades Kylie Minogue's Glasgow Games show

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/aug/04/genevieve-lacaze-invades-glasgow-games-stage-kylie-minogue

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It's your 25th birthday, you're part of the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony and Kylie Minogue has just popped off stage for a costume change. What do you do? Get up on stage and dance. If you are Genevieve LaCaze, that is.

The Australian steeplechase runner seized the moment and invaded the stage as the Glasgow games ended on Sunday. "The opportunity to dance with Kylie Minogue doesn't come around every lifetime, so I took it," LaCaze told Brisbane radio station B105 while on a bus returning to the athletes' village.

She lasted for more than a minute on stage before being escorted off by security guards, who appeared to be taken by surprise by the incursion. The live BBC coverage tried to keep her out of shot but viewers around the world still caught several glimpses of the Australian.

The athlete, who finished fifth in the 3000m steeplechase in her first Commonwealth Games appearance, later told Channel 10 television: "I just wanted a little bit of claim to fame. I wanted a little bit of TV time; I am turning 25, so why not."

One Twitter user, @Chris_T_Meth, quipped: "Well she did finish 5th after all, so probably needed some attention I guess."

LaCaze said she was yet to learn whether she would be disciplined for her action: "I'll just embrace it while I haven't gotten in trouble yet. I could have grabbed the microphone and shown a little bit of vocals but I don't know how talented I am in that area."

Her spontaneity was one of the highlights of the closing ceremony, that began with Lulu singing Shout before moving on to Deacon Blue and Glasgow band Prides before Australian singer Jessica Mauboy presented a section extolling the virtues of the Gold Coast, which will host the next Commonwealth Games in 2018.

LaCaze also said that she wanted to create publicity for the next games.

It is not the first time that the athlete has made news. In the runup to the 2012 Olympic Games in London, Athletics Australia declined to select LaCaze even though she had run an A-standard qualifying time just a day after the deadline for selection for the Australian team. After intervention by the Australian Olympic Committee, LaCaze was included in the team and competed in the games.