Canada fields star-studded team at downsized Commonwealth Games

Canada has sent a star-studded team to the Commonwealth Games, but there are fewer medals on the table for all countries.

The 23rd edition of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow opens Thursday and closes Aug. 2.

About 3,000 athletes from 74 countries and territories will compete in a downsized sport program.

Coverage begins on Thursday, starting with the pre-ceremony show at 2:30 p.m. ET, hosted by CBC Sports’ Andi Petrillo and Paralympic cycling medallist Nathan Clement. CBC Gem, CBCSports.ca and CBC will then have live coverage of the opening ceremony at 3 p.m. ET.

Glasgow rode to the rescue to host the quadrennial summer multi-sport festival when the Australian state of Victoria pulled out in 2023 over ballooning costs.

The 2026 Commonwealth Games features 10 sports: athletics, swimming, boxing, judo, artistic gymnastics, track cycling, netball, weightlifting, bowls and three-on-three basketball.

Six sports include its Para sport counterpart: athletics, swimming, bowls, basketball, track cycling, weightlifting.

How to watch the Commonwealth Games on CBC

The Commonwealth Games includes Para sport in a country's medal tally, and Glasgow will host the largest Para sport program in the Games' history.

Triathlon, beach volleyball, diving, road and mountain biking, wrestling, rhythmic gymnastics and field hockey were among the 20 sports on the 2022 menu in Birmingham, England axed for 2026.

There are 215 medal events in Glasgow, which was also the host city in 2014, compared to 280 in Birmingham.

"It's meant to be a new kind of Games where it's still quality, but proving that smaller, smarter and more sustainable can still deliver world-class sport and a lasting legacy," said Commonwealth Sport Canada president