Stellar lineup chasing Glasgow gold

Olympic champions Usain Bolt, Mo Farah and Bradley Wiggins headline a host of star names hoping to bury injury problems and selection snubs to strike gold at the Commonwealth Games.

The biggest multi-sport event ever held in Scotland will see 4,500 athletes from 71 countries and regions take part across 18 sports.

A total of 261 medal events will take place across the 11 days of competition, including a record number of para-sport events, with 22 gold medals up for grabs across five sports.

The 20th edition of the Games will officially be opened by Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday with a ceremony at Celtic Park. Attention will then turn to the competition, with Bolt looking to add Commonwealth gold to his six Olympic and eight World Championship gold medals.

However, the 27-year-old will only be running as part of the Jamaican 4x100m relay team as he missed the Jamaican championships, which served as the selection meeting for the Games, due to injury.

Bolt said he didn't want to take the place of any athlete who had qualified for an individual event, but would be available for selection as part of the relay team.

"I have received lots of requests, invitations and messages of support from my fans in Scotland who are looking forward to a great event," he said on his official website.

Double Olympic champion Farah is confident of being fit to run the 5,000m and 10,000m despite pulling out of the Diamond League event in Glasgow due to abdominal pains.

Kenya's David Rudisha is the heavy favorite to claim 800m gold after running the fastest time in the world this year on his return from injury to win the Diamond League meeting at Hampden.

With two-time Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce also only competing in the 4x100m relay, Trinidad and Tobago's Michelle-Lee Ahye is the strong favorite for the women's 100m as she is yet to be beaten this year.

The absence of Jessica Ennis due to the recent birth of her first child will give fellow English heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson a great chance to claim her first medal at senior international competition.

Switching from the athletics track to the cycling track, the Tour de France's loss with be the Commonwealth Games' gain as Wiggins will represent England in the Sir Chris Hoy velodrome in the 4,000m team pursuit on Thursday.

Wiggins is returning to the track for the first time since winning Olympic gold six years ago in Athens with an eye towards possibly building on his six Olympic medals in Rio two years from now.

Australia is expected to dominate in the pool with 100m freestyle world champions James Magnussen and Cate Campbell both taking part.

South Africa will also be well represented at the Tollcross Park Aquatics Centre by Olympic and world champions Chad le Clos and Cameron van der Burgh.

Local hopes will rest upon Olympic silver medalist Michael Jamieson as the Glasgow-born 25-year-old goes for gold in the 200m breaststroke.