Commonwealth Games 2022: How to watch Team Australia, preview, schedule & key athletes

Australia has an outstanding record at the Commonwealth Games.

Teams from Down Under have placed first overall 13 times (England is next best with seven), and have been in the top three for all 21 meets except the first Games in 1930.

It would take a brave person to bet against them building on that impressive legacy at Birmingham 2022, given the star-studded line up they will boast in the United Kingdom, 28 July - 8 August.

Leading the way are multiple Olympic gold medallist swimmers Emma McKeon and Ariarne Titmus, who skipped the World Championships earlier in the summer in order to focus on this event.

Below we take a closer look at the top Australian stars to watch out for at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

READ: Commonwealth Games 2022: Preview, schedule, how to watch the stars in action

Emma McKeon - Swimming

Emma McKeon was in a class of her own at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in 2021. The Gold Coast native took home four gold medals, and seven overall, to equal the most medals won by a woman in a single Olympic Games. She also became her nation’s most decorated Olympian ever. The 28-year-old skipped the World Championships to focus on the Commonwealth Games and should be fresh and raring to go. McKeon will likely compete in the 50/100 freestyle and 50/100 butterfly. Keep an eye out in particular for the women’s 100m free, where the Olympic champion will take on her compatriot, and reigning world champion, Mollie O’Callaghan.

Emma Mckeon: Schedule for Commonwealth Games 2022

• Friday 29 July - women's 100m butterfly heats and semi-finals
• Saturday 30 July – women's 50m freestyle heats and semi-finals, and women's 100m butterfly final
• Sunday 31 July – women's 50m butterfly heats and semi-finals, and women's 50m freestyle final
• Monday 1 August – women's 100m freestyle heats and semi-finals, and women's 50m butterfly final
• Tuesday 2 August – women's 100m freestyle final

Ariarne Titmus - Swimming

After taking Katie Ledecky’s 200 and 400 freestyle Olympic titles in Tokyo, Ariarne Titmus went a step further by breaking the 400 world record at the Australian Championships in April. Titmus is the strong favourite to retain her 400 and 800 Commonwealth titles, and could become just the second woman to win those events at consecutive Games following compatriot Tracey Wickham (1978, 1982). The 21-year-old is also a gold-medal threat in the 200m freestyle. Titmus’ greatest challenge in the West Midlands could come from Canadian breakout star Summer McIntosh, who at 15-years-old finished second to Ledecky in the 400 free at the World Championships.

Ariarne Titmus: Schedule for Commonwealth Games 2022

• Friday 29 July - women's 200m freestyle heats and final
• Sunday 31 July – women’s 4x200m freestyle relay heats and final
• Monday 1 August – women’s 800m freestyle heats
• Tuesday 2 August – women’s 800m freestyle final
• Wednesday 3 August - women’s 400m freestyle heats
• Thursday 4 August - women’s 400m freestyle final

Peter Bol - Athletics

Peter Bol became a household name in Australia after narrowly missing out on a medal at Tokyo 2020. The Sudanese-born athlete finished fourth in the men’s 800m by 0.53 of a second. Unperturbed, Bol has been on fire in 2022. The 28-year-old secured a new personal best, and national record, of 1:44.00 at the Paris Diamond League meet. He finished a disappointing seventh at the World Athletics Championships earlier in July, and will be keen to atone with a Commonwealth Games gold in Birmingham.

Peter Bol: Schedule for Commonwealth Games 2022

• Wednesday 3 August - men’s 800m round 1
• Friday 5 August - men’s 800m semi-finals (if qualified)
• Sunday 7 August - men's 800m final (if qualified)

Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar - Beach volleyball

This Australian duo were on fire at Tokyo 2020, coming so close to winning their nation’s first Olympic gold medal in beach volleyball since Natalie Cook and Kerri Pottharst in 2000. In the end they settled for silver against the USA, but Taliqua Clancy and **Mariafe Artacho del Solar**proved their worth at the sport’s top table. The Aussies also sealed silver at the 2018 Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast, and will be determined to go one better this time. The form books dictate that they are favourites to do so, after winning the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Challenge event in Portugal this July.

Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar: Schedule for Commonwealth Games 2022

• Sunday 31 July – Women's Group Match - Australia v Sri Lanka
• Tuesday 2 August – Women's Group Match - Australia v Trinidad & Tobago
• Thursday 4 August - Women's Group Match - Australia v Cyprus
• Friday 5 August - Women's quarter-finals (if qualified)
• Saturday 6 August - Women's semi-finals (if qualified)
• Sunday 7 August - Women's final (if qualified)

Rohan Browning - Athletics

You can’t miss Rohan Browning. The man with the amazing mullet streaked past former world champion Yohan Blake in the 100m heats at Tokyo 2020, finishing in a blisteringly quick 10.01 seconds. The 24-year-old didn’t make it past the semi-finals in Japan, and was another who failed to find his best form at the World Championships, clocking 10.22. History now beckons for Browning in Birmingham, where he hopes to beat Patrick Johnson’s 2003 national record of 9.93.

Rohan Browning: Schedule for Commonwealth Games 2022

• Tuesday 2 August - Men's 100m Round 1
• Wednesday 3 August - Men's 100m Semi-finals and final (if qualified)
• Saturday 6 August - Men's 4 x 100m Relay Round 1
• Sunday 7 August - Men's 4 x 100m Relay Final (if qualified)

Kaylee McKeown - Swimming

Versatile Kaylee McKeown doesn’t know which of her individual events she is best suited to, so will swim four at the Commonwealth Games. The 21-year-old, who won 100 and 200 backstroke gold at Tokyo 2020, will compete in the 50, 100 and 200 backstroke, as well as the gruelling 200 IM events. McKeown, who is also the 100 back world record holder, won silver in the 200 IM at the World Championships and is the favourite to win three out of her four events, with Canada’s reigning 50 back world champion Kylie Masse her key rival.

Kaylee McKeown: Schedule for Commonwealth Games 2022

• Saturday 30 July - women's 100m backstroke heats and semi-finals
• Sunday 31 July – women's 100m backstroke final (if qualified)
• Monday 1 August – women's 200m backstroke heats and final, and women's 200m IM heats and final
• Tuesday 2 August – women’s 50m backstroke heats and semi-finals
• Wednesday 3 August - women's 50m backstroke final (if qualified)

Eleanor Patterson and Nicola Olyslagers - Athletics

Fresh from winning the high jump world title in Oregon, it would take a seismic effort to beat Eleanor Patterson in Birmingham. The 2014 Commonwealth Games champion equalled the national record of 2.02m and became Australia’s first high jump world champion. But interestingly, her greatest competition will come from her own country. Nicola Olyslagers also jumped 2.02m to win a shock silver at Tokyo 2020 - the nation’s first Olympic medal in the event since 1964. The North Gosford native also has a good Commonwealth record, having won bronze in 2018 on home soil.

Eleanor Patterson and Nicola Olyslagers: Schedule for Commonwealth Games 2022

• Thursday 4 August - women's high jump qualifying rounds - A & B
• Saturday 6 August - women's high jump final

Kyle Chalmers - Swimming

After an Olympic cycle full of injury and frustration, Rio 2016 100m freestyle Olympic gold medallist Kyle Chalmers is fit again and feeling his best in years. Even with disrupted preparation, he managed to win silver at Tokyo 2020, and will be the favourite for that event at the Commonwealth Games. His biggest challenge will come from reigning 100 free Commonwealth Games champion Duncan Scott of Scotland, while his clash with debutant Cody Simpson in the 50 and 100 butterfly will be fascinating.

Kyle Chalmers: Schedule for Commonwealth Games 2022

• Friday 29 July - men's 50m butterfly heats and semi-finals
• Saturday 30 July - men's 50m butterfly final (if qualified)
• Sunday 31 July – men's 100m freestyle heats and semi-finals
• Monday 1 August – men's 100m butterfly heats and semi-finals, and men's 100m freestyle final (if qualified)
• Tuesday 2 August – men's 100m butterfly final (if qualified)

Alana King - Cricket

Up until recently, Alana King was a relatively unknown name in Australian cricket. But heading into the 2022 Commonwealth Games, the 26-year-old has become a lynchpin of the team. Her break out moment came during this year’s Ashes, after she was called up to the squad due to an injury crisis. The leg spinner’s stellar performances saw her selected for the 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand. King was her nation’s top wicket taker at the event with 12, which was won by Australia. She is most lethal in the shortest form of the game, which is the format for Birmingham, so expect fireworks from her in Edgbaston when her captain tells her to warm the shoulder up.

Alana King: Schedule for Commonwealth Games 2022

• Friday 29 July - Women's Group A Match: Australia v India
• Sunday 31 July - Women's Group A Match: Australia v Barbados
• Wednesday 3 July - Women's Group A Match: Australia v Pakistan
• Saturday 6 August - semi-finals (if qualified)
• Sunday 7 August - final (if qualified)

Samu Kerevi - Rugby Sevens

Samu Kerevi is comfortably the highest-profile rugby player taking part at Birmingham 2022. The powerhouse back switched from 15s to sevens for the Tokyo 2020, where he helped Australia reach the quarter-finals. The 28-year-old then returned to the traditional format of the game for his club team in Japan and it was not expected that would ever return to sevens. But Kerevi wanted to honour a promise he made to his teammates at the Olympics that he would return, if possible, to help them win a medal. The Fijian-born player is clearly a man of his word, and adds considerable firepower to his team's attack.

Samu Kerevi: Schedule for Commonwealth Games 2022

• Friday 29 July - Men’s Pool D: Australia v Jamaica (morning) and Australia v Uganda (evening)
• Saturday 30 July - Men’s Pool D: Australia v Kenya (morning) and quarter-final (evening - if qualified)
• Sunday 31 July - Men's semi-final (morning - if qualified) and final (evening - if qualified)

How to watch Australia at Commonwealth Games 2022

UK: BBC TV, Radio, iPlayer

Canada: CBC Sports, CBC Sports app

Australia: Channel 7, 7Plus

New Zealand: Sky, TVNZ

Further streaming details to be released on the Commonwealth Games website.