ABC Sport Online - Commonwealth Games 2006 - Highlights

Highlights - March 17

Ian Thorpe's absence blows tonight's men's 200m freestyle final wide open, with any number of pretenders hoping to make the most of an opportunity to grab gold. Elsewhere, keep an eye out for Jade Edmistone in the women's 50m breast stroke.

Australia's crack track cycling team rolls into action at the velodrome but England holds the aces going into the men's keirin race where world champion Jamie Staff will be up against Shane Kelly.

Russian-born Yourik Sarkisian will be favourite to take gold for Australia in the men's 62kg weightlifting final.

Shooting events get underway while in basketball, the Boomers should be unbackable favourites to win their opening match against Scotland, who also provide the opponents for the Kookaburras.

9am-1pm: Pistol and small bore shooting: Men's 50m pistol (pairs) final; women's 25m pistol (pairs) final; Melbourne International Shooting Club

9am-3:15pm: Air rifle shooting: Men's and women's 10m (pairs) final: Melbourne International Shooting Club

10am-4pm: Clay target shooting: Men's and women's trap pairs finals: Melbourne Gun Club

12pm-3pm: Rugby Sevens: Men's quarter-finals: Telstra Dome

2pm-4:30pm: Weightlifting: Men's 62kg final: Melbourne Exhibition Centre

6pm-10pm: Track cycling: Heats plus women's 25km points race, men's keirin final; men's 40km points race: Melbourne Park

6pm-10:30pm: Basketball: Women's and men's preliminaries including Scotland v Australia (men's): (Bendigo)

6pm-10:30pm: Rugby Sevens: Men's semi-finals, final: Telstra Dome

6:30pm-9pm: Weightlifting: Women's 53kg final: Melbourne Exhibition Centre

7pm-9:30pm: Swimming: Semi-finals and finals inc. women's 50m butterfly, men's 50m backstroke, women's 50m breaststroke, women's 50m EAD, men's 200m freestyle: Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre

7pm-10:30pm: Hockey: Men's preliminary game Australia v Scotland; Women's preliminary game inc Australia v Malaysia: State Netball Hockey Centre