The 2022 Commonwealth Video games get underneath manner on the finish of July as Birmingham prepares to welcome 72 nations throughout two weeks of motion.
Right here we check out a few of the speaking factors forward of the Video games.
Birmingham takes centre stage
The 2022 version of the Video games sees Birmingham take centre stage as the town prepares to host the occasion for the very first time. This would be the seventh time a UK metropolis has hosted because the inception of the Video games in 1930, with Glasgow being the newest such host again in 2014. Sport will happen throughout the area, with occasions staged at venues together with Enviornment Birmingham, the Nationwide Exhibition Centre, Alexander Stadium, Edgbaston and the brand new Sandwell Aquatics Centre. Coventry and Wolverhampton are among the many different West Midlands areas set to host occasions, whereas the observe biking shall be staged at Lee Valley VeloPark in London.
Bumper sport schedule
Australia journey to Birmingham as T20 world champions after beating England earlier within the yr (PA Wire)
(PA Wire)
Birmingham guarantees a jam-packed line-up with some new sports activities and disciplines added to the combination. World T20 champions Australia get the ladies’s cricket fixtures underneath manner in opposition to India in one of many new additions to the schedule, whereas basketball 3×3 and combined synchronised diving may even be contested for the primary time. Birmingham additionally boasts the biggest para sport programme, with eight sports activities on supply, together with wheelchair basketball 3×3, which makes its Commonwealth debut.
Can Australia dominate once more?
Australia shall be seeking to choose up the place they left off on the Gold Coast in 2018, once they produced a dominant efficiency on house soil to high the medal desk, ending with 80 gold medals and 198 general. The Gold Coast noticed some excellent performances from the Australians, with Mitch Larkin choosing up 5 golds within the pool, the lads’s group pursuit squad breaking a then world report to win gold and Ken Hanson changing into the nation’s oldest Commonwealth gold medallist on the age of 68 within the B6/B7/B8 para garden bowls.
Residence hopes
Dina Asher-Smith is ready to compete at Birmingham (Isaac Parkin/PA)
(PA Wire)
England shall be aiming for the highest spot in Birmingham after ending second on the Gold Coast with 45 gold medals, successful 136 medals general. That is the primary time England have hosted a Video games since Manchester in 2002, and the house facet have loads of expertise lined up, with family names Adam Peaty, Dina Asher-Smith and Matty Lee all set to compete. England’s netball group may even be seeking to defend their title after they received gold in dramatic circumstances in 2018, beating Australia by one aim, with Helen Housby scoring within the ultimate seconds.
Extra UK report performances?
Scottish swimmer Duncan Scott received six medals on the Gold Coast in 2018 (Andrew Milligan/PA)
(PA Archive)
Scotland, Wales and Northern Eire may even be aiming to construct on their Gold Coast success in Birmingham. Wales had their most profitable Video games in 2018, ending seventh with 10 gold medals, and Scotland completed one place behind them with 9 golds however 44 medals in complete, in comparison with Wales’ 36. Bowls competitor Anwen Butten captains the Welsh facet in her sixth Commonwealth Video games, whereas runner Laura Muir and swimmer Duncan Scott lead Scottish hopes. Gymnast Rhys McClenaghan shall be bidding to defend his pommel horse title, Northern Eire’s sole gold in 2018, after being cleared to compete for the group.
Rail strike concern
There are issues that journey to the Video games might presumably be disrupted by practice strikes regarding eight rail corporations. Aslef introduced that strike motion will happen on Saturday July 30, simply days after the competitors will get underneath manner, with occasions beginning on Thursday July 28.
