women's freestyle
The women's freestyle had been in a state of flux since the last games in Kuala Lumpur. With no Sue Rolph to defend the sprints and no Joanne Malar for the distance events, several new commonwealth champions will most probably be crowned.
In the shorter events, Australia's Sarah Ryan and Scotland's Alison Sheppard will start as favourites for the 100 and 50 respectively, although Aussie teenager Jodie Henry should be expected to give them both a run for their money for the golds, and should pick up some of the minor medals if not. It would me a major shock if Sheppard were not to leave with a 50m gold however. Ros Brett of England will be in with a medal shout in the 50 event and don't discount her Loughborough team-mate Melanie Marshall for a bronze perhaps in the 100m. Karen Pickering, 100m champion form 1994 is also well ranked in the 100m and could be a surprise champion on a good day. IUn the longer event, Sheppard is lower ranked but improving and is again in with a medal chance.
The 800m should see England's Rebecca Cooke pick up a gold but she faces a fierce battle with Australia's Amanda Pascoe, with less than 3s separating them on the rankings. Cooke already holds the short course British record of this event and will want to take the long course version form Sarah Hardcastle. She may need to be sure of gold. England's other re competitors Nathalie Brown and Caroline Saxby are conceivable medal winners, although they face their own antipodean rival in the shape of Jennifer Reilly.
The intermediate events are perhaps the hardest to call. The 200 will probably go back down under, with Elka Graham the leading contender. English Veteran Karen Pickering is in the form of her life at the present time though and a swim at the British record time could see her medal. Helen Muller of South Africa as second ranked in the 200 at the moment and will challenge strongly for gold as well.
In the 400 Cooke is ranked top, but there is more to come from the other contenders. Graham again will challenge as will Canada's Jessica Deglau. Jamaica will have hopes of a surpise gold from Janelle Atkinson, who performed really well at last years worlds in Fukuoka. Scotland's Karen Nisbet will hold outside hopes of Bronze, but she sill have to beat Pascoe to achieve that. Also look out for South African Nathalie du Toit, who also competes in the EAD events