Commonwealth Games 2022: Team Wales' ones to watch in Birmingham

Team Wales stars Anna Hursey, Jeremiah Azu and Medi Harris

With 5,000 athletes from more than 70 nations and territories countries competing in 19 different sports, you're going to be spoilt for choice at Birmingham 2022.

But who from Team Wales should you keep an eye on?

The last Games in Gold Coast was the nation's best yet. The class of 2018 brought home 36 medals, with 10 gold.

Four years on and 201 athletes have been selected to try to match - or better - that success.

From established stars to rising talents, former champions to exciting debutants, these are Team Wales' ones to watch.

Garan and Ioan Croft

After dinner, when they were about eight, the Croft twins would throw on some gloves and spar against each other.

It was not long before their dad took them to the boxing club in nearby Cardigan.

Since then Garan and Ioan have won multiple Welsh and British titles, intentionally fighting at different weights to avoid meeting each other in the ring.

At the start of the year, the now 20-year-old twins both moved up to Great Britain's Olympic boxing programme in Sheffield.

At their first senior tournament - May's European Championships - they both returned with medals (silver for Garan, bronze for Ioan).

Now the brothers are about to go to their first Commonwealth Games together - and both are dreaming of gold.

Date for the diary: Sunday 7 August - potential gold medal bouts for both Garan (light middleweight) and Ioan (welterweight).

Aled Sion Davies

Aled Sion Davies competes for Wales at the 2014 Commonwealth Games

What do you get a man who has everything? Well, almost everything. Commonwealth Games gold is the one major title Aled Sion Davies is yet to win.

He has three Paralympic golds to his name, along with seven world titles, but the 31-year-old says this is the title he wants 'more than anything' after having to settle for silver at his last Commonwealth Games appearance at Glasgow 2014.

Davies has switched back to the discus after several years of focusing on the shot.

He says he is in the best possible shape and threw a new world record in his final competition before the Games.

Date for the diary: Wednesday, 3 August - the final of the men's discus throw F42-44/F61-64.

Lily Rice

Reckon you could backflip a wheelchair? Lily Rice did when she was just 13. The Tenby teenager made her name in a sport called wheelchair motocross - or WCMX - which involves riding a wheelchair like a skateboard or BMX bike. Lily is the UK's first world champion.

But last October - as part of her college course and inspired by the Tokyo Paralympics - Rice decided to start swimming again. Just months later she has been selected for the Commonwealth Games.

Date for the diary: Sunday, 31 July - women's 100m backstroke S8 final

Jeremiah Azu

When Jeremiah Azu took the men's 100m UK title in June, no one looked more shocked than himself as he crossed the line. But the 21-year-old is a precocious talent.

He won European under-23 gold in the men's 100m last summer and the devoted Christian credits his lifelong belief in God for his strength and speed.

A minor injury cost him the chance of running in Great Britain's men's 4x100m relay team at the World Championships in Oregon. But he should be fit and ready for his first Commonwealth Games appearance and who knows, maybe another shock is on the cards?

Date for the diary: Wednesday 3 August - men's 100m final

Anna Hursey

Anna Hursey (R) celebrates with Charlotte Carey at the 2018 Commonwealth Games

Four years ago, 11-year-old Anna Hursey made headlines around the world as she became what was thought to be the youngest competitor in Commonwealth Games history.

She backed up her talent with some fantastic performances too, helping Wales to doubles victories against India and Sri Lanka.

Now, aged 16, she is still one of the youngest in Team Wales, but she has years of international competition behind her.

The Commonwealths are a senior event so it means another step up for Hursey. But she has already proven she can rise to the occasion.

Date for the diary: Friday 29 July - women's team event qualifying round 1

Geraint Thomas

If this summer has shown one thing, it is you should never write off Geraint Thomas.

The 36-year-old had his doubters two months ago - but since then he has become the first Briton to win the Tour de Suisse and then finished on the Tour de France podium for the third time in the last five editions.

Thomas joked afterwards the Tour was purely training for the Commonwealth Games.

But the 2014 champion in the road race has been clear about how much getting the chance to represent Wales means to him.

A pan-flat road race course around the West Midlands means the time trial is likely to be his best chance of another medal this time around.

Date for the diary: Thursday 4 August - men's time trial

Medi Harris

Medi Harris competes for Great Britain at the 2022 World Championships in Budapest

Any one of about half a dozen Welsh swimmers could have made this list. There two Olympic champions from Tokyo in the roster in 19-year-old Matt Richards and Calum Jarvis, who both helped Britain to the men's 4x200m freestyle title.

Then there's Alys Thomas, who won gold in the women's 200m butterfly four years ago in a Commonwealth Games record.

Keep an eye also on Dan Jervis, who looks a really good prospect for gold in the men's 1500m freestyle.

But teenager Medi Harris is having an incredible breakthrough season. She broke former Olympian Georgia Davies' Welsh record in the women's 100m backstroke. She became British champion for the first time. At her first World Championships in June, Harris made two individual finals and swam in three relays.

The Gwynedd swimmer, who now trains in Swansea, is getting better and better - and Birmingham might just be her biggest moment yet.

Date for the diary: Sunday 31 July - women's 100m backstroke final

Joel Makin

Joel Makin hopes to win Wales' first squash gold medal in Birmingham

Is this the man to break England's stranglehold of the men's singles and make Welsh history in the process? The last four Commonwealth titles in the men's singles have gone to England while no Welsh player has ever done better than bronze. But world number seven Makin represents the best chance of changing all this.

The 27-year-old from Aberdare is hoping for some home advantage too - he has lived and trained in Birmingham for the last eight years.

Date for the diary: Wednesday 3 August - men's singles medal matches

Natalie Powell

Natalie Powell beat Olympic silver medallist Gemma Gibbons to win judo gold at Glasgow 2014

Natalie Powell has been able to spend the last eight years saying she is the reigning Commonwealth champion. After her gold in the women's -78kg event in Glasgow, the sport was not included in the programme at Gold Coast 2018.

Now 30-year-old Powell has a chance to become the first judo player in history to win consecutive Commonwealth titles.

It seems she is hitting form again too. After a disappointing first-round exit at the Tokyo Olympics last summer, she almost walked away from the sport. But after returning to training she is returning to her best - and won Grand Prix gold in Zagreb in her final competition before the Birmingham Games.

Date for the diary: Wednesday 3 August - women's -78kg contest

Julie Thomas

Gilbert Miles (second left) and Julie Thomas (second right) celebrate winning bronze in the para mixed pairs B2-B3 event with their guides at Gold Coast 2018.

Julie Thomas was a happy, healthy headteacher and mother until she suddenly lost her sight in 2008.

She says it turned her life upside down and was followed by months of struggle as she came to terms with it. Bowls helped her enormously.

She took up the sport and demonstrated a natural talent that has seen her win multiple honours, including bronze for Wales alongside Gilbert Miles in the visually-impaired mixed pairs event at Gold Coast 2018.

Following Miles' passing last year, Thomas returns alongside Gordon Llewellyn and will be going for gold in Birmingham.

Date for the diary: Friday, 5 August - Para Mixed Pairs B2-B3 medal matches