Ones to watch: Kiwis chasing Commonwealth glory in Birmingham

We're just two days away from the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham where New Zealand will be looking to improve on campaigns of the past with another impressive medal haul.

By Brodyn Knuckey and Jane Horrell

New Zealand's best performance was back in 1990 on home soil when we racked up 58 medals (17 gold, 14 silver and 27 bronze) in Auckland.

Here are eight Kiwi athletes hoping to get their own medals in Birmingham and potentially contribute to breaking that record:

Here are our top picks of the moments you won't want to miss in Birmingham.

Kiwis going for gold at the Commonwealth Games (Source: 1News)

Competing in the men's 109kg+ event, Liti goes into this year's Games with more weight to overcome - both in competition and expectation.

Liti enters Birmingham as the defending champion after lifting a Games record total of 403kg on the Gold Coast four years ago, beating Samoa's Lauititi Lui by 3kg.

While Liti's gold medal was impressive, perhaps even more admirable was his reception of the David Dixon Award during the 2018 closing ceremony after he displayed remarkable sportsmanship towards Lui during their final when the Samoan injured himself.

Expect both that big heart and some big numbers to be on display when he competes at 5.30am NZT on Thursday August 4.

What more can be said about New Zealand's most decorated para athlete of all time than what has already been written?

At her third Commonwealth Games, Pascoe will be looking to add a fifth medal (two golds in 2018, two golds in 2014) when she lines up in the women's 100m freestyle S9 event.

Unlike her previous campaigns though, Pascoe will have some friendly competition alongside her in Birmingham with fellow New Zealand Paralympic gold medallist Tupou Neiufi in the same event after her breakout campaign in Tokyo last year.

Pascoe also enters the event with another new face beside her in new coach Brett Naylor after parting ways earlier this year with Roly Crichton after a 20-year partnership.

Pascoe - and Neiufi - hit the pool in the 100m freestyle S9 at 9.30pm NZT on Friday July 29 for their heats before the final takes place the following morning at 6am.

The defending gold medallist has just had a hard knock at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, finishing fourth behind an all-American podium.

Walsh said he's determined to put in a good performance in Birmingham "to right a few wrongs" after the disappointing result.

He'll be back in the shot put ring with fellow Kiwi Jacko Gill for the qualifying round at 9pm NZT on Wednesday August 3 before the final on Saturday August 6 at 5.30am

The squash stars are looking to better their medal haul from 2018 where they won a gold and silver individually and a bronze in the mixed pairs.

The pair are a tipped to win gold in their individual events, and will be taking aim at the mixed doubles podium hoping to improve the colour from the Gold Coast.

Coll was ranked World No.1 earlier this year after winning his second British Open.

King is looking in great shape lining up for her 4th Commonwealth Games with a win at the Manchester Open under her belt and a semifinal finish at the British Open.

The squash preliminary rounds start from 11pm NZT Friday July 29.

Wilde has been in great form on the world circuit in the leadup to his first Commonwealth Games, swooping to victory at the World Triathlon Championship Series in Hamburg earlier this month.

The 24-year-old Olympic bronze medallist will be continuing his ongoing rivalry with Britain's Alex Yee who'll be competing on home turf in Birmingham.

Wilde is part of a six-strong triathlon group that will hit the Midlands route on Day 1 of the Games from 8pm NZT this Friday July 29, with the team events happening the following night from 8.30pm.

Cooper is recovering from a hard crash at a World Cup race in Andorra last week that left him with an injured hand. The nine-time NZ champion says nothing is broken and he can grip the handlebars again.

He'll be looking to improve on his Tokyo Olympics 6th place finish that was just 12 seconds shy of the podium.

Catch him thundering around the Cannock Chase forest in the men’s mountain bike cross country at 10.30pm NZT on Wednesday August 3.

The men are there too but don't miss the women's rugby sevens matches.

The talent-laden team have won about everything possible, so we're hopeful of another golden finish if they deliver top-level play.

The Birmingham squad has 11 players that won gold in the event's debut at the Gold Coast games in 2018.

In Birmingham, they'll face Canada, England and Sri Lanka in the pool play which kicks off from 8pm NZT Friday July 29. The finals are scheduled from 5.30am Monday August 1.

With mastermind Dame Noeline Taurua at the helm, the Silver Ferns will be hoping to impress despite missing some key names. The 2018 Games were a washout, the team finishing 4th and failing to medal for the first time.

They'll be captained by Gina Crampton in Birmingham and we can expect to see them cruise through their first pool games against Northern Ireland, Uganda, Malawi, and Trinidad and Tobago.

The true test will be when they face England on August 5. The group stage starts at 5am NZT Saturday July 30.

1News will have extensive coverage of the Games, which run from Friday morning's opening ceremony through to Tuesday, August 9.

TVNZ's reporting team in the UK for the Games: Jenny-May Clarkson, Daniel Faitaua, Brodyn Knuckey, Guy Heveldt, Rapaera Tawhai, Victor Waters and Abby Wilson.