DAY 1 EVENTS NOT TO MISS
LAWN BOWLS: Women’s Singles Round 1
Karen Murphy (AUS) v Malia Kioa (TGA) 9am Less than 24 hours after reading the Athletes’ Oath at the opening ceremony, five-time Games representative Karen Murphy will be in action at the Broadbeach Bowls Club. Murphy won gold in the women’s pairs in 2006 and 12 years later is the only gold medallist still in the team.
TRIATHLON: Women’s final 9.31am
Gold Coaster Ashleigh Gentle (below) will aim to get Australia off to a winning start in the first medal event of the Games just hours after the opening ceremony. She’ll have to beat world No.1, Bermuda’s Flora Duffy to take gold.
SWIMMING: Men’s 400m freestyle 7.46pm
Olympic champion Mack Horton will look to kick things off in style for the Aussies with gold in this event. He will have to hold off teammates Jack McLoughlin and David McKeon as well as England’s James Guy.
SWIMMING: Women’s 200m freestyle 8.04pm
Could be one of the best battles in the pool, expected to be waged between Golden Girl Emma McKeon and rising star Ariarne Titmus. Titmus got the chocolates at Games trials but McKeon will be itching to hit back in her pet event.
CYCLING: Women’s team sprint 8.21pm
The women’s team sprint is back on the program after being dropped for Glasgow. The last time it was included, Kaarle McCulloch teamed with Anna Meares to win gold. This time McCulloch has a new sidekick in Stephanie Morton and they will start favourites for gold.
NETBALL: Pool match, Australia v Northern Ireland, 8.32pm
The red-hot favourites begin their campaign for a fourth gold medal in six Commonwealth Games with comeback queen Laura Geitz playing her first game for Australia in almost three years. The Diamonds will chop and change their line-up while they try to settle on their first-choice starting seven but should still make short work of Northern Ireland.
CYCLING: Women’s team pursuit 8.55pm
Australia will deservedly start red-hot favourites and they’re eyeing a national record of 4mins 13 secs they set three years ago. The starting four for qualifying will be Annette Edmondson, Amy Cure, Alex Manly and Ashlee Ankudinoff and they’re driven by Rio pain when a training crash cost them a medal. The hottest competition is expected to come from Canada and England.
CYCLING: Men’s team pursuit 9.02pm
Just how fast can Australia go? They rode a 3:51.008 in the final in Rio which broke the world record but the Poms broke it by more and took gold in 3:50.265. With Great Britain’s riders now split among their separate nations, the Aussies will start hot favourites but the question is can they go sub 3:50?
SWIMMING: Women’s 4x100m freestyle relay 9.50pm
The Aussies set a world record in this event in Glasgow to get the meet off to a golden start. With Cate Campbell making her return to the pool after a postOlympic sabbatical and sister Bronte in the best form since her world-title win in 2015, expect Australia to hold off a challenge from Canada.