Sally Pearson has described the Commonwealth Games as an important stepping stone on her path to Olympic gold, and says she's relieved Glasgow rescued the event.
The Scottish city stepped in following Victoria's withdrawal and this week announced the program of sports for the 2026 Games
Track and field will as usual be a highlight with Pearson expecting a number of young Australian athletes to use it as a launching pad, just as she did.
She competed in her first Commonwealth Games in 2006, aged 19, and reached the finals of both the 100m and 100m hurdles before claiming a silver medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and gold four years later in London.
She also won Commonwealth gold in the 100m hurdles at the Delhi 2010 and Glasgow 2014 Games, and a bronze in the 4 x100m relay in Melbourne 2006.
"The Commonwealth Games in 2006 was my first senior team in an individual event and I feel like for me to be able to start it there really helped my progression, especially leading into Beijing Olympics and racing against some of the best in the world," the 38-year-old told AAP.
"In athletics the Commonwealth countries are very strong so to be able to get a glimpse of what it's going to be like over the next few years ... to get that experience leading into the Beijing Olympics it was almost like a stepping stone for me.
"It's a really important step in a lot of athletes' lives and all the big names still love to go to it so it's an important event on the calendar for a lot of people and it certainly was in mine so I'm glad it's still going ahead in some capacity."
Former hockey great Mark Knowles joined Pearson as part of the latest group of retired star athletes announced as the Sport Australia Hall of Fame on Thursday.
Now Hockey Australia national pathways manager, Knowles said his sport's exclusion from Glasgow's 10-sport program was a blow, with the Australian men winning every Games medal on offer since 1998.
"It's disappointing as it's been a really important piece of our pathway," the former national captain told AAP.
"It was so important to get us on the stage, get us in the media, get our athletes prepared for the Olympics.
"Even just being in a multi-sport event, waiting for buses, going to opening ceremonies and having to back up match after match, we only get that now at the World Cup to prepare for the Olympics.
"And that's why the Comm Games, in my journey, was so good. I went to Melbourne in 2006 when I was only 22 and hardly knew what high performance was and that gave me a chance to progress."
