Glasgow 2014: DAY 4: South Africa shock New Zealand in rugby sevens, Australia break record in pool, Laura Trott seals gold in the velodrome

South Africa's history-making rugby sevens team (@Glasgow2014)

By Steven Oldham  MISS DAY 3 HIGHLIGHTS? CLICK HERE

Something unheard of today in the rugby sevens tournament, as the reigning and four-time Commonwealth champions New Zealand were beaten by South Africa in the final.

The All Blacks had never lost a match in any Commonwealth tournament since the sport debuted in 1998 and were seen as huge favourites to retain their title.

South Africa beat the Kiwis 17-12 in the final at Ibrox to secure a historic win and a glimmer of hope to the rest of the world that New Zealand are not a shoe-in to win the first Olympic title in sevens when it debuts at the Rio 2016 Games. The Springboks had twice previously won bronze but proved to be the better team today.

They also won gold in lawn bowls, as their women's fours team beat Malaysia in the final.



James Magnussen on his way to gold (BBC Sport)

Medal table leaders Australia had another day to remember in the pool, with the highlight coming in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay where they set a new world record and finished ahead of the second place team, Scotland.

James Magnussen (100m freestyle), Belinda Hocking (200m backstroke), and Ben Treffers (50m backstroke) also claimed individual gold on yet another day of success for the team from Down Under.

In the first day of athletics, Michael Shelley took the men's marathon.

England's Commonwealth champion cyclist Laura Trott (Getty Images)

England also had a good day in the pool with both Fran Halsall and Siobhan O'Connor picking up gold.

Halsall picked up the 50m butterfly title to add to her freestyle medal over the same distance. O'Connor finally won gold in the 200m medley ahead of Australia's Alicia Coutts, who was the most decorated athlete in any sport at the last Games in Delhi. O'Connor had previously won two silver medals in Glasgow.

In the final day of track cycling, Laura Trott added a Commonwealth title in the points race to her two Olympic titles from London 2012. The 22-year-old led a Home Nations podium, with Welsh rider Elinor Barker second and Scotland's Katie Archibald took bronze.

Steve Scott and Charlotte Kerwood also secured a successful day at the Barry Budden Shooting Range with both taking gold medals in the double trap.

Singapore's women won the team event in table tennis (@tdysports)

Singapore convincingly won the women's' team table tennis tournament, beating Malaysia 3-0 in the final.

They beat India and Canada en-route to the final and are a team who regularly do well in table tennis - at the last Games in Delhi, six of their eleven gold medals came in this sport.

The team also have a chance to win a medal in badminton tomorrow as they play India in the bronze medal match of the mixed team event after losing to Malaysia earlier today.

Kenya's marathon winner Caleb Ndiku (@eaofficialpage)



Kenya had a strong first day in the athletics, picking up gold in both the women's marathon and men's 5000m.

Flomena Daniel won the women's marathon ahead of compatriot Caroline Kilel, and Caleb Ndiku took the 5000m title, again leading a Kenyan 1-2 from Isiah kiplangat Koech.

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DAY 4 DIGEST IN 60 SECONDS...

• India and Nigeria shared the spoils in weightlifting today, both picking up one gold and one silver each
• Malaysia's world number one Nicol David made the final of the squash tournament where she will face Laura Massaro of England
• The Bahamas won their first medal - in the pool, with Adrianna Vanderpool Wallace winning silver behind Fran Halsall in the 50m butterfly.
• Malta are still without a medal, but they came close in shooting, with Nathan Xuereb losing out by just two points in his bronze medal match in the men's double trap.  

Glasgow 2014: DAY 3: Scotland equal best gold medal haul already, Isle of Man secure first medal, Wales beat Canada in gymnastics

Scottish flagbearer Euan Burton (@JudoScotland)

By Steven Oldham    MISSED YESTERDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS? CLICK HERE

Scotland have already equalled their best ever gold medal haul at a Commonwealth Games in just three days.

The host nation now have 11 gold medals, the same amount they managed from the entirety of the Melbourne Games in 2006.

They won three golds in judo today, including flagbearer Euan Burton's last ever competitive match as a judoka.

35-year-old Burton went out on a high by beating Pakistan's Shah Hussein Shah in the -100kg weight class final, while Sarah Adlington (+78kg) and Chris Sherrington (+100kg) also won their competitions as the judo tournaments came to a close.

The home nations have been dominant in judo, with Scotland and England both winning six gold medals.

Para-cyclist Neil Fachie and pilot Craig Maclean won their second gold medals of the Games in the velodrome, coming from behind to beat the Australian riders Kieran Modra and Jason Niblett 2-1 in the tandem sprint.

Wales' Frankie Jones won her country's first gold (Getty Images)

 Wales waited two days for gold and then won two on the third day of competition.

Rhythmic gymnast Frankie Jones took a third medal in as many days, and it was also her country's first gold, as she won the individual ribbon event ahead of Malaysia and Canada.

A second gold followed in judo, as Natalie Powell denied Scotland a husband-and-wife pair of gold medals by defeating Olympic silver medallist - and Mrs Euan Burton - Gemma Gibbons in the final.



Isle of Man's silver medal winner Peter Kennaugh (Adam Gerrie)



Cyclist Peter Kennaugh helped the Isle of Man onto the medal table by winning silver in the men's points race.

Kennaugh - an Olympic champion two years ago as part of the British team pursuit - came second to New Zealand's Thomas Scully.



Australia's Commonwealth skeet champion Laura Coles (@InsideWAIS)



Australia now lead the medal table thanks to winning five more bronze medals than England.

Both nations have 17 golds and 14 silvers so the race is still very tight with strong events still to come for both nations.

The team from Down Under won their first shooting medals today, with Laura Coles taking the women's skeet and Daniel Repacholi winning the 10m air pistol event.

They also had further success in swimming and cycling and will look to sports like hockey, athletics and rugby sevens to boost their medal tally further.

New 100m breastroke champion Adam Peaty (@BBCmtd)

Despite being bumped down into second in the medal standings, England again had a good day.

The country's domination of triathlon in Commonwealth circles continued as they won the first ever mixed team event.

Fran Halsall and Adam Peaty both took gold and new Games records in the pool, in the 50m freestyle and 100m breaststroke respectively.

There was also success in weightlifting with Zoe Smith also taking a Commonwealth record in the -58kg weight class. The diminutive 20-year-old managed to lift an unbeaten total of 210kg.

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DAY THREE DIGEST IN 60 SECONDS...

• Mauritius win their first medal of Glasgow 2014, with Annabelle Laprovidence taking bronze in the +78kg judo competition.
• India lock out gold and silver in two shooting competitions, with seven of their seventeen medals coming in this sport
• New Zealand's all-conquering rugby sevens team were given a scare by the hosts before winning 17-14 on the way to topping their group
• The first bowls gold medal went to South Africa who won the para-sport mixed pairs event ahead of Scotland
• Malaysia's world number one squash player Nicol David is through to the semi finals after beating England's Jenny Duncalf

Glasgow 2014 - Commonwealth Games Sports Guide: Squash

By Steven Oldham

Click HERE for Commonwealth Games homepage

Since debuting at the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Games in Malaysia, squash has quickly become a core sport at the Commonwealths and receives its highest potential audience at the Friendly Games.

Despite failed attempts to join the Olympic programme, squash remains a viable contender to eventually join the Games and was only denied access to the 2020 edition last year by the reprieve of wrestling.

Fast-paced, energetic and exciting, squash has been described as the ultimate workout - testing and exerting arms, legs and torso all at once.

WHEN?

With five separate competitions to get through, squash is set to be played on every day of competition from July 24-August 2.

WHERE?

Six new permanent courts at the Scotstoun Sports Campus in west Glasgow will host the preliminary matches, while the medal matches will be played on a purpose-built glass show court.

WHO?

England and Australia are the two traditional powers in Commonwealth squash, both taking home seven gold medals each. Could 2014 see either nation taking a lead for the next four years heading into the Gold Coast Games in Australia?

Nick Matthew is the one of the stars of world squash. The Englishman - chosen as his team's flagbearer for Wednesday night's opening ceremony - has won three of the last four World Opens and is currently ranked second in the world behind France's Gregory Gaultier. He already holds two Commonwealth golds from the Delhi Games in singles and doubles.

Pakistan have missed out on many Commonwealth golds due to the sport's late introduction to the Games. Janaghir and Jansher Khan dominated the game in the 1980s, but they have failed to live up to their past in the modern era. Only six countries have won Commonwealth tournaments (England, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Scotland and Malaysia.)

Malaysia were the last country to add their name to this list, with Nicol David taking the women's singles last time out in Delhi. She is well used to silverware - a seven time World Open champion in eight years, and is ranked number one in the world. She is back to defend her title, but may face competition from England's Laura Massaro, who will look to take momentum from winning her first World Open earlier this year.

LET ME SOUND LIKE I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT...

• Five tournaments at Glasgow 2014 - men's and women's singles and doubles, and mixed doubles
• Squash courts are encased by four walls, with lines breaking the court into three - two service areas and the front half closest to the wall
• After service, the ball can hit any of the walls,  but cannot touch the floor after being hit before hitting the front wall, otherwise this player loses a point. 
• International squash uses the PARS scoring system - point-a-rally scoring, where the winner of each rally, regardless of serve, scores the point.
• The first to eleven points wins a game, with a two point margin needed, so games can't finish 11-10. Play continues until one player has a two point advantage.

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England flagbearer Nick Matthew in action (telegraph.co.uk)

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Glasgow 2014 - Commonwealth Games Sports Guide: Triathlon

By Steven Oldham

Click HERE for Commonwealth Games homepage

Triathlon's global popularity continues to grow and after being absent from the last Games, returns to make a third appearance since debuting in 2002 in Manchester.

A 1.5km swim, 43km bike ride and 10km run stand between triathletes and Commonwealth glory, with all competitors starting together with no heats.

A mixed relay team event - a first for the Games - will also happen this summer.

WHEN?

The individual runs take place on July 24. The team event is two days later.

WHERE?

The triathlon takes place at Strathclyde Country Park on the outskirts of Glasgow.

WHO?

The Brownlee brothers - Alistair and Jonny - are both contenders for the men's title having traded victories and form in the past few years. Older brother Alistair has the ultimate prize, as he was crowned Olympic champion two years ago. They both compete for England.

Welsh triathlete Helen Jenkins will miss out on the Commonwealths though due to a foot injury. It's another blow to Wales' hopes of taking medals in this sport, with World Series champion Non Stanford already ruled out with a fractured ankle.

Historically, Australia and New Zealand have proved strong at the Games and will be looking to be so again. Australian Emma Moffatt is both a double world champion and Olympic bronze medallist, while New Zealand's best chance lies with Andrea Hewitt, a Commonwealth bronze medallist and a world champion at under 23 level.

LET ME SOUND LIKE I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT...

• The different disciplines are undertaken consecutively - no half time, or breaks in this sport
• Being a good all-rounder is more important than being a world class swimmer or cyclist.
• Don't be confused by hearing triathletes or commentators saying T1, T2 - it simply means 'transistion' - i.e. the stages in between the disciplines. T1 is the stage between swimming and cycling, while T2 is the final swap between cycling and running.
• Transition happens in a designated area where bikes, running shoes and so on are prepared ready for a quick turnaround.
• Both the Olympic and Commonwealth Games follow the 'standard' triathlon. Ironman triathlons are the toughest, taking in a 3.8km swim, 180.2km bike ride and 42.2km run - a full marathon distance.

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Australia's two time world champion Emma Moffatt

Glasgow 2014 - Commonwealth Games Sports Guide: Netball

By Steven Oldham

Click HERE for Commonwealth Games homepage

Netball is another one of the ten 'core sports' at the Commonwealth Games and has been ever present since debuting at the 1998 Games in Kuala Lumpur.
 
Along with rhythmic gymnastics, netball is one of the only sports solely competed by women at the Games.
 
The Commonwealths is the sport's biggest platform, as it has never been included in the Olympic programme.
 
WHEN?

The netball tournaments spans the length of the Games, with group matches kicking off on July 24. The medal matches are on August 3.
 
WHERE?

Netball happens across two locations - group matches are located in the Scottish Exhibition & Conference Centre, while the medal matches will take place in the new 13,000 capacity Hydro Arena next door, which has been open less than a year.

WHO?

Australia and New Zealand have shared the spoils equally since netball debuted at the Commonwealth Games 16 years ago in Malaysia. They both have two gold and two silver medals from four tournaments. England have often been bridesmaids, picking up three bronze medals, with Jamaica the only other country to take a top three placing,

New Zealand have the momentum in Commonwealth terms, having upset the hosting Aussies in Melbourne in 2006 then retaining their title in Delhi four years ago. However, the team from Down Under have won the World Championships in both 2007 and 2011 so it really is cat and mouse between the two nations.

Twelve nations from across the Commonwealth will take part in netball this year.

LET ME SOUND LIKE I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT...

• Netball games last for an hour, split into quarters. There are seven players on each team.
• Positions mean something in this sport, with only attacking players allowed to score. Players stick to their role and are restricted to where they move on court
• The court is split into three - one third for each of the team's rings, and the centre
• Players are not allowed to hold the ball for more than three seconds at a time, or dribble the ball around the court
• After a goal, play resumes from the centre zone with teams alternating taking 'centre passes'; regardless of which team has conceded the goal.

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Can Malawi win a first medal in netball in Glasgow?
(faceofmalawi.com)

Glasgow 2014 - Commonwealth Games Sports Guide: Rugby Sevens

By Steven Oldham
 
Click HERE for Commonwealth Games homepage
 
Rugby sevens is a fast developing sport globally and the Commonwealths have stolen a march on the Olympics with this one; it's been featured since 1998, while it will only make it's debut on the biggest stage of them all at the next Games, Rio 2016.
 
With the introduction of women's boxing for this edition, rugby sevens is the last sport at the Commonwealths only played by men.
 
WHEN?
 
The rugby sevens tournament is done and dusted in two days, July 26-27.
 
WHERE?
 
The tournament will be held at the Rangers' Ibrox stadium.
 
WHO?
 
New Zealand are the dominant force in sevens, and have won every Commonwealth gold medal since the sport was introduced in 1998. They will again go into the tournament as favourites to secure another win. They are also reigning World Series and World Cup champions. It would be a huge surprise if they didn't add to their bulging trophy cabinet in Glasgow this summer.
 
So what about the other countries? Traditional rugby powers are likely to contest the remaining medals. South Africa, Australia and England all have claims to do well this summer. South Africa were runners up in the World Series this season, while England were World Cup finalists last year, albeit well beaten. Australia were runners up in Delhi four years ago.
 
Sixteen countries will take part in the tournament in groups of four with the top two from each group advancing to the quarter finals. Scotland, Kenya, Wales and Samoa will be looking to progress.
 
LET ME SOUND LIKE I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT...
 

• Sevens follows the rulebook of rugby union, with changes mainly due to fewer players being on the pitch - so look out for three man scrums and two-minute sin bin punishments.
• As the name suggests, teams play with seven players rather than fifteen.
• The other main difference is that games only last 14 minutes - two halves of seven minutes with a minute's break in between.
• Eliminated countries still get the chance to win some silverware in the classification events - there's a Bowl and Shield to be won.
• Despite being seen as a new idea by many, sevens dates way back to 1883.

 
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Can New Zealand continue their domination of rugby sevens?
(odt.co.nz)

Glasgow 2014 - Commonwealth Games Sports Guide: Shooting

By Steven Oldham

Click HERE for Commonwealth Games 2014 homepage

Shooting is another longstanding Commonwealth sport, only missing from one Games since 1966.

Four different types of shooting are contested at this year's Games in Glasgow - clay target, full bore and pistol & small bore rifle shooting.

Over half of the shooting competitions from the last Commonwealth Games in Delhi have been axed for Glasgow, reducing from 44 to just 19.

WHEN?

Shooting runs from July 25-29 with many events settled on one day.

WHERE?

One of the events taking place outside Glasgow, shooting will be happening at the Barry Buddon Shooting Centre on a Ministry of Defence traning base in Carnoustie.

The satellite location will provide a mix of existing and temporary shooting ranges for the Games to ensure all shooting events take place across one site, making it easier for fans and logistically for athletes and organisers.

WHO?

Last time out in Delhi the home nation effect was in full swing with India taking home top spot on the medal table with an impressive 14 golds. They were understandably less impressive at the Olympics, failing to win more than silver at London 2012 so it will be interesting to see if they can retain top spot on this leaderboard. Five time Commonwealth champion Vijay Kumar - who won his country's only silver in London -  is back to see if he can win gold at a third successive Games.

The home nation banner passes to Scotland this year and they will be intent on improving on fourth place in the medal table this time round. They won four golds in Delhi. Jennifer McIntosh and Jonathan Hammond - both double gold winners in singles and pairs competitions last time - are back for more.

England's Steve Scott won the European Championships last month and will be looking to carry that momentum forward to Glasgow. He also won gold in Delhi four years ago and will be among the favourites to add to his tally later this month.

Singapore's pedigree in shooting has steadily improved over the last decade and shooting accounted for five of their eleven gold medals last time so it will be interesting to see if they can retain their momentum in Glasgow.

The usual suspects, Australia and New Zealand are also strong here. The bronze medals were shared between many nations in Delhi however suggesting a close playing field.
 
LET ME SOUND LIKE I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT...

• Clay target shooting is perhaps the 'classic' style of shooting we are used to seeing in these competitons. It's the one where they shout 'pull' and at London 2012 Peter Wilson gave Great Britain a first Olympic gold since 2000 in the double trap.
• Full bore shooting is only contested at the Commonwealths - competitors can pick which type of gun they use - rifle, pistol or shotgun. A discipline requiring both accuracy and patience.
• Pistol and small bore shooting use the circular targets
• Teams as diverse as Namibia, Bangladesh and the Isle of Man scored bronze medals in the last Commonwealths - this one isn't just for the traditional powers.

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India's five-time Commonwealth champion Vijay Kumar
(biharprabha.com)



Glasgow 2014 - Commonwealth Games Sports Guide: Hockey

By Steven Oldham

Click HERE for Commonwealth Games homepage

At the Commonwealths, hockey is one of the 'core' sports that must be included in every edition of the Games - it's been a fixture since 1998.

WHEN?

Hockey is one of the first sports to get underway on the opening day of competition, July 24 with two women's group matches. The men start a day later. The hockey tournament spans the whole eleven days of the Commonwealths with the gold medal matches happening on the final two days, August 2 and 3.

WHERE?

Much like the London 2012 Olympic Games, hockey will take place in a newly built arena at the National Hockey Centre on Glasgow Green. Hosting two synthetic pitches, it will accommodate up to 5,000 fans during the Games and will continue to hold domestic and international hockey having opened its doors last year.

WHO?

Ten nations split into two groups of five will compete in both the men's and women's competitions in a round robin format. The top two from each group advance to the semi finals while the teams in third, fourth and fifth will play their corresponding team in the other group to settle the final classifications.

The ten countries competing are Australia, Canada, England, India, Malaysia New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa,  Trinidad & Tobago and Wales. All countries will field both male and female teams.

Australia have been the dominant force in Commonwealth hockey since 1998, with seven of eight available gold medals going to the teams from Down Under. Only the Indian women have broken their hold, defeating hosts England at the 2002 edition. The Aussies will once again be favourites in Glasgow having won gold and silver at the World Cup last month.

Host nation Scotland have yet to medal in hockey at the Commonwealths with a best finish of 7th in 2006.

MAKE ME SOUND LIKE I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT...

• Teams of eleven compete in two halves of 35 minutes. The aim is simple - score more goals than your opponents. Substitutes are allowed with few restrictions. Players are not allowed to strike the ball with their feet if it gains them an advantage.
• Players often play more than one position depending on the state of gameplay at that time. The one exception are goalkeepers.
• Corners follow the same rule as football - if the last touch is off a defender once the ball is out of play behind the back line, the attacking team gets a corner. Similarly, free hits are like free kicks in that they are awarded for foul play - obstruction, using your body too much when tackling and so on.
• Hockey follows a three-stage disciplinary system - a green card is the least severe (a football yellow card), leading to a yellow card (a rugby union or ice hockey sin bin) followed by the most serious red card. Players can be issued with more than one yellow or green card, but not for the same offence. Repeated offences are punished by a more serious card.  

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#450652872 / gettyimages.com

Australia's men on their way to World Cup success in The Netherlands last month.

Glasgow 2014 - Commonwealth Games Sports Guide: Lawn Bowls

By Steven Oldham

Click HERE for Commonwealth Games homepage

One thing that sets the Commonwealth Games apart from the Olympics is the sports contested at the events.

Lawn bowls, squash and netball are not on the Olympic  programme, yet are all part of the core programme for the Commonwealths.

Bowls has been on every Commonwealth schedule bar 1966, but swiftly returned in 1970. This year sees the introduction of para-sport bowls introduced alongside the regular game.

WHEN?

Bowls runs throughout the majority of the Games with action on every day from July 24 to August 1. Para-sport mixed pairs will be the first gold medal decided on July 26. 

WHERE?

All bowls competitions will take place at the Kelvingrove Lawn Bowls Centre, just under two miles away from Glasgow city centre. The facility has been upgraded for the games and has additional seating across five reconstructed bowling greens.

WHO?

Last time out in Delhi, South Africa topped the medals table with three golds, in the men's pairs and triples, and also a triples gold for the ladies. England and Wales also won gold medals.

Nearly half of the competing nations will enter at least one team in to the bowls competitions, and the host nation boast current men's singles world title holder Darren Burnett amongst their squad.

Commonwealth nations are traditionally the strongest in bowls, so the quality is there this summer for a global audience to see world-class action on the bowling green. England, Scotland, Wales, Australia and New Zealand will be the countries to watch.

LET ME SOUND LIKE I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT...

• The aim of the game is to get your bowls nearer to a small white ball - the 'jack' - than your opponents.
• Points are awarded after all bowls have been taken, with points scored for every bowl closer to the jack than your opponents.
• In singles, the first to 21 points or 'shots' wins. In the team disciplines, it's decided by sets.
• Bowls at tournament level is played in singles, pairs, triples and fours. All four disciplines will be played in Glasgow. The parasport events debuting this year are mixed pairs and open triples.

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England's Ellen Falkner will be in action in Glasgow (@BowlsEng)

Glasgow 2014 - Commonwealth Games Sports Guide: Cycling

By Steven Oldham

Click HERE for Commonwealth Games homepage

This is the first of a daily series of guides for each sport in this year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, giving you all the need-to-know information for each sport.

Each guide will include when and where the sport is taking place, likely medal contenders and a quick run through to make you a little more knowledgeable before the Games start.
Despite only being an optional sport at the Commonwealths, cycling has been ever present at the Games since 1934.

Events in track, road and mountain biking are all scheduled to take place this summer in Glasgow and there are also para-sport events for both men and women.

WHEN?

Cycling takes place over seven days. Mountain biking is settled on one day, July 29. The road events happen on July 31 and August 3. Four busy days of track action take place between July 24 and 27.

WHERE?

Track cycling will take place at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow's east end,  while road events - free for the public to attend - will take place around the city centre. See the Glasgow 2014 website for maps. Cathkin Braes Mountain Bike Trails will host the off-road events, around 15 minutes drive away from the city centre.

WHO?  

Australia were dominant four years ago, with a haul of 14 golds from a possible 18. Anna Meares was the star of the squad picking up three golds in both individual and team events and will be looking for more success here. Fellow Delhi champions Jack Bobridge, Shane Perkins Scott Sunderland and Michael Hepburn will also look to take up where they left off in India four years ago. 
It's unlikely the Aussies will win as many this time. The all-conquering British squad from London 2012, including Sir Bradley Wiggins, Laura Trott, Jason Kenny, Ed Clancy, Dani King, Philip Hindes and Geraint Thomas will all be in action and will undoubtedly look to benefit from competing in Britain again with a partisan crowd cheering them on in their home nations' colours.
The Isle of Man's Mark Cavendish will be one of the most popular competitors in Glasgow if he competes, having dislocated his shoulder after crashing in the opening stage of the Tour de France on July 5.

LET ME SOUND LIKE I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT...

• Don't ask where Sir Chris Hoy is - he retired after the last Olympics despite hopes he'd carry on to take part in a home Commonwealths
• Track events come in two categories - sprints and endurance events up to 4000m.
• The event where riders start behind a motorbike pacer before being let loose is the keirin. The multi-discipline event, the omnium, will not be contested in Glasgow.
• Mountain biking is included in the Commonwealth Games for only the third time since debuting in 2002.
• Josiah Ng, set to ride again this year, won Malaysia's first ever cycling gold at the Commonwealths in the keirin in Delhi four years ago.

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Will Mark Cavendish return from injury to compete in Glasgow?

 

Glasgow 2014: One month to go! Elite athletes from across the Commonwealth heading to Scotland

By Steven Oldham

Today marks one month to go to the start of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, the 20th edition of the Games and biggest sporting event held in the UK since the London 2012 Olympics.

A week ago, myself and the other members of Team 14 were set a challenge to mark the one month to go countdown with one word each, which we were to interpret into our blogs in the way we thought best.

My word is ELITE. As a writer, I thought the best way to use this word was to focus on the elite sporting talent that will be competing in Glasgow this summer.

Across many sports there are household names; Olympic, world and European champions; major tournament competitors with medals from countries all over the Commonwealth.

Here, I preview some of the big names set to compete in Glasgow one month from now. This list is not definitive, and further articles will cover all sports on show at this year's Games.

ATHLETICS

Olympic champion Mo Farah is heading to Glasgow (@BBCSport)

Double Olympic champion Mo Farah leads the English charge in track and field and will be a big draw for fans attending the Games.  The distance runner is the current Olympic and world champion at both 5,000 and 10,000 metres and he will be among the favourites to land yet another medal to his trophy cabinet.

Sprinter Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce is hoping to complete her medal collection in Glasgow - she's never competed at the Commonwealths before and the Jamaican team will be stronger for her presence. A superstar athlete, she holds two Olympic golds and five world titles across three different distances. As yet it's unknown whether Usain Bolt will compete in Glasgow but Jamaica have a strong pedigree even without the megastar. Like Fraser-Pryce, Yohan Blake has Olympic and world gold to his name and if Bolt does not compete, he could lead the island's charge up the medal table.

Grenada's Kirani James heads into the Commonwealths as Olympic 400m champion and will be looking to add to his medal tally here. He has a Commonwealth Youth Games gold in his collection and a senior title is a real possibility. His country have yet to win a gold medal at the Commonwealths but the 21-year-old represents their best chance to change that.

Over the same distance in the hurdles, Wales's reigning Commonwealth champion Dai Greene will hope to retain his title. The 28-year-old, who also counts world and European gold among his medal haul, will be looking to avenge his narrow medal missing performance at London 2012, where he was 0.14 seconds away from a bronze medal.

Australia's Sally Pearson is the proud owner of both an Olympic record and Commonwealth gold in the 100m hurdles and she will be looking to extend her reign over the rest of the Commonwealth. If she is still competing, the next Games are scheduled to take place Gold Coast City in 2018 - where the 27-year-old lives.

Olympic 800m champion David Rudisha will lead Kenya's quest for medals in Glasgow this summer. He is also an African and world champion over the same distance, and hold both world and Olympic records at the mid-distance. He will be key to his country's task of equalling or even bettering their impressive fifth place in the Delhi 2010 medals table.

SWIMMING

The home nation's poster boy is 25-year-old Michael Jamieson who is a silver medallist at both the Olympics and world championships in the 200m breaststroke. He was the star performer in a disappointing Games in the pool for Great Britain two years ago and has said he is better prepared for the Commonwealths both mentally and physically. The Glasgow-born swimmer is bound to get massive support from the home crowd and this may be enough to inspire him to a first senior title.

Michael Jamieson is one of Scotland's best hopes (@sportscotland)

Lauren Boyle will head the New Zealand team's hopes of glory in the pool - last year she won an impressive three bronze medals at the world championships in Barcelona and will be looking to add to her one Commonwealth Games medal so far - earned in the 4x200m relay in Melbourne eight years ago. She missed out on Olympic bronze in 2012 to Rebecca Adlington in the 400m.

CYCLING

The Isle of Man's Mark Cavendish is set to be one of the star turns in the cycling events at this year's Games.  A world champion in both track and road cycling, he also boasts Commonwealth gold from the Melbourne 2006 games and will be looking to again master Glasgow's streets - he won the British title in the city last year.

Many of Great Britain's all conquering cycling team will compete in Glasgow - Laura Trott, Sir Bradley Wiggins and Jason Kenny, Dani King and Ed Clancy will be among England's best medal hopes, while Geraint Thomas will fly the flag for Wales.

Anna Meares, London 2012 Olympic sprint champion, will also look to add to both her own and Australia's impressive Commonwealth medal tally - she has six medals from these events, four of them gold, and Australia are the most successful nation ever in the history of the Games.

Australia's Anna Meares (@EbbeIversen)

DIVING

London 2012 bronze medallist Tom Daley will head a strong English team in Glasgow which also includes world junior champion Jack Laugher and British champion Chris Mears. Hannah Starling and Rebecca Gallantree will look to match the expected achievement of the men's team.

Diving looks to be an area Canada could again do very well in this year, with a trio of bronze medallists from London 2012 leading their team. Partners Roseline Filion and Meaghan Benfeito took third in the 10m sycnrho, an achievement matched by 3m synchro diver Jennifer Abel. The Canadian women have also excelled in the FINA World Series and head to Glasgow hotly tipped as the team to beat, having also topped the medal table in Delhi four years ago.

Canada's Meaghan Benefito could light up Glasgow (@Fina1908)

Malaysia won three medals in diving last time out, and will want to be on the podium again in Glasgow following their most successful games in India four years ago. Canada, Malaysia and Australia again look to be the teams battling for the medals in the women's events.

Other notable entrants include Australia's Olympic champion Matthew Mitcham, who has yet to win gold at the Commonwealths, despite winning four silvers last time out, and Leeds-based Yona Knight-Wisdom, who will make history by becoming Jamaica's first representative in the diving competition.

TRIATHLON

Brothers Alistair and Jonny Brownlee will be among the favourites for triathlon glory this summer. The Englishmen - Olympic champion and bronze medallist respectively - were two of the more unlikely stars of London 2012 thanks to being related and their three-way rivalry with Spaniard Javier Gomez, who stopped a Brownlee 1-2 two years ago.

As well as the Olympics, they have both won the World Triathlon Series, again trading victories with Gomez who sadly will not be able to continue his battle with the Brownlees this summer.

In the ladies event, current WTS chamion Non Stanford will miss out for Wales due to a stress fracture in her ankle, and the Welsh team's loss could be England's gain - WTS runner up Jodie Stimpson could be the woman to beat in Glasgow. Emma Moffatt of Australia - a two time WTS winner - and New Zealand's Commonwealth Games 2006 bronze medal winner Andrea Hewitt will be looking to stop her winning.

BOXING

Northern Ireland topped the medal table in boxing in Delhi four years ago and Commonwealth champion Paddy Barnes is back for another shot at gold in Glasgow.

Boxing was by far Northern Ireland's most successful sport in Delhi, with three gold medals from the boxers hauling the country up to 13th in the medal table.

Barnes, a double Olympic bronze medallist at light flyweight in both 2008 and 2012, is his team's star attraction alongside cyclist Wendy Houvenaghel, herself a world champion and Olympic and Commonwealth medal winner.

India had their best Commonwealth Games to date when hosting in 2010, coming second in the medal table. Like Northern Ireland, boxing contributed three gold medals to their tally and light welterweight champion Manoj Kumar has returned to defend his title. Bronze medallist Vijender Singh will also want to add to his medal collection having been eliminated by the now professional Anthony Ogogo.



Indian boxer Manoj Kumar (@JasvirLota)

Breakout star Nicola Adams will also compete for England. The first women's Olympic boxing champion could be one of the stars of Glasgow 2014 and could again make history as this is the first year women's boxing has been part of the Commonwealth programme.  

This is just a small selection of athletes who can excel in Glasgow this summer. There are always surprise successes - in terms of both athletes and countries outperforming expectations - who will it be this year? How far up the medal table will Scotland go with the 'home nation' effect factored in? There's only one way to find out - and it's now just one month away...