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The Commonwealth Games are officially underway after today’s opening ceremony at the OVO Hydro arena in Glasgow, Scotland.
Along with the obligatory mix of musical and cultural performances, King Charles III and Queen Camilla were on hand to welcome the athletes from 74 countries and territories linked to the former British Empire who will compete over the next 10 days.
Wheelchair basketball star Kady Dandeneau served as Canada’s flag-bearer for the parade of nations while lawn bowler Ryan Bester, appearing in his seventh Commonwealth Games, carried the country’s ceremonial baton. Canada has sent a team of 149 athletes and is aiming for another top-three finish in the medal standings after finishing behind Australia and host England in 2022.
Competition began earlier today with some preliminary matches in the sport of bowls, which in Glasgow is being played indoors on artificial turf rather than an outdoor lawn. Bester lost a close men’s singles match to an Indian opponent, while the Canadian women’s doubles duo of Emma Boyd and Kelly McKerihen fell to Wales.
Paralympian Marissa Papaconstantinou and CBC Sports’ Devin Heroux watch bowls at the Commonwealth Games.
The Games begin in earnest on Friday, with the first medals to be awarded in gymnastics, Para weightlifting, swimming and Para swimming.
Here’s a look at the Canadians to watch:
Swimming
With track and field on hold until Monday, swimming will be the marquee sport for the first few days of the Games. The morning heats begin at 5:30 a.m. ET, and the finals are part of the evening sessions starting at 2 p.m. ET each day.
The first medal race is the women’s 400-metre freestyle. With Canada’s reigning world champion Summer McIntosh skipping the Commonwealths and Olympic champ Ariarne Titmus of Australia now retired, 20-year-old Canadian Ella Jansen could challenge for the podium after winning this event at the national trials. The favourite is Australia’s Lani Pallister, who is aiming to sweep the long-distance events (400m, 800m, 1,500m).
Other Canadians to watch in Friday’s solo races include teenager Madison Kryger in the women’s 200m backstroke, and Para athletes Mary Jibb and Katie Cosgriffe in the women’s 200m individual medley SM10 category. Jibb won gold in the 200 IM at last year’s world championships, while Cosgriffe earned a Paralympic bronze in the 100m butterfly in 2024 and medalled in both that event and the 100m backstroke at last year’s worlds.
Friday’s finals conclude with the men’s and women’s 4x100m freestyle relays. Canada took bronze in both events at the 2022 Commonwealths, but the women’s team is without McIntosh and the retired Maggie Mac Neil while the men look pretty thin behind Olympic silver medallist Josh Liendo, who’s aiming for multiple solo medals.
Nine-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist Alexandre Despatie explores what makes the event so special.
Gymnastics
The men’s team final and individual qualifying start at 5 a.m. ET and continue all day. Canada’s Felix Dolci, William Émard, Ethan Ikeda, Jordan Carroll and René Cournoyer are in subdivision 3, which begins at 12:30 p.m. ET.
Canada won eight medals in artistic gymnastics at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, including a silver in the men’s team event and a silver in the individual men’s floor exercise by Dolci. The 24-year-old earned five medals at the 2023 Pan Am Games, including gold in the all-around and floor and a silver in the team.
3×3 wheelchair basketball
Canada does not have a team in the able-bodied 3×3 events, but it is extremely strong in wheelchair, which joined the Games in 2022. Led by Dandeneau, the Canadian women won gold while the men took silver. Canada then swept the women’s and men’s titles at the inaugural world championships last year, with Dandeneau earning tournament MVP honours.
The Canadian men play their first game at 6:40 a.m. ET against Kenya, and the women open against South Africa at 11:10 a.m. ET.
Speech by King Charles declares twenty-third Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland open.
Bowls
After losing their opening matches today, Bester and the Canadian women’s doubles team of Boyd and McKerihen will try for their first wins on Friday as they each face Kenyan opponents.
Boyd and McKerihen play at 11:25 a.m. ET, and Bester at 12:50 p.m. ET.
How to watch the Games
You can catch a wide variety of live sports all day, every day on CBC Gem and CBCSports.ca. The CBC television network also has coverage every afternoon. For details, check the TV schedule and the streaming schedule.
Here’s more on how to watch the Commonwealth Games on CBC, and here’s a look at the broadcast team and coverage details.
For the latest live streams, video, results and news, visit CBC Sports’ Commonwealth Games website.
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