IRISH OLYMPIAN AILEEN Reid is the big name to look out for today as Northern Ireland’s athletes begin their 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Triathlete Reid will be joined by Eimear Mullen and Emma Sharkey and will be hoping to upset England’s Jodie Stimpson, ranked second in the world, from 11am.
The men will hit the pontoon at 15.00, with Conor Murphy, Harry Speers and Russell White representing Northern Ireland against the dominant Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee.
In Judo, Lisa Kearney will enter the 52 kg division at the quarter-final stage at 12.10. South African, Sinothando Mva will be aiming to block her progress – medal contests begin at 18.40.
There’s a busy day in store in the pool, with seven Northern Irish swimmers on the blocks in individual events and the women’s 4 x 100 freestyle heats under the gun at 12.45.
Before that, Sycerika McMahon will lead the squad out in heat one of the 200m freestyle heats from 11.10. She will be joined in that competition by Rachel Bethel and 14-year-old Danielle Hill. Gemma Kane will race in the 50m backstroke heats at noon.
Northern Ireland’s men will be led by Conor Munn and Curtis Coulter, both racing in the 100m freestyle and 50m butterfly heats (from 11.28 and 11.45 respectively).
The Northern Irish netballers face Malawi in their Pool A match at 11.30 and Michael Craig competes in squash at 12.30.
The main event for the hosts will also be in the pool, with Olympic silver medal-winning Scot Michael Jamieson on the blocks in the 200m breaststroke from 12.30.
English medal hopes on the day will be pinned on Bradley Wiggins as he takes part in the track cycling team pursuit with heats underway from noon in the Chris Hoy Velodrome.
