The 2022 Commonwealth Games, scheduled to start July 28 in Birmingham, is almost upon us. Athletes from over 70 countries worldwide will compete in 280 events across 20 sports – all hopes are high for an eventful 22nd edition of the Commonwealth Games.
While fans and neutrals are getting ready for the events, punters are also taking advantage of bookmaker updates on betting.co.uk to strategically structure their bankroll and capitalise on each game’s opportunities.
While that’s the case, some athletes are tagged favourites to go home with the gold medal in their category. For most of them, this isn’t their debut season; they’ve been in the game long enough to warrant this level of expectations from the media. Morse so, some have established Commonwealth records they’ll be hoping to break. In this article, we’ll look at the top 10 athletes almost certain of a gold medal by the end of the games.
Andre de Grasse
Andre de Grasse is a six-time Olympic medalist and current 200m Olympic champion. It’s hard to mention 100m and 200m sprints these days and not have de Grasse in the conversation. The Canadian sprinter is one of the favourites to win this year’s 200m race which is his forte. Although this is his first ever Commonwealth Games appearance, he’ll lead the Canadian short-distance group, and he’s one athlete you don’t want to bet against.
Mirabai Chanu
Chanu is India’s clean and jerk specialist; she’ll lead the country’s weight lifting section while participating in the 49kg event. She is one of the athletes Indian fans are banking on bringing a medal home. More so, she’ll be eyeing a hat trick of podium appearances after winning a silver in Glasgow and gold in Australia.
P.V. Sindhu
Sindhu has been the face of Indian badminton in recent years, and she’ll no doubt be leading the race for the Commonwealth badminton gold medal in Birmingham. The 27-year-old is currently in excellent form after winning her first BWF Super Series 500 at the Singapore Open – she’ll be entering the competition with high spirits, and the chances of her failing to get a good result are minimal.
Matty Lee
Following his incredible performance at the Tokyo Olympics, which earned him a gold medal, the 24-year-old diver from Leeds will be looking to dominate his category in the Commonwealth games at Birmingham. He’s shown to be an excellent team player on multiple occasions, winning the gold medal while teaming up with Tom Daley and partnered with Noah Williams, winning a silver medal at the World Championships in Budapest. He’ll be teaming up again with Williams in an attempt to pull off an even better performance in Birmingham.
Bajrang Punia
Punia is India’s go-to freestyle athlete in the 65kg category – his performance at the Tokyo Olympic Games sees him as a favourite to bring medals back to India. The 28-year-odd was instrumental in pushing India’s rankings higher after winning the bronze in the 65kg category. He’s the defending champion for his weight at the Commonwealth Games and will be looking to retain his spot and add another gold medal to his cabinet.
Nikhat Zareen
The 26-year-old wrestling world champion will participate in her first Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. While this is her first multi-sporting event, she’ll be looking to get the gold in the 50kg women’s light flyweight category.
Paul Coll
After setting a record by becoming the first New Zealand man to emerge in the world squash rankings, current squash World No. 2 will enter the Commonwealth Games in red-hot form. He’s also the current British Open champion for the last two editions – he’s no stranger to gold.
Ariarne Titmus
If anyone has a shoo-in for a medal, it has to be Ariarne Titmus. The 22-year-old is no stranger to the Commonwealth Games, having won four medals at the previous edition hosted by Trinidad and Tobago; she’ll be looking to put on a show in Birmingham and get on the podium once more. The 200m, 400m, 800m freestyle, and 50 backstroke swimming event is her forte.
Meg Lanning
As cricket is set to be introduced into the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, many teams and players will be eyeing to get their hands on the big prize. Australian captain Meg Lanning is one of such candidates – being one of the favourites to win the competition, she’ll be looking to get her hands on the big prize. She’s not a stranger to trophies haven won four ICC World Cups and two 50-over World Cups.
Neeraj Chopra
After his exploits at the Tokyo Olympics, India’s Neeraj Chopra can only get better. He’s broken his national record twice since returning from the Olympics and is set to carry his red-hot form into the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Everyone is getting ready for the Commonwealth games to kickoff. The Warrington community has also invited its youngsters to join the local Commonwealth Games, an event celebrating the upcoming 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
