Glasgow 2014: Team Wales consider medal target rethink

Team Wales' chef de mission Brian Davies

Team Wales conceded their target of 27 Commonwealth Games medals will be tough to hit following a number of high-profile withdrawals.

Cyclist Becky James and world triathlon champions Non Stanford and Helen Jenkins will miss the Glasgow event.

Wales claimed 19 medals, including three golds, in Delhi four years ago but had raised the stakes this time.

"Twenty-seven is going to be a stretch when you lose three world champions," said chef de mission Brian Davies.

Wales lost two more athletes on Monday - two days before the opening ceremony - when weightlifter Faye Pittman and judo player Kyle Davies withdrew through injury.

When asked how many medals Wales could now win, Davies replied: "Still a hatful."

As well as injury withdrawals, Wales have also been hit by expulsion of 800m runner Gareth Warburton, who has been charged with anti-doping rule violations.

The 31-year-old was fourth at Delhi 2010 and was part of Team GB at London 2012.

Davies insisted the team had not been affected by the series of setbacks.

"It's probably been more unsettling for the individuals concerned," he said. "Hopefully the rest of the team have been isolated from it.

"I feel mainly sorry for the individuals concerned. They would have been so proud to wear the kit and represent their country."

Davies also defended Team Wales against allegations from triathlete Leanda Cave that they did not have a back-up plan should Jenkins and Stanford pull out.

He reiterated the Team Wales stance that they could not pick Cave, who has turned her focus to Ironman events, because she had not been nominated by Welsh Triathlon.

"Leanda is a world-class athlete, but she is doing a different event to the one that is being put on in Glasgow," insisted Davies.

"Essentially, this is a Welsh Triathlon issue. Had Welsh Triathlon nominated her, I'm pretty sure we would have accepted that nomination."