Here are the local athletes to keep your eye on at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
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EMMA McKEON - SWIMMING
Already Australia's greatest Olympics athlete after dominating in Tokyo, Emma McKeon is hunting more gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
The eight-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist - from Glasgow in 2014 and Gold Coast in 2018 - is closing in on striking distance of fellow swimmers Ian Thorpe, Leisel Jones and Susie O'Neill's Australian record of 10 Comm Games gold medals.
This year's Games start on Friday (AEDT), with the 28-year-old kicking off her campaign that night with mixed 4x100m freestyle relay and 100m butterfly heats. Read more.
WHEN TO WATCH
Friday, July 29
- 7.30pm-9.15pm: Mixed 4x100m freestyle relay heats, 100m butterfly heats
Saturday, July 30
- 7.30pm-9.15pm: 50m freestyle heat, women's 4x100m freestyle relay heat, mixed 4x100m freestyle heats
Sunday, July 31
- 4am-6.15am: 100m butterfly semi-final, mixed 4x100m freestyle relay final
- 7.30pm-10.15pm: 50m butterfly heat
Monday, August 1
- 4am-6.15am: 50m freestyle final, 50m butterfly semi-final
- 7.30pm-10.15pm: 100m freestyle heat
Tuesday, August 2
- 4am-7am: 100m freestyle semi-final, 50m butterfly final
- 7.30pm-9.45pm: Mixed 4x100m medley relay heat
Wednesday, August 3
- 4am-7.15am: 100m freestyle final, Mixed 4x100m medley relay final
- 7.30pm-9.45pm: Women's 4x100m medley relay heat
Thursday, August 4
- 4am-7.15am: Women's 4x100m medley relay heat
BLAKE GOVERS AND FLYNN OGILVIE - HOCKEY
The Illawarra duo Blake Govers and Flynn Ogilvie were on the end of Olympics heartbreak, losing a penalty battle with Belgium for the gold medal.
It followed the devastating injury blow Govers suffered, breaking his hand at training on the eve of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018.
But a new opportunity presents, when the Kookaburras will kick off their Games campaign against Scotland on Sunday (AEDT). Read more.
WHEN TO WATCH
Sunday, July 31
- Kookaburras v Scotland (6pm-9.30pm AEST))
Tuesday, August 2
- Kookaburras v New Zealand (4am-7.30am)
Thursday, August 4
- Kookaburras v South Africa (4am-7.30am)
Friday, August 5
- Kookaburras v Pakistan (4am-7.30am)
Sunday, August 7
- 3am: semi-finals
Monday, August 8
- 9.30pm: final
GRACE STEWART - HOCKEY
"I am extremely proud to be selected to represent Australia at the Commonwealth Games and I hope I can do my teammates and Australia proud," Stewart said.
The Hockeyroos start their Games campaign against Kenya on Saturday night. Read more.
WHEN TO WATCH
Saturday, July 30
- Hockeyroos v Kenya (11pm)
Monday, August 1
- Hockeyroos v South Africa (4am)
Tuesday, August 2
- Hockeyroos v New Zealand (6pm)
Wednesday, August 3
- Hockeyroos v Scotland (6pm)
Saturday, August 6
- 3am: semi-finals
Sunday, August 7
- 6pm: Bronze medal game
Monday, August 8
- 12am: Gold medal game
JESSICA HULL - ATHLETICS
Albion Park middle-distance runner Jessica Hull will have to bounce back quickly from COVID to make her Commonwealth Games medal dream come true.
Seventh at the world titles, Hull - the Australian 1500m and 5000m record holder - went into five days isolation in Portland after testing positive.
Hull and her coach Pete Julian had already come to an agreement with Athletics Australia that she could skip the pre-Commonwealth Games camp in the south-eastern English town of Tonbridge.
Hull will still have to undergo PCR tests 72 hours before entering the athletes village and again on arrival in Birmingham. Read more.
WHEN TO WATCH
Friday, August 5
- 8.15pm: 1500m heats
Monday, August 8
- 4.20am: 1500m final
SARAH CARLI - ATHLETICS
She was forced to be patient, but Sarah Carli has now gained her ticket to the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
Carli will make her long-awaited Comm Games debut, about 10 months after she competed at her first Olympics. The 27-year-old, who came back from a serious gym accident which cut her carotid artery earlier, gained a fifth place in her heat for the 400-metre hurdles in Tokyo.
Despite clocking a season's best of 55.57, Carli was disappointed to be run out of her semi-final at the world titles last week.
Finishing seventh, Carli was edged out by a familiar face in New Zealand's Portia Bing (55.53), but it was Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad (US, 53.28) and Anna Ryzhkova (UKR, 54.51) who clocked the best times to punch their tickets to the final. Read more.
WHEN TO WATCH
Friday, August 5
- 4.38am: 400m hurdles heats
Sunday, August 7
- 5.45am: 400m hurdles final
COREY WEDLOCK - LAWN BOWLS
The three Illawarra-based bowlers at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games commence their campaigns on the first full day of competition on Friday.
Dapto Citizens member and veteran Maltese international Shaun Parnis takes to the green in the opening sectional round of Men's Triples against medal contender Scotland. Parnis will also feature in Men's Fours, while Warilla-based Northern Ireland star Gary Kelly begins his Games campaign in Men's Triples against Norfolk Ireland.
Kelly is among the gold medal fancies in Men's Singles with Australia represented by Aaron Wilson.
Kelly's Warilla clubmate Corey Wedlock makes his Commonwealth Games debut for Australia on Friday afternoon (AEST time) partnering Wilson in Men's Pairs against Guernsey. Wedlock will also play Men's Fours.
Australia are gold medal favourites in most of the Men's and Women's Open events but the slower greens at The Royal Leamington Spa will favour the Northern Hemisphere teams. Read more.
WHEN TO WATCH
Saturday, July 30
- 12am: Men's Pairs Sectional Play - Round 1 and 2
Sunday, July 31
- 12am: Men's Pairs Sectional Play - Round 3 and 4
- 5.30pm-10.45pm: Men's Pairs Sectional Play - Round 5
Monday, August 1
- 5.30pm-12.05am: Men's pairs semi-finals
Tuesday, August 2
- 5.30pm-12am: Men's pairs medal games
Wednesday, August 3
- 1.15am-4am: Men's Fours Sectional Play - Round 1
Thursday, August 4
- 12am-5.45am: Men's Fours Sectional Play - Round 2 and 3
Friday, August 5
- 12am-5.45am: Men's Fours Sectional Play - Round 4 and 5
- 5.30pm-12.15am: Men's Fours Sectional Play - Quarter-finals
Saturday, August 6
- 5.30pm-12.15am: Men's Fours medal games
CHARLOTTE McSHANE - TRIATHLON
Scottish-born Charlotte McShane has built her career back up to the Commonwealth Games after a series of recurring injuries forced her to miss the Tokyo Olympics.
Gold Coast mixed relay medallists Jake Birtwhistle, 27, and Matt Hauser, 24, will join McShane, 31, to spearhead the team which is looking to build on its mixed relay dominance. Read more.
WHEN TO WATCH
Friday, July 29
- 8pm: Individual
Sunday, July 31
- 8pm: Teams relay
ABIGAIL PADUCH AND TINKA EASTON - JUDO
Growing up in Shellharbour, Abigail Paduch always dreamed of one day competing at an Olympics or Commonwealth Games.
Netball seemed the most likely option, given she loved to spend time each week on the court. However, Paduch never expected her to debut to come in the judo arena.
But that's exactly what happened after the 22-year-old was on Wednesday named in Australia's judo squad for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, competing in the women's over 78kg category.
Paduch will be joined for the journey by Berry's Tinka Easton, who competes in the women's 52kg class.
Easton's journey in judo began about 15 years ago, when she was encouraged to join the Bushido Judo Club in Shoalhaven Heads.
Easton secured three straight Aussie under-21s titles between 2014 and 2016, before claiming the equivalent senior titles the following three years. Other highlights included claiming bronze at the 2019 Sarajevo European Cup and appearing at four world championships.
WHEN TO WATCH
Easton
Monday, August 1
- 7pm-10pm, 52kg Preliminary Rounds quarter-finals, semi-finals and repechage
Tuesday, August 2
- 2am-4.45am: medal rounds
Paduch
Wednesday, August 3
- 7pm-10pm: 52kg Preliminary Rounds Quarter-finals Semi-finals and Repechage
Thursday, August 4
2am-4.45am: medal rounds
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Tim Barrow
When it comes to sport - at professional and community level - in the Illawarra, I'm here to provide insight, context and opinion, as well as the latest news you won't find anywhere else.
When it comes to sport - at professional and community level - in the Illawarra, I'm here to provide insight, context and opinion, as well as the latest news you won't find anywhere else.
