With 19 different sports and 1,875 medals up for grabs, it is, without a doubt, one of the jewels of the sporting calendar.
More than 5,000 athletes from 72 nations will be in Birmingham this Thursday for the start of the 22nd Commonwealth Games.
It’s only the third time the event has been held in the UK and events will be taking place at over 15 venues across the West Midlands.
Here’s who you should look out for…
Laura Muir
The Tokyo 2020 silver medalist couldn’t train for two months after injuring her right leg in February.
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But this week, Laura, 29, was back on top form, taking bronze in the 1500m at the World Athletics Championships. After her win, Laura, who is from Inverness and has studied to be a vet, said: “One more… I’ve got the Commonwealths to get.
“I started my running career wanting to run all six champs. I’ve done that. “Then it was to make the final of all six. I’ve done that.
“Now I want to win a medal at all six. It’s five down, one to go."
Dina Asher-Smith
History graduate Dina is the fastest British woman in recorded history.
Earlier this week she equalled her British record but fell frustratingly short of a medal in the 100m at the World Athlete Championships.
At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Dina, who is from Orpington, Kent, was part of a 4x100m team that secured a bronze medal in the relay, despite suffering from a hamstring injury. She said recently: “If you’ve got an opportunity to shine, just do it.”
Adam Peaty
Strictly star Adam missed the recent World Championships after breaking his foot at a training camp in May.
The triple Olympic champion has been back swimming breaststroke for only three weeks. But if anyone can make a speedy recovery, it’s Adam.
The 27-year-old, who hails from Uttoxeter, Staffs, was awarded an OBE in the 2022 New Year Honours for services for swimming.
Katarina Johnson-Thompson
Katarina, the defending Commonwealth heptathlon champion, will be aiming to win back-to-back gold medals at this year’s Commonwealth Games following her success on the Gold Coast in 2018.
The 29-year-old recovered from a ruptured achilles to make last year’s Olympic squad but was forced to rule out the heptathlon due to a calf injury.
The Liverpool-born star, who is dating British hurdling athlete Andrew Pozzi, says that the city of Birmingham, the 2022 venue, has “got a lot of history for me. I can’t wait”.
Geraint Thomas
In 2009, Geraint was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year – and with good reason, as he is Wales’ greatest-ever male cyclist.
The Cardiff-born athlete will be heading straight to Birmingham from the Tour de France.
Now 36, he topped the podium in Glasgow 2014 in the road race and picked up a bronze for the trial. After missing the Gold Coast Games in 2018, he’ll now be aiming for gold.
David Weir
Paralympic wheelchair athlete David is one of the headline stars of England’s Para line-up at the Games.
He claimed Gold at the 2014 Games for 1500m T54, won a total of six gold medals at the 2008 and 2012 Paralympic Games and has won the London Marathon on eight separate occasions.
The 43-year-old, from Wallington, South London, was born with a spinal cord transection that left him unable to use his legs.
Triathlon Mixed Team
Jonny Brownlee, 32, and Jessica Learmouth, 34, both from Yorkshire, scooped the top medal at the Tokyo Olympics last year alongside Georgia Taylor Brown MBE from Manchester and Alex Yee from London.
But Jonny is missing the Commonwealth Games after fracturing his elbow.
The 2022 squad includes newcomers Sophie Coldwell, 27, from Kent and Dan Dixon, 20, from Northumberland.
Alex said: “To win the gold would be a special thing. To do it at home is a feeling I could never even imagine.”
