Team Wales go for Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow

Ten sports. More than 10 days of action. 114 athletes.

The 23rd Commonwealth Games, held in Glasgow, are about to begin with Team Wales hoping for success.

Thursday's opening ceremony, held at the Hydro Arena, will signify the official start of the Games.

Day one of competition is on Friday, 24 July with a 'day zero' added prior to the opening ceremony, in order to cope with "an unprecedented demand" in bowls and para bowls.

Weeks, months and years of preparation will all culminate in athletes representing their country against 73 other countries and territories.

This is a scaled back Games after Glasgow stepped in when the Victoria bid in Australia pulled out of hosting.

Welsh athletes will compete in 3x3 wheelchair basketball, artistic gymnastics, athletics and para athletics, bowls and para bowls, boxing, judo, netball, swimming and para swimming, track cycling and para track cycling and weightlifting.

But where will Wales' medals likely come from? Who are the stars of the future who could announce themselves this summer? And when was Wales' most successful Games?

BBC Sport Wales has picked out some athletes to look out for and considers what success could looks like.

Wales will be hoping for success from a few of their stand out athletes who have already won major medals on the global stage.

Cyclist Emma Finucane collected two bronze medals in Birmingham four years ago but has since won 16 medals at the Olympics, World and European Championships.

The Paris 2024 gold medallist will compete in the keirin, sprint and team sprint when the track cycling begins on Thursday, 30 July.

Swimmer Matt Richards will be hoping to claim the one major medal that has eluded him so far in his successful career.

Four fourth place finishes in 2022 is ample fuel for his desire to complete the set in Glasgow.

At just 19, gymnast Ruby Evans has competed at an Olympics and has a silver medal at the World Championships and a British all-around title to her name.

Evans could help lead Wales to a medal in the team event as well as individual success in the all-around and floor exercise.

Wales' team captain Olivia Breen is one of a number of para athletes who could win a medal in Glasgow.

She won gold in T38 long jump in 2018 and T38 100m in 2022.

Boxer Rosie Eccles will also defend her title, in the women's light-middleweight category, in what she says will be her final Games after she was given the honour of being the flag bearer at Thursday's opening ceremony.

A name you will likely hear a lot if you are following Wales at this year's Games is Theodora Taylor.

The 17-year-old swimmer from Torfaen Dolphins could compete in multiple events in Glasgow, including relays.

Already competing against seniors, she won silver at the GB Swimming Championships in April in the 50m freestyle which led to her selection to represent Great Britain at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris next month.

Lola Hodson, 20, is one of Wales' most exciting judo prospects. She won both junior and senior titles at the British Championships in Nottingham in December and placed fifth at the Junior European Championships last year.

Former world number one and Commonwealth gold medallist Natalie Powell is now head of performance at Welsh Judo and says Hodson is, "the most talented junior we've had come through the Welsh system."

"She's way more talented than I was, her judo is way better than I was at junior level," said Powell.

"She's a great prospect, she's still a junior, it's obviously a senior competition.

"So not putting too much pressure on her, but she's a great talent and got lots of potential."

Teenage track cyclist Ioan Hepburn is thought to be a future star in the sport.

After losing a kidney when crashing his bike in a downhill race aged 13, he was initially reluctant to make the move from mountain biking to the track.

The 18-year-old was talent-spotted at an agricultural show in Usk by Beicio Cymru's sprint coach Rachel Draper when he set the highest score of the day on a Watt bike - a stationary exercise bike which measure a cyclist's raw power.

Hepburn was eventually convinced to come down to the Velodrome in Newport and has since gone on to win a Junior World Championship title aged 17.

Wales have competed at every single Commonwealth Games since the inaugural Games in Hamilton, Canada in 1930.

Their most successful Games were on the Gold Coast in 2018 where they brought home 36 medals, including 10 golds, 12 silvers and 14 bronze.

The total medals matched the highest Games haul in Glasgow in 2014, when Wales only won five golds.

The haul of 10 golds emulated the previous best in Auckland in 1990 but in those Games in New Zealand, Wales only returned with 25 medals.

On paper Wales' least successful Games were in 1950 when John Brockway's silver in the 110 yard backstroke was their only medal won in Auckland.

But given Brockway was one of only three athletes sent to the Games that year, meaning one in three athletes returned with a medal, there is an argument it was one of their most successful too.

Given the Games on this occasion has been stripped back somewhat, comparisons with previous events would be unfair.

So there will be no medal target.

"We don't talk about medals but I'd be stood here lying to you if I said it wouldn't be incredible," said Team Wales chef de mission Gethin Jones.

"I've got some flags in my bags, just in case that happens, so I can whip them out.

"What I can say is every single one of the athletes are here to represent Wales with pride and passion. I know they'll leave absolutely everything out there."

Jones says it is about giving Team Wales the chance to perform at their best.

"A lot of people talk about success," said Jones.

"Within the teams, they have their own conversations.

"As Team Wales, it's about giving them the opportunity to succeed and success is being able to deliver your best performance on the day when it matters, under pressure, with the whole world watching

"If they do that, I don't think you can ask for much more.

"If you get a personal best, that is success for me, it is about making sure they're given the environment to be able to do that.

"We'll be proud of them whatever, because we know the sacrifices, work and dedication they've put in. So I know they're raring to go."

Wales chose a high-profile chef de mission in the television presenter but it is not an ambassadorial role with Jones helping Team Wales creating a little bit of home in a hotel in Scotland.

"After all the preparation over the past 18 months and more, it's fantastic for the team to be here," said Jones.

"We've hit the ground running. It feels like we've been here for a month trying to get everything ready.

"There's much work to do to make sure all the logistics, preparation and rooms are ready for when the athletes arrive."