Christian Malcolm not among 33 athletes selected for Wales at Commonwealth Games in Glasgow

A 33-strong Wales team has been selected for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games where Dai Greene will look to return to his winning ways and defend his 400m hurdles title.

The 2011 world champion hasn’t competed since the IAAF World Championships in Moscow last August where he failed to make the final, having struggled with illness and injury. His season’s best came when winning the British title in July with a 48.66 clocking.

He will be joined at the Games by fellow hurdler Rhys Williams, who claimed bronze behind Greene in Delhi in 2010 and ran a season’s best of 50.00 to win the Welsh Championships last weekend.

The team, which combines a mix of more experienced athletes with those competing at their first major championship, has been set a target of four medals by Sport Wales.

Among those hoping to help the team meet that target is world and Paralympic discus champion Aled Davies who recently threw 48.69m in Italy to break a 12-year-old world F42 record. He is joined by the likes of fellow throws athletes Lee Doran, Brett Morse and Ryan Spencer-Jones.

Back on the track and Hannah Brier has had her spot on the 4x100m squad confirmed, the 16-year-old sprinter having recently broken Sallyanne Short’s 30-year-old Welsh under-17 100m record with an 11.57 clocking. Also on the sprint relay squad are fellow Commonwealth Games debutantes Rachel Johncock, Mica Moore, Hannah Thomas and Lucy Evans, with Brier, Thomas, Moore and Johncock having set a Welsh record of 45.17 at the recent Loughborough International.

Brier is the youngest member of the Welsh team and will travel to Glasgow along with the likes of Chris Gowell in the 1500m, Dewi Griffiths in the 10,000m and Sally Peake in the pole vault.

There was disappointment, though, for Christian Malcolm. The sprinter had been hoping to compete in his fifth Commonwealth Games but struggling for form due to injury he failed to make the 200m final at the Welsh Championships and has been overlooked.

“I have been stunned by the response of the Welsh athletes to the impending Commonwealth Games in Glasgow – their performance levels over recent weeks have sky-rocketed,” said national performance coach Scott Simpson.

“We have selected one of the largest-ever athletics contingents – something that truly reflects the strength and depth of the sport in Wales at this point in time. My congratulations go out to all those athletes, and their coaches, who have worked so hard over the last four years to achieve this selection.”

The Commonwealth Games take place from July 23 – August 3, with athletics action getting under way on July 27.

Wales team for Glasgow 2014

Men: 
T37 100m: Rhys Jones*
800m: Joe Thomas*, Gareth Warburton
1500m: Chris Gowell
10,000m: Adam Bitchell, Dewi Griffiths
Marathon: Andrew Davies
400m hurdles: Dai Greene, Rhys Williams
F42 discus: Aled Davies
Discus: Brett Morse
Javelin: Lee Doran
Hammer: Jonathan Edwards, Osian Jones, Matthew Richards
Shot put: Ryan Spencer-Jones, Gareth Winter
Pole vault: Paul Walker
Decathlon: Ben Gregory, David Guest, Curtis Matthews

Women:
T12 100m: Tracey Hinton (Guide: Steffan Hughes)
5000m: Elinor Kirk
10,000m: Elinor Kirk
4x100m relay: Hannah Brier, Rachel Johncock, Mica Moore, Hannah Thomas, Lucy Evans
F37 long jump: Beverley Jones
F38 long jump: Olivia Breen
Hammer: Carys Parry
Pole vault: Sally Peake

* Subject to fitness