Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) swimmer Alicia Coutts had the honour of carrying the Australian flag into the closing ceremony after claiming five gold medals at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

Coutts came to Delhi hoping to medal, but the 23-year-old became the golden girl of the pool after three stunning individual performances and two relays.

She won gold in the 100-metre freestyle, 100-metre butterfly, 200-metre individual medley, as well as the 4 x 100-metre freestyle and 4 x 100-metre medley relays.

Coutts was Australia’s most successful athlete of the Games, in terms of gold medals won.

‘It was a great honour to be chosen as the Australian flag bearer and something I will remember for the rest of my life,’ Coutts said.

‘These Commonwealth Games have been a wonderful experience for me and I’m already looking forward to the London 2012 Olympics.’

Australia finished the Commonwealth Games in Delhi on top of the medal tally, winning 74 gold, 55 silver and 48 bronze medals.

Australia has finished top of the medal tally at every Commonwealth Games since 1986.

But despite the gold rush, Australian Commonwealth Games Association CEO Perry Crosswhite says the nation must realise success will not automatically follow in London.

‘People will say if you do well in the Commonwealth Games, you do great in the Olympics,’ Crosswhite said.

‘There is not a lot of relevance to that. The Commonwealth Games you compete against whoever turns up. The Olympics is the best level in the world.’

‘That is not to overlook the outstanding achievements of our athletes at these Commonwealth Games who exceeded my prediction that our gold medal haul would be 40 and we got 74.’

‘When you consider our record was 87, and we got 84 in Melbourne, it is a phenomenal result with all the pressures and challenges that our athletes faced at these Games.’