Commonwealth Games – what to watch today, Thursday 31 July
Four events you can't afford to miss at Glasgow 2014, including Louis Smith in the men's pommel horse
Gymnastics: Men's Pommel Horse final, 4.30pm BBC1 (watch online here)
Dancing couldn't keep him out of the gym for long. Louis Smith has performed an inch-perfect somersault and decided that there's life in his gymnastics career yet, after originally deciding that London 2012 would be his last competition. Smith announced he was back in training in January, qualified for Glasgow in June, and has now already won Commonwealth gold in the men's team final. With the individual gymnastics events set to conclude today, the stage is set for the Strictly Come Dancing showman to show that he's not lost any of his athletic timing.
Athletics: women's 400m hurdles, 8.25pm BBC1 (online here)
It was at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi that Scottish hurdler – and poster girl for the Glasgow Games – Elidh Child won her first major medal. While the then-PE teacher was thrilled with her silver, she'll be hoping to go one better this evening having spent the past three years as a full-time athlete. Child's toughest competition is likely to be Jamaica's Kaliese Spencer. Only one place separates the pair in the world rankings (Spencer is second, Child third), but with the backing of a home crowd, this could be CHild's chance to overtake her rival.
Athletics: men's T54 1500m, 7.35pm BBC1 (online here)
More like this
The Weirwolf rides again. David Weir, the wheelchair athlete who won four gold medals in London 2012, is back to headline England's para-sport team in Glasgow. Earlier this month in the Glasgow Grand Prix, Weir recorded a time of 3 minutes 8.78 seconds, more than three seconds faster than his winning Olympic time. In an event as tactical as the 1500m – where racers jockey for position before sprinting for the line – fluctuating times are common, but it shows Weir has lost none of his bite going in to tonight's final.
Cycling: men's and women's time trials, from 10am BBC1 (online here)
Geraint Thomas returns fresh as a daisy (probably not) from his three weeks in the Tour de France to compete for Wales in the men's time trials. In the women's event, England's Emma Pooley is competing in her final event before retiring.
