Commonwealth Games: Top 10 athletes to watch in Glasgow

There will be no lack of star power at these games, described as the world’s third-largest multi-sport event behind the Olympics and Asian Games. The opening ceremony is on Wednesday night.

Jamaica's Usain Bolt , right, shown here as he wins the men's 200 metres final at the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Moscow in 2013, will be a top draw at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. AFP PHOTO / OLIVIER MORINShow less

There will be no lack of star power at these games, the world’s third-largest multi-sport event behind the Olympics and Asian Games

More than 4,500 athletes from 71 nations and territories will chase 261 gold medals at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, which get under way today in Scotland’s biggest city with the opening ceremonies. Here are 10 prominent competitors to keep an eye on:

1 Usain Bolt – Jamaica, athletics

The towering Jamaican is one of the biggest names in sport and his presence in Glasgow, albeit solely in the 4x100-metre relay, is a huge boost for the games. The six-time Olympic gold medallist and double world-record holder ensures that the world media will take notice of the 12-day event, at least when Bolt, 27, is on the track. Fans hope he might also compete in individual events and really light up the games.

2 David Rudisha – Kenya, athletics

The 800m world-record holder has made an impressive return from injury, clocking the world’s fastest two laps this season. That appearance was Rudisha’s first since he stormed to his record-setting gold-medal showing in London in 2012, finishing in just over 101 seconds. But he will face stiff competition, notably from his teammates and Ugandan rivals.

3 Mo Farah – England, athletics

Somali-born Farah stormed to British acclaim when he won the 5,000m and 10,000m at the London Olympics, becoming one of the “local” faces that helped make the event so successful. He went on to win the double at the 2013 Moscow worlds but was unsure whether he would compete in Glasgow after dabbling with the marathon. After an eighth-place finish in London, he stepped back in distance and Glasgow breathed a sigh of relief.

4 Sally Pearson – Australia, athletics

The Australian is rumoured to be going for a double in Glasgow, in her usual 100m hurdles and also the 100m flat. Coming back from injury, the Queenslander, 27, has struggled at times this season. Yet she seeks to better her outing over 100m in New Delhi four years ago, where she was stripped of the title for a dubious false start.

5 DJ Forbes – New Zealand, rugby

The flanker, 31, has been with the all-conquering New Zealand rugby sevens team since 2006, a stalwart of Gordon Tietjen’s squad that has so far won all four Commonwealth Games titles and dominated the IRB world circuit. Forbes’s abrasive defence ties in perfectly with a great linking and supportive game that makes the All Blacks tick.

6 Nicola Adams – England, boxing

Adams won the first Olympic women’s boxing gold medal at the London Games in 2012 when she defeated China’s world champion, Ren Cancan. Adams started boxing at age 12 and had her first bout a year later. In 2007 she became the first English female to earn a medal in a major tournament when she won silver in the European Championships.

7 Alicia Coutts – Australia, swimming

Coutts, 26, has won 21 medals for Australia in major championships over the past four years. That haul includes five medals at the 2012 Olympics, including one gold. At the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, Coutts was the most-decorated swimmer, winning gold in the 100m freestyle, 100m butterfly, 200 individual medley, 4x100m freestyle relay and 4x100m medley relay.

8 Nicol David – Malaysia, squash

The seven-time world champion and global No 1 completed her collection of major international titles with Commonwealth Games gold in Delhi. In Glasgow she will attempt to win Malaysia’s first medal in the women’s doubles, with teammate Low Wee Wern. David, 30, is an eight-time Asian champion and once enjoyed a 51-match winning streak from March 2006 until April 2007.

9 Anna Meares – Australia, cycling

Meares will be defending her 500m time-trial and individual-sprint titles and equals fellow cyclist Kathy Watt’s Australian record of competing at four Commonwealth Games. Meares is also a four-time world champion in the time trial. The Queensland native, 30, is also a two-time Olympic gold medallist, having won the 500m time trial in 2004 and sprint at London eight years later.

10 Sir Bradley Wiggins – England, cycling

Wiggins, 34, made history in 2012 when he became the first British rider to win the Tour de France, before going on to take the gold medal in the Olympics time trial. He had already won three track golds in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. Knighted for his services to the sport, his record did not guarantee him a place at the 2014 Tour de France, as he was dropped by the Sky team.

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