Glasgow 2014: Wales name Commonwealth wrestling team
- Published
Sarah Connolly is one of three wrestlers representing Wales for the second time.
Welsh junior and senior champion Thomas Hawthorn has been included in Wales' five-member wrestling team for the Commonwealth Games
Hawthorn's father Jimmy is a five-time world champion and his brother Brett competed at 2010 Games in Delhi.
The 18-year-old is in the 74kg category, Damion Arzu, 31, is in the 61kg and Craig Pilling, 27, is in the 57kg.
Sarah Connolly, 25, competes in the 63kg category while Oliver Cole debuts.
Cole will be making his Commonwealth debut after winning a bronze medal in the British Freestyle Open in 2014.
Hawthorn, who lives in Llangeinor, is the Welsh junior and senior champion and finished in the top 10 in the European Championships in 2013.
Bolton-born Pilling has been wrestling for nearly 15 years and was British Senior Wrestling Champion in 2006.
Arzu, a former footballer who lives in Newtown, is another member of the team with a family history in the sport; he moved into wrestling after watching his younger brother compete.
Connolly, from Bridgend, competed for Wales and Great Britain in judo but decided to make the move into wrestling and won gold at the British Open in 2009.
Maesteg-born Connolly said: "Obviously, a medal would be great - everyone goes out there with the hope of winning the gold but being realistic you've got to go out there and give it your best performance.
"As long as I give it my best performance, I'll be happy with whichever outcome I come away with."
Arzu, Connolly and Pilling are all representing Wales for the second time after competing in Delhi.
Chief executive of the Commonwealth Games Council for Wales, Chris Jenkins, said: "We're delighted to be able to select a relatively experienced team of wrestlers to compete in Glasgow.
"Three of the squad are set to compete at their second Commonwealth Games, and even our debutant, Thomas Hawthorn, has a wealth of experience in competing for his country at just 18 years-old."
Radio Wales Sport will have a special Commonwealth Games programme from 19:00 BST on Monday, 23 June