Australia have topped the medals count at the past six Commonwealth Games and are expected to do so again in Glasgow, although with a reduced number of medals, according to team officials.
Australia earned 178 medals, 74 of them gold, at the 2010 Games in Delhi, but team officials are expecting a smaller total because of fewer medal events than four years ago.
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The government-backed Australian Sports Commission is targeting 152 medals in Glasgow through its Winning Edge strategy programme.
Sam Coffa, the Australian Commonwealth Games Association president, said it will be difficult for Australia to surpass or match the Delhi total.
“There are 11 fewer medal events in Glasgow than there were in Delhi, 261 as against 272. More athletes will compete for fewer medals,” he said.
Coffa expected increased opposition from the home nations England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. They received significant amounts of preparation funding for both the 2012 Olympics and Glasgow Games, he said.
“India can also be expected to have a carry-over benefit from the home Games in Delhi, while the African and Caribbean nations are competing strongly over a wider range of events at each successive games,” he said.
Team chef de mission Steve Moneghetti warned his country’s “arm-chair experts” not to expect their athletes to be medal-winning machines in Glasgow.
“I’m not panicking, but the Australian public needs to be realistic and understand this will be a very challenging games to have the success they take for granted and expect at a Commonwealth Games,” Moneghetti said. The Australia team, numbering around 415, will be looking to their swimmers for a kick-start to the multi-sports competition, with a target of between 53 and 55 medals in the pool.
The Australians have sent a powerful team of swimmers, including reigning world champions Cate Campbell, Christian Sprenger and James Magnussen.
Australia’s track-and-field team will be spearheaded by Olympic 100-metres hurdles champion Sally Pearson and world championships javelin medallist Kim Mickle.
Cycling is another of Australia’s strengths. The team includes five reigning world champions and is led by Olympic gold medallist Anna Meares, 30, competing in her fourth Commonwealth Games.
The men’s field hockey team is another strong medal contender after beating the Netherlands 6-1 in last month’s World Cup final at The Hague.
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