Commonwealth Games 2022: Daily guide to ever event

Thursday, 28 July – day zero

Gold medals: None.

Highlights: The Birmingham 2022 opening ceremony begins at the city’s Alexander Stadium at 20:00 and is expected to last around two and a half hours. Some 30,000 people are expected to be inside the stadium, with many millions more watching around the globe.

Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight is the creative mastermind behind the ceremony. You can also expect a choir of 1,000 people and the conclusion of the Queen’s Baton Relay, which will have reached all 72 Commonwealth nations and territories before arriving in Birmingham.

Trying to time it right to see your nation’s athletes march into the stadium? Don’t rely on alphabetical order. The Commonwealth Games Parade of Nations usually goes by continent instead, beginning with the host nation of the last Games (in this case, Australia) followed by all other teams from the same continent (Oceania).

This year’s hosts, England, are set to be the last team to enter, following Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

A 65-strong Barbados team take part in their first Commonwealth Games since the Caribbean nation replaced the Queen as its head of state in 2020. The Queen doesn’t need to be the head of state for a nation to be included in the Commonwealth, or in the Commonwealth Games. Rwanda, for example, was never part of the British Empire but joined the Commonwealth in 2009 and has competed at the Games ever since. This year, around 20 Rwandans are expected to compete in athletics, beach volleyball, swimming and cycling. So far, the nation has not won a Commonwealth medal.

It’s a Birmingham opening ceremony, so there’s a Birmingham theme song. Almost 45 years after forming, UB40 have supplied the backing track to this year’s Commonwealth Games – a track titled Champion – with help from local rappers Gilly G and Dapz On The Map.

Friday, 29 July – day one

Gold medals: 16

Cycling (track): Women’s tandem B sprint, men’s tandem B time trial, women’s team pursuit, men’s team pursuit, women’s team sprint, men’s team sprint

Gymnastics: Men’s team

Swimming: Women’s 400m medley, women’s 200m free, men’s 400m free, men’s 100m back S9, women’s 100m free S9, men’s 200m breast, mixed 4x100m free relay

Triathlon: Women’s sprint, men’s sprint

Medal highlights

11:00-16:00 – The men’s and women’s sprint triathlon titles are decided in Sutton Coldfield’s Sutton Park, north of Birmingham. The sprint event means the swim, bike and run are all half the Olympic distance. Jonny Brownlee has withdrawn from England’s team with an elbow injury, but English hopes are still high: Alex Yee in the men’s event and Georgia Taylor-Brown in the women’s event were both Olympic silver medallists in 2021. New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde is expect to provide tough competition for Yee, while Taylor-Brown will be up against the likes of Bermuda’s reigning world champion Flora Duffy and Scotland’s Beth Potter.

16:00-18:10 – The first afternoon of track cycling finals begins, with the action not in Birmingham but at London’s Olympic legacy Lee Valley VeloPark. A packed afternoon will include both the men’s and women’s team pursuit and team sprint finals. Australia dominated track cycling at their home Commonwealth Games four years ago, winning three of those four events, but the Aussie team this year is relatively inexperienced, which could create opportunities for England and Scotland. Scotland could do well in the tandem B time trial, where Neil Fachie won Tokyo gold and Aileen McGlynn silver.

09:00-20:30 – England were the men’s team gymnastics champions in 2018, courtesy of Dominick Cunningham, James Hall, Courtney Tulloch, Max Whitlock and Nile Wilson, and are favourites again. This time, Tulloch and Hall are joined by Joe Fraser, Jake Jarman and Giarnni Regini-Moran. Fraser, Hall and Regini-Moran helped Britain to fourth at Tokyo 2020. In recent years, Canada and Scotland have been England’s closest rivals on the Commonwealth stage.

19:00-21:50 – The first night at the pool could be a big one for Australia. Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus is the overwhelming favourite in the women’s 200m freestyle and Australia look like good bets in the men’s 400m free and men’s S9 100m backstroke too, while Zac Stubblety-Cook just set a world record in the men’s 200m breaststroke to go with Olympic gold last year. Australia picking up three or four of Friday’s seven swimming gold medals, or more, isn’t out of the question, depending on the outcome of a three-way battle with Canada and England in the mixed 4x100m relay.

What else is happening?

There are 14 sports starting on day one so there’s no shortage of action. England, Scotland and Wales’ men’s teams all begin their rugby sevens campaigns at 09:00, as do the England and Scotland women’s teams. Sevens goes by in a blur, with all the medals awarded on Sunday, so watch it while you can.

By contrast, netball begins on Friday and lasts for most of the Games. Commonwealth champions England play Trinidad and Tobago in their opening game at 12:00, while at 18:00 Jamaica face Wales and New Zealand play Northern Ireland.

Women’s cricket makes its Commonwealth Games debut on Friday. It’s also the first time cricket has been included since a men’s tournament was held at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur (won by South Africa, with England deciding not to send a team). This time, England are the only home nation represented in a tournament that also features Pakistan, Australia, South Africa, India, New Zealand, Barbados – representing the West Indies region – and Sri Lanka. It’s a Twenty20 format, with Friday’s action including Australia v India at 11:00 and Pakistan v Barbados at 18:00.

Saturday, 30 July – day two

Gold medals: 23

Athletics: Women’s and men’s marathon, women’s and men’s T53/54 marathon

Gymnastics: Women’s team

Swimming: Men’s 50m fly, women’s 50m breast, men’s 200m free, S13 men’s 50m free, S13 women’s 50m free, men’s 400m medley, women’s 100m fly, men’s 100m back, women’s and men’s 4x100m free relay

Track cycling: Women’s and men’s individual pursuit, women’s sprint, men’s keirin

Weightlifting: Women’s 49kg, women’s 55kg, men’s 55kg, men’s 61kg

Medal highlights

07:00-13:00 – The marathons start at Smithfield, take in two 18km loops and finish outside Birmingham’s Town Hall in Victoria Square. First off are the T53/54 marathons at 07:00, followed by the men’s marathon at 09:00 and the women’s event at 10:30. Australia’s Michael Shelley, winner of the past two Commonwealth men’s marathons, retired in 2019 so a new champion will be crowned in Birmingham. Namibia’s Helalia Johannes will defend her women’s title, while David Weir appears for England in the men’s T53/54 event and compatriot Shelly Oxley-Woods will start the women’s equivalent.

09:00-22:00 – On paper, the women’s team gymnastics event is a contest between England, Australia and Canada. Four-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist Claudia Fragapane leads this year’s English team, which also boasts Tokyo Olympic team bronze medallist Alice Kinsella. Canada usually run England close but a much-changed team this year, led by Cassie Lee and Laurie Denommee, adds some uncertainty. Australia are led by 2018 all-around silver medallist Georgia Godwin.

16:00-18:50 – The second day of track cycling finals features the men’s keirin, the race where cyclists trail a motorised bicycle for a few laps of the velodrome before a sprint finish for gold. Olympic keirin champion Jason Kenny has retired to become a coach at British Cycling so Scotland’s Jack Carlin, eighth in Tokyo, may fancy gold here. Matthew Glaetzer, almost the only veteran in a young Australian team, stands in Carlin’s way. Canada’s Kelsey Mitchell will look to add Commonwealth gold to her Olympic women’s sprint title, while England’s Charlie Tanfield is back to defend his 2018 title in the men’s individual pursuit. Olympic champion Katie Archibald will not compete for Scotland in the women’s individual pursuit after injury forced her to drop out.

19:00-22:00 – South African crowd favourite Chad le Clos needs one more medal to share the title of most decorated Commonwealth Games athlete of all time. His 18th and record-equalling medal could come in the men’s 50m butterfly, which he won in 2018, although he pulled out of the world championships with bronchitis last month so there is a question mark over how he recovers from that. Australia will feel like favourites for the 4x100m freestyle relays at the end of the evening – before that, Scotland’s Duncan Scott has a big chance in the 400m individual medley and the 200m freestyle, where he may meet England’s Tom Dean. England’s Hannah Russell is likely to face Australia’s Katja Dedekind in the S13 women’s 50m freestyle.

What else is happening?

In netball, a tough test awaits Scotland as they face Australia, 2018’s silver medallists, at 12:00. Meanwhile, in cricket, England‘s women begin their campaign with a day-night game against Sri Lanka at Edgbaston from 18:00. The early game features New Zealand v South Africa at 11:00.

Weightlifting hands out its first four gold medals of the Games. Only the Australians have won more Commonwealth weightlifting medals than India, and Saturday could be a big day for Indian hopes as Olympic silver medallist Saikhom Mirabai Chanu competes in the women’s 49kg class. She broke a Games record on the way to Commonwealth gold in this category in 2018. This time around, the field will include England’s Noorin Gulam and Wales’ Hannah Powell.

England will be bellowing for the Bellos in beach volleyball on Saturday. Twin brothers Javier and Joaquin Bello moved to London from Madrid aged 11 and won selection to the England team in May. This will be their first major senior competition. The duo are ranked 61st in the world and must overcome higher-ranked Canadian, Australian and New Zealand opponents to be in with a chance of a medal, which they say is their goal. Game one is against Tuvalu at 14:30.

Sunday, 31 July – day three

Gold medals: 24

Gymnastics: Women’s and men’s individual all-around

Rugby sevens: Women and men

Swimming: Women’s 50m free, men’s 200m fly, women’s 200m breast, SB8 men’s 100m breast, S8 women’s 100m back, women’s 100m back, men’s 100m breast, S14 mixed 4x100m free relay, women’s 4x200m free relay

Track cycling: Men’s tandem B sprint, women’s tandem B time trial, women’s points race, women’s time trial, men’s sprint, men’s scratch race

Triathlon: Women’s and men’s PTVI, mixed relay

Weightlifting: Women’s 59kg, men’s 67kg, men’s 73kg

Medal highlights

09:00-12:00 and 14:30-17:30 – There are wide-open fields in the men’s (09:00)and women’s (14:30) individual all-around gymnastics finals, where the gymnasts must perform on all sets of apparatus and the best combined score wins. Women’s 2018 champion Ellie Black is not in this year’s Canada team, offering Australia’s Georgia Godwin and England’s Alice Kinsella the chance to upgrade their respective silver and bronze medals from the Gold Coast, though watch out also for England’s 18-year-old Ondine Achampong. England’s Nile Wilson and James Hall secured a one-two in the 2018 men’s event and Hall is considered a strong contender this year alongside team-mate Joe Fraser. Fraser narrowly beat Hall to the British title earlier this year.

11:00-16:20 – Triathlon hands out its final three sets of medals, beginning with the PTVI races featuring athletes who have visual impairments. Scotland’s Alison Peasgood, a Rio Paralympic silver medallist in 2016, is reunited with guide Hazel MacLeod, herself a reserve for Scotland’s Commonwealth Games triathlon team in 2014. In the men’s race, sprint swimmer turned four-time paratriathlon world champion Dave Ellis is a favourite for England. The hosts are also strongly favoured in the mixed relay as they are able to name the bulk of the GB team that won Olympic mixed relay gold last year. Australia, the defending Commonwealth champions, are likely to be the toughest opponents.

15:00-19:00 – The women’s points race and men’s scratch offer a solid chance for pandemonium at the Lee Valley Velopark in London. Both races reward riders for getting out ahead of the field and both build to a dramatic climax. The points race is anyone’s guess after defending champion Elinor Barker, who welcomed son Nico in March, opted to return to the Wales team on the road instead. Katie Archibald, who might have been the favourite in Barker’ absence, is herself absent from the Scotland team through injury. Matt Walls, the Olympic omnium champion, will fancy his chances for England in the scratch race. Elsewhere, Scotland’s Jack Carlin will be going for sprint gold while Wales’ James Ball and Scotland’s Neil Fachie could be set for a close contest in the men’s tandem B sprint.

19:00-21:50 – Another day at the pool, another butterfly final, another Chad le Clos medal opportunity for South Africa. This time it’s over 200m. As usual, it’s an event he won four years ago. But English eyes are most likely to be on the men’s 100m breaststroke final, where three-time Olympic champion Adam Peaty hopes to be sufficiently recovered from a broken foot to successfully defend his Commonwealth title in his signature event. Le Clos’ team-mate Tatjana Schoenmaker will then try to hold off England’s Molly Renshaw and Abbie Wood in the women’s 200m breaststroke, which she won at Tokyo 2020. For Wales, Lily Rice has a shot at gold in the women’s S8 100m backstroke and Medi Harris will look to upset world record-holder Kaylee McKeown of Australia and Canada’s Kylie Masse in the women’s 100m backstroke.

18:00-22:00 – Rugby sevens concludes in Coventry with the men’s and women’s finals. New Zealand won both titles four years ago but this time around, mostly because of pandemic-related travel restrictions, their teams are entering a little rusty. On the men’s side, Australia and South Africa look strong, while Australia’s women were dominating this year’s world series – until New Zealand started showing up.

What else is happening?

England’s 2018 weightlifting silver medallist Jack Oliver and up-and-coming Welshman Michael Farmer take on young Indian star Achinta Sheuli in the men’s 73kg class. Watch out for African record-setter Rafiatu Folashade Lawal of Nigeria in the women’s 59kg.

At 11:00, one of the highest profile fixtures on any cricket calendar takes place – India face Pakistan in a group-stage game.

England’s men play Wales at 14:00 in hockey’s group stages, while Scotland’s men, ranked 19th in the world, have a tough task against world number one side Australia from 09:00.

In beach volleyball, Scotland’s women take on Vanuatu in a group game at 15:30. Vanuatu waited almost 40 years for a Commonwealth medal until two turned up in a matter of days in 2018: first Friana Kwevira won para-sport javelin bronze, then beach volleyball duo Linline Matauatu and Miller Pata took bronze of their own. Pata and new partner Sherysyn Toko will line up against Edinburgh-based Lynne Beattie and Mel Coutts, who exited at the quarter-final stage four years ago.

Monday, 1 August – day four

Gold medals: 28

Gymnastics: Women’s vault and uneven bars, men’s floor, rings and pommel horse

Judo: Women’s -48kg, -52kg and -57kg, men’s -60kg and -66kg

Lawn bowls: Women’s singles, men’s triples

Swimming: Women’s 200m back, 200m medley, SB6 100m breast and 50m fly, men’s 100m free, S7 50m free, 50m back and 4x200m free relay

Table tennis: Women’s team

Track cycling: Women’s keirin and scratch race, men’s points race and time trial

Weightlifting: Women’s 64kg and 71kg, men’s 81kg

Medal highlights

13:00-17:00 – The first day of individual apparatus finals offers up five gymnastics gold medals. England’s Courtney Tulloch is set to attempt a defence of his 2018 gold on rings, an apparatus requiring immense upper-body strength and control, while team-mate Giarnni Regini-Morgan is a European silver medallist in the floor event. Rhys McClenaghan, cleared to take part after a row involving gymnastics’ world governing body over his eligibility having competed for Ireland at Tokyo 2020, won pommel horse gold in 2018. That was Northern Ireland’s only gold of the Games.

14:00-19:00 – Track cycling ends on Monday with the men’s points race, where we strongly recommend listening to the commentary to follow exactly what’s happening. You get points for performing well in a series of sprints throughout the race and also for lapping the field. Tracking everyone’s progress if this is your first points race could be a challenge. England’s Matt Walls won the Tokyo 2020 points race on the way to winning the Olympic omnium title. New Zealand’s Campbell Stewart, who was second in that race and won Olympic silver behind Walls, will also be in Birmingham, as will England team-mate Ethan Hayter, the omnium world champion. For Scotland, 2018 silver medallist Neah Evans could go one better in the women’s scratch race, although Laura Kenny is expected to ride against her for England.

19:00-22:00 – We move past the halfway point in swimming with the men’s 100m freestyle providing the night’s first final. Australia’s Kyle Chalmers will see this as a big opportunity to make an impact, having won Olympic silver in Tokyo. Canada’s Josh Liendo just picked up world bronze in this distance, with England’s Lewis Burras seventh in the same race. The women’s 200m individual medley could turn into a battle between Australia’s Kaylee McKeown and England’s Abbie Wood, while Maisie Summers-Newton, a world and European champion, has said she’s excited to hear the host nation’s roar in Birmingham after the pandemic-induced quiet of Tokyo when she swims for England in the SB6 100m breaststroke. Lastly, the 4x200m men’s freestyle relay splits apart the GB team – with English, Welsh and Scottish representation – that won gold in Tokyo last year.

What else is happening?

The first of three days of judo culminates in medal matches from 18:00 to 20:45. Judo has only appeared sporadically at the Commonwealth Games – four times since 1990 – so this is a relatively rare opportunity to see the sport at this level.

Table tennis runs from 09:30 to 14:45 with the women’s team medals decided. India beat Singapore to gold in this event four years ago, with England third after defeating Australia in the bronze medal play-off. Table tennis has only been in the Commonwealth Games since 2002 but Singapore already have a staggering 50 medals in this event, more than double the number won by any other nation. Glasgow 2014 team champion Clarence Chew and Chinese-born 2010 world champion Feng Tianwei are in the Singapore squad for Birmingham.

In men’s hockey, there’s a group-stage test for England as they play India, the team ranked one above them in the world, at 16:00.

Victoria Park in Leamington Spa hosts lawn bowls – a.k.a. curling on grass – with Wales’ Laura Daniels hoping to improve on women’s singles silver four years ago. Scotland are defending men’s triples champions. Lawn bowls can be a great opportunity to see teams from smaller nations and territories, such as Norfolk Island, the Cook Islands and Niue, who routinely compete in this event. In 2018, the Cook Islands even managed bronze in the men’s pairs, the islands’ first Commonwealth Games medal.

Tuesday, 2 August – day five

Gold medals: 37

Athletics: Women’s pole vault, discus, T37/38 100m and T33/34 100m, men’s T45-47 100m and 10,000m

Badminton: Mixed team

Basketball (3×3): Women’s and men’s wheelchair, women’s and men’s

Gymnastics: Women’s beam and floor, men’s vault, parallel bars and high bar

Judo: Women’s -63kg and -70kg, men’s -73kg and -81kg

Lawn bowls: women’s fours, men’s pairs, B6-8 para men’s pairs

Swimming: Women’s 100m free, 100m breast, 200m fly, SM10 200m medley and 800m free, men’s 100m fly, 200m back, S10 100m fly, 50m breast, mixed 4x100m medley relay

Table tennis: Men’s team

Weightlifting: Women’s 76kg and 87kg, men’s 96kg

Medal highlights

13:00-17:00 – Gymnastics concludes with another medal opportunity for England’s Giarnni Regini-Moran in the men’s vault, plus compatriots Alice Kinsella on the beam and Joe Fraser on the parallel bars. Frank Baines, coming out of retirement to compete in a third Commonwealth Games for Scotland, has a shot at a parallel bars medal too.

19:00-22:15 – Back to Alexander Stadium, scene of the opening ceremony, we go for the opening night of athletics action with six gold medals on the line. England will look to Olympic bronze medallist Holly Bradshaw in the women’s pole vault, Sophie Hahn in the women’s T37/38 100m, and Hannah Cockroft in the women’s T33/34 100m. In the men’s 10,000m, Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei – winner of the 2018 Commonwealth title – just won the world title in Oregon, leading home compatriot Jacob Kiplimo in third place, which bodes well for an impressive streak: Uganda have won the Commonwealth men’s 10,000m on every occasion since 2006.

19:00-22:15 – Not to be outdone, swimming offers up a blockbuster night to accompany the opening action at the track. There could be medals heading all over the place and some classic races if the cards fall the right way. England’s Adam Peaty is hot favourite in the men’s 50m breaststroke and Ariarne Titmus will be hard to beat in the women’s 800m free, but expect some scraps in events like the women’s 200m butterfly, where Canadian world champion Summer McIntosh – 15 years old – will try to hold off defending Commonwealth champion Alys Thomas of Wales. In the men’s 100m butterfly, at least four nations will feel they have a gold-medal prospect: Canadian world bronze medallist Josh Liendo, Australia’s Matthew Temple who finished fifth in Tokyo, defending champion Chad le Clos of South Africa, and England’s James Guy, who finished second behind Le Clos in 2018. All of that and we haven’t even reached the finale, the mixed 4x100m medley relay, which should be entertaining, madcap, and possibly a very close contest between England and Australia.

19:00-22:00 – 3×3 basketball (pronounce it “three ex three”) made its Olympic debut in 2020 and now reaches the Commonwealth Games for the first time. All four gold medals are awarded on Tuesday. In the men’s game, Canada and Australia should do well. Canada should also be strong in the women’s event, where St Lucia dropped out to be replaced by the British Virgin Islands, helping those islands send their largest-ever team to the Commonwealth Games. Australia and Canada are again among the stronger teams in the wheelchair events.

What else is happening?

It is the second-busiest day of the Games. Badminton’s mixed team final is likely to feature one or both of India and Malaysia, though India have slipped up before, most notably in 2014 when England defeated them in the semi-finals. England and Canada are in with a shot this year.

Judo awards four more gold medals. This could be Howell and Powell day for England, as European champion Gemma Howell competes in the women’s -63kg class and Walsall’s Daniel Powell takes part in the men’s -73kg. Howell won’t have to contend with compatriot and world number one Lucy Renshall, who is out injured.

Lawn bowls medals awarded on Tuesday include the para men’s pairs, where Scotland’s Kevin Wallace will team up with a late replacement after scheduled partner Garry Hoodwas expelled from the team less than a week before the start of the Games.

In the table tennis men’s team final, India are unsurprisingly the strongest entrants on paper, but England are in with a chance – if they can get past Nigeria, who have a solid table tennis medal record at the Commonwealth Games and proved too strong for the English in 2018’s team semi-finals.

The athletics morning session, from 10:00 to 13:30, features a first look at the heptathlon starring England’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson, the 2019 world champion and defending Commonwealth champion. You’ll also see the opening round of the women’s 100m.

England’s women play South Africa in group-stage cricket from 11:00.

The women’s hockey group match between Australia and New Zealand, two of the top three teams in the contest, could give some insight into who is in the fight for gold (09:00). England face India at 14:00.

Scotland’s women face England in beach volleyball at 20:00.

In weightlifting, Eileen Cikamatana – the youngest member of Australia’s weightlifting team – attempts to become the first woman to win individual Commonwealth gold for two separate countries. The 22-year-old, who is in the 87kg class, won gold for Fiji four years ago but has since switched allegiance.

Wednesday, 3 August – day six

Gold medals: 31

Athletics: Women’s 10,000m, shot put, heptathlon and 100m, men’s high jump, F42-44 and F61-64 discus, T37/38 100m, and 100m

Cycling: Women’s and men’s mountain bike cross-country

Judo: Women’s -78kg and +78kg, men’s -90kg, -100kg and +100kg

Lawn bowls: B6-8 para women’s pairs

Squash: Women’s and men’s singles

Swimming: Women’s 400m free, 50m back, 4x100m medley relay and S14 200m free, men’s 200m medley, S14 200m free, 50m free, 1500m free and 4x100m medley, mixed 4x100m medley 34Pt

Weightlifting: Women’s +87kg, men’s 109kg and +109kg

Medal highlights

11:30-16:00 – Cannock Chase Forest, north of Birmingham, has been given an upgrade to host the mountain bike cross-country events on Wednesday. In 2018 the women’s race was won by Annie Last in an England one-two, and New Zealand pulled off the same feat in the men’s edition. This time, there’s no Last so Evie Richards, second for England four years ago but now world champion, is installed as the new women’s favourite. Both New Zealanders from 2018, Anton Cooper and Sam Gaze, are back.

19:00-22:15 – The men’s and women’s 100m finals run back-to-back from 21:40. Depending on selection, there will be huge hope in Jamaica for a repeat of the scenes that saw the nation sweep the women’s 100m world podium in the lead-up to Birmingham 2022, where England’s Dina Asher-Smith placed fourth, a bitter result she’ll aim to better at Alexander Stadium. Asher-Smith has yet to win an individual Commonwealth title. In the men’s race, Jamaica should again feature but so should South Africa’s defending Commonwealth champion Akani Simbine, and Canada’s Aaron Brown. Reece Prescod may be England’s best medal prospect. Scotland’s Eilish McColgan will target gold in the women’s 10,000m. Shortly before the 100m finals, we’ll find out if Katarina Johnson-Thompson can lift another major heptathlon title.

19:00-21:55 – Swimming draws to a close with all four home nations in with a chance of last-gasp gold. England will look to Tokyo champion Reece Dunn in the S14 200m freestyle, world champion Ben Proud in the men’s 50m free, and the men’s medley relay. Scotland have Tokyo silver medallist Duncan Scott in the men’s 200m individual medley. Welsh hopes rest with Daniel Jervis, 2018 silver medallist and Olympic finalist in the men’s 1500m free, with a chance that Medi Harris can challenge for the podium in the women’s 50m backstroke. For Northern Ireland, world champion Bethany Firth – who has postponed her honeymoon until after the Games – is favourite in the women’s S14 200m freestyle. Ariarne Titmus has a final shot at individual gold for Australia in the women’s 400m freestyle.

What else is happening?

Squash holds its singles finals on Wednesday (16:00 to 20:30). England’s James Willstrop returns for his fifth Commonwealth Games appearance having won gold on the Gold Coast four years ago. A successful title defence won’t be easy – Willstrop is currently outranked by Welshman Joel Makin and New Zealand’s Paul Coll. In the women’s event, New Zealand’s Joelle King is the top seed, followed by England’s Sarah-Jane Perry and Gina Kennedy.

Judo – most Scottish judoka competing at Birmingham 2022 are debutants, but not Sarah Adlington. Adlington, now 35, is a major contender for women’s +78kg gold, particularly as she seeks to rebound from a disappointing first-round exit at Tokyo 2020. Royal Marine Chris Sherrington competes for Scotland in the men’s +100kg category. Wales have 2014 Commonwealth champion Natalie Powell in the women’s -78kg class.

In weightlifting, Tokyo silver medallist Emily Campbell represents England at women’s +87kg level. Samoa’s Feagaiga Stowers, who edged past Campbell to Commonwealth gold in 2018, is back for Birmingham 2022.

As netball’s group stage continues, Wales face a tough but winnable task against South Africa, ranked three places above them in the world, at 12:00. Northern Ireland play Uganda at the same time.

Boxing – all weights reach the quarter-final stage in a packed day from 12:00 to 22:00. Winning a quarter-final in boxing guarantees a medal as the sport awards bronze to each losing semi-finalist. Quarter-finals continue on Thursday, followed by a one-day break before the medal contests.

Thursday, 4 August – day seven

Gold medals: 15

Athletics: Women’s F42-44 and F61-64 discus and T53/54 1,500m, men’s long jump, T11/12 100m, discus and 110m hurdles

Road cycling: Women’s and men’s time trial

Diving: Women’s 10m platform, men’s 1m springboard

Powerlifting: Women’s lightweight and heavyweight, men’s lightweight and heavyweight

Rhythmic gymnastics: Team

Medal highlights

10:00-16:00 – Road cycling’s time trial course sends the women across 29km and the men through 37km of the Black Country and Staffordshire. Geraint Thomas, fresh from the Tour de France, is back to ride for Wales eight years after picking up time trial bronze and road race gold at Glasgow 2014. His challengers in Thursday’s time trial – riders start one at a time and the fastest time wins – will include England’s Ethan Hayter, Australia’s Rohan Dennis and record-equalling Tour de France stage winner Mark Cavendish representing the Isle of Man. In the women’s time trial, Scottish Olympian Anna Shackley will take on the likes of Australia’s Grace Brown.

18:00-21:00 – Jack Laugher won 1m springboard diving gold for England in 2018 and he has since added world silver in the same event, en route to becoming the first British diver to win three medals at a single world championship. That installs him as the favourite in Birmingham. Scotland are represented by European and Commonwealth bronze medallist James Heatly. English teenager Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, seventh at Tokyo 2020, is a contender in the women’s 10m platform event against the likes of Malaysia’s Pandelela Rinong.

19:00-21:45 – A slightly quieter night at the athletics results in five gold medals, including the men’s 110m, where England’s entrants include Andrew Pozzi, up-and-coming two-time British champion Tade Ojora, and Josh Zeller, who produced an impressive fifth-place finish at the world championships in Oregon. Jamaica’s Hansle Parchment probably starts as the favourite after winning last year’s Olympic title but a hamstring injury that kept him out of the world final may call that into question.

19:30-21:30 – Scotland’s Micky Yule will attempt to win the men’s powerlifting heavyweight title in his third Commonwealth Games appearance. The past two Games resulted in fourth-place finishes, so Yule has a point to prove. Speaking of fourth-place finishes, England’s Mark Swan just missed the world podium in December last year and will be a contender for men’s lightweight gold in Birmingham.

What else is happening?

England’s cricketers play New Zealand in their final group game from 18:00 at Edgbaston, a clash that may have important ramifications for the semi-finals on Saturday. South Africa face Sri Lanka in Group B’s other game at 11:00. Group A concluded a day earlier.

The first rhythmic gymnastics medals are awarded at the team final from 12:00 to 21:30. Cyprus produced a stunning series of displays four years ago to win four gold medals in rhythmic gymnastics on the gold coast, including this one. However, the Cypriot performance was powered largely by the phenomenal Diamanto Evripidou, who is not on the team for Birmingham 2022. Australia insist their “reinvigorated” team have a chance of a first gold medal since Delhi 2010.

In netball, there is a significant group-stage encounter between Australia and Jamaica, the world numbers one and four, to start the day at 09:00.

Meanwhile, in the morning athletics action from 10:00, the decathlon begins. Canada’s Pierce LePage and Australia’s Ashley Moloney will be among the medal contenders.

In the women’s hockey group stages, England play Wales at 11:00.

Friday, 5 August – day eight

Gold medals: 17

Athletics: Women’s triple jump and 3,000m steeplechase, men’s shot put, T53/54 100m and decathlon

Diving: Women’s 1m springboard, men’s 3m synchro and 10m synchro

Lawn bowls: Women’s triples, B2-3 para mixed pairs

Rhythmic gymnastics: All-around

Wrestling: Women’s 57kg, 62kg and 68kg, men’s 65kg, 86kg and 125kg

Medal highlights

10:00-13:00 and 18:00-21:00 – Jack Laugher has two major diving medal opportunities in two days. This time it’s the 3m synchro, which the 27-year-old has won at the past two Commonwealth Games. In Birmingham, his partner will be Anthony Harding as Chris Mears, who won gold with Laugher for England in 2018, has retired to focus on his music career. Laugher and Harding won world silver in June with their nearest Commonwealth rivals being Malaysia in 11th and New Zealand 12th. The men’s 10m synchro is a similar story to an extent – England’s Matty Lee and Noah Williams also won world silver last month – but Canada are likely be breathing down their necks and Australia could feature, too. Scotland’s Grace Reid and Australia’s Georgia Sheehan renew their battle in the women’s 1m springboard, a battle won by Reid four years ago, though Canadian world bronze medallist Mia Vallee is a new name in the frame.

19:00-22:00 – The decathlon reaches a climax with the 1500m just after 21:30. England’s Harry Kendall, ranked 97th in the world, is the only confirmed home nations entrant. Podium places are set to be contested by Grenada’s Lindon Victor, who won the 2018 title and remains in the world’s top 10, and Canada’s Pierce LePage. David Weir could make an appearance for England in the T53/54 1,500m, while the women’s steeplechase and triple jump are also decided. In the men’s shot put, defending champion Tom Walsh remains one of the best in the world and favourite to retain gold for New Zealand.

10:30-19:30 – Wrestling erupts into two frenzied days of activity with the preliminary rounds, quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals all decided in six weight classes. The men’s 65kg is an opportunity for Indian star Bajrang Punia to earn some redemption after a knee injury disrupted his attempt to land Olympic gold last year, eventually settling for bronze. It’s more than half a century since anyone other than India or Canada topped wrestling’s medal table at a Commonwealth Games, and you can expect more of the same in Birmingham as Canadian under-23 world champion Ana Godinez Gonzalez looks for gold in the women’s 62kg. The only home nation athlete to reach a final in 2018 was Wales’ Kane Charig, who is not attending this year.

What else is happening?

Lawn bowls (09:00-15:45) could bring opportunities for England’s Alison Yearling and Chris Turnbull in the para mixed pairs. In visually impaired bowls, athletes receive guidance from “directors” – sighted people who assist the players. In the case of Yearling and Turnbull, their directors are grandmother and grandson Sue and Mark Wherry. Meanwhile, the Scottish women’s triples team will hope for a chance of revenge in Birmingham after losing 2018’s final to Australia.

Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which Commonwealth nations don’t often make much of a mark at world level, where Russia, Italy and Bulgaria are more successful. However, the all-around final on Friday will be a chance for the Commonwealth’s best to show what they can do – and that could mean gold for Australia if Alexandra Kiroi-Bogatyreva can hold off rivals such as New Zealand’s Havana Hopman.

Women’s hockey reaches the semi-final stage at 18:00, while beach volleyball’s quarter-finals take place throughout the day.

Lastly, the morning session of track and field offers a chance at 11:05 to see Scotland’s Laura Muir, Olympic silver and now world bronze medallist, in action in round one of the women’s 1500m.

Saturday, 6 August – day nine

Gold medals: 33

Athletics: Women’s high jump, F55-57 shot put, 10km race walk, hammer, 400m hurdles, 800m and 200m, men’s hammer, 3,000m steeplechase, 1,500m, pole vault, 5,000m, 400m hurdles and 200m

Diving: Women’s 3m synchro and 10m synchro, men’s 3m springboard

Lawn bowls: Women’s pairs, men’s singles, men’s fours

Rhythmic gymnastics: Hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon

Table tennis: Women’s classes 3-5 singles and classes 6-10 singles, men’s classes 3-5 singles

Wrestling: Women’s 50kg, 53g and 76kg, men’s 54kg, 74kg and 97kg

Medal highlights

10:00-13:15 – There are two athletics sessions featuring finals on Saturday, starting with a morning session involving the men’s 1500m final. Scotland’s Jake Wightman has suddenly vaulted himself to the top tier of British track and field with a staggering world title in Oregon, immediately installing him among the favourites in the event here. England’s Elliot Giles and Wales’ Jake Heyward will try to stop Wightman securing a summer double, while Kenya and Australia should also challenge for medals. Also watch out for England’s Emily Borthwick, Laura Zialor and Morgan Lake in the women’s high jump, taking on Australia’s newly crowned world champion Eleanor Patterson.

10:00-13:00 and 18:00-21:00 – Would you bet against another medal for Jack Laugher? Diving continues with the men’s 3m springboard final, won by Laugher in 2018, though Scotland’s James Heatly could deny the Englishman a repeat in Birmingham. New Zealand and Jamaica have medal prospects, too. Women’s 10m synchro could see England up against Malaysia for top spot, while the day’s earlier final, the women’s 3m synchro, sees Australia’s Maddison Keeney and Anabelle Smith enter among the favourites.

18:30-21:45 – The second athletics session switches the focus to some lightning action on the track as the women’s and men’s 200m finals wrap up the evening. Jamaicans Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce are two of the world’s fastest women over 200m right now, while Namibian Olympic silver medallist Christine Mboma could return from injury in time to feature. Dina Asher-Smith isn’t in this one though – she’s focusing on the 100m and the 4x100m relay. The men’s race is a platform for South Africa’s latest sprint sensation, Luxolo Adams, up against Canada’s Aaron Brown and Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards. England’s Adam Gemili and Zharnel Hughes lead home nation hopes. Elsewhere, the women’s 800m final could come down to England’s Keely Hodgkinson or Scotland’s Laura Muir and Jemma Reekie.

What else is happening?

Wrestling concludes with six more gold medals awarded. Scotland’s Christelle Lemofack competes in the women’s 53kg having finished fifth at Glasgow 2014 while representing Cameroon.

Lawn bowls concludes with what could be a good afternoon for Scotland. Hannah Smith and Claire Johnston have a medal shot in the women’s pairs and Scotland’s men’s fours are defending the title they won in 2018.

Three of the four Para-sport table tennis events reach a conclusion on Saturday. England and Australia split the two para titles on offer in 2018.

Netball’s semi-finals take place at 09:00 and 14:30, as do cricket’s semi-finals at 11:00 and 18:00. The men’s squash semi-finals begin at 18:00, as do the men’s hockey semi-finals.

Unlike the Olympics, rhythmic gymnastics at the Commonwealth Games awards medals in each of four individual sets of apparatus: hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon. Cyprus powerhouse Diamanto Evripidou bagged a medal in all four in 2018, including two titles. However, Evirpidou won’t be in Birmingham, opening the way for others.

Sunday, 7 August – day 10

Gold medals: 46

Athletics: Women’s 100m hurdles, 400m, javelin, 4x100m relay, long jump, 1500m, 5,000m and 4x400m relay, men’s triple jump, 400m, 10km race walk, 4x100m relay, javelin, 800m and 4x400m relay

Beach volleyball: Women, men

Boxing: Women’s minimumweight, light/middleweight, light-flyweight, lightweight, featherweight and middleweight, men’s flyweight, middleweight, light-heavyweight, bantamweight, light-welterweight, light-middleweight, heavyweight, featherweight, welterweight and super-heavyweight

Cricket: Women

Diving: Women’s 3m springboard, men’s 10m platform

Hockey: Women

Netball: Women

Road cycling: Women’s and men’s road race

Squash: Mixed doubles

Table tennis: Women’s singles, men’s doubles and classes 8-10 singles, mixed doubles

Medal highlights

10:00-13:00 – It’s hard to know where to start on a day with more than 40 gold medals being handed out, making Sunday the busiest day of Birmingham 2022. The athletics morning session alone sees eight gold medals won, including the women’s and men’s 4x100m relays in which England will go up against the likes of Jamaica and Canada. Annu Rani is one to watch in the women’s javelin, having become the first Indian woman to reach a world final in the event, where Australia also have medal prospects. The Bahamas could dominate the 400m finals although England’s Matthew Hudson-Smith, who hails from Wolverhampton, is in sparkling form and will challenge Olympic champion Steven Gardiner in the men’s event. Shaunae Miller-Uibo has won the women’s Olympic title at both Tokyo and Rio, but isn’t a confirmed name on the Birmingham start list at the time of writing.

08:00-17:00 – The last cycling medals of Birmingham 2022 are the road races, held in and around Warwick, including stretches that pass Warwick Castle and run up to the edge of Royal Leamington Spa’s Victoria Park. The men’s race is 160km, while the women complete 112km. In the women’s race, Scottish hopes are dented by the injury-enforced absence of Katie Archibald. Australia will hope for a repeat of their 2018 victory, this time spearheaded by Grace Brown. Names that leap out in the men’s race include Olympic and Tour de France superstars Geraint Thomas for Wales and Mark Cavendish for the Isle of Man.

10:30-21:30 – All 16 boxing titles are decided in three furious bursts of activity at Birmingham’s NEC. England won six of the 16 gold medals at Gold Coast 2018. Delicious Orie – England’s 6ft 6in choice at super-heavyweight this year – is one of those trying to match the team’s success four years ago. Orie – of Russian and Nigerian heritage – says he believes he can one day be better than Anthony Joshua. For Scotland, Reese Lynch – the first Scot to win a World Championship boxing medal with bronze last year – fights at light-welterweight. Welsh hopes include Rosie Eccles – a welterweight silver medallist in 2018 who is coming back from a virus that saw her lose the use of an arm for a time. Aidan Walsh – an Olympic bronze medallist in the welterweight class – is in the Northern Ireland team.

17:30-20:30 – At the diving, the men move up to the iconic 10m platform. Tom Daley is taking a year out but England’s Matthew Dixon and Noah Williams – second and fourth respectively in 2018 – are back. So is Domonic Bedggood – the Australian who beat Dixon to gold on the Gold Coast. The women’s 3m springboard has a new Canadian star in world silver medallist Mia Vallee but Scotland’s Grace Reid made the top 10 in the same final and should be competitive in Birmingham.

19:00-21:30 – The evening athletics session is the last of the Games and culminates in the women’s and men’s 4x400m relays. Eilish McColgan is set to feature for Scotland in the women’s 5,000m and all eyes will be on team-mate Laura Muir in the women’s 1500m, though she is expected to face a tough challenge from Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon. Lorraine Ugen and Jazmin Sawyers are medal hopes for England in the women’s long jump.

What else is happening?

All kinds of team finals take place on Sunday but, at the time of writing, it’s too early to say who’ll be taking part and how high the stakes will be for the home nations. If you want to plan ahead, here are the timings for the various finals on Sunday:

15:00-17:30 – Beach volleyball (men)

17:00-20:30 – Cricket

17:00-20:00 – Hockey (women)

20:00-22:30 – Beach volleyball (women)

20:30-2230 – Netball

Monday, 8 August – day 11

Gold medals: 12

Badminton: Women’s and men’s singles, women’s and men’s doubles, mixed doubles

Diving: Mixed synchro 3m, mixed synchro 10m

Hockey: Men

Squash: Women’s and men’s doubles

Table tennis: Women’s doubles, men’s singles

Medal highlights

09:00-14:00 – The final day of the Games begins with badminton. In 2018, England picked up two of the five badminton titles on offer on the sport’s last day thanks to Marcus Ellis and Chris Langridge in the men’s doubles and Chris and Gabby Adcock in the mixed doubles. Ellis is back in the England line-up this year but the others have departed, though England can lean on another experienced campaigner in Lauren Smith. Smith has won five Commonwealth medals but never gold, and is appearing in her third Games. Scotland’s Kirsty Gilmour is another athlete who has every Commonwealth colour except gold in the locker: she’s targeting a title in the women’s singles having finished third four years ago.

09:30-13:15 – It’s a long, long time since anyone other than Singapore won the table tennis women’s doubles. Three of Feng Tianwei’s incredible 10 Commonwealth table tennis medals have come in this event, and she’s back in the squad for Birmingham 2022. The story is almost identical in men’s singles, meaning Singapore could receive a solid medal boost on the final day of the Games. Fifty of the island nation’s all-time 96 Commonwealth medals have come in this sport.

10:00-13:00 – The last diving action in Birmingham features the two mixed synchro contests. The 3m synchro event represents a great chance for Scotland, whose James Heatly and Grace Reid together won world bronze in June, finishing well clear of nearest Commonwealth rivals Malaysia in seventh. England should have a shot at the 10m synchro title but Australia may be the team to beat.

10:00-14:30 – Squash ends with the women’s and men’s doubles. England’s Daryl Selby and Adrian Waller lost a see-saw final to Australia in 2018 and both are back in the squad for Birmingham 2022. Only one half of the victorious Australian duo – Zac Alexander – is returning. The women’s event is an opportunity for New Zealand’s Joelle King, who is one of the best in the world, to add another medal.

12:30-15:00 – Men’s hockey concludes with the gold-medal game. If the world rankings are any guide, Australia will occupy one berth and India or England are favourites to snag the other.

What else is happening?

The closing ceremony begins at 20:30 – reuniting the athletes at Alexander Stadium and handing over to Victoria, Australia for the 2026 Games.