New Zealanders hit the ground running in Melbourne

Members of New Zealand's cycling team practice in Melbourne yesterday. Picture / Reuters. See today's schedule for Kiwis in action by clicking on 'More Pictures'.

New Zealand's Commonwealth Games team hit the ground running today contesting 10 sports on the opening day of competition.

Medals will be at stake in only swimming and cycling with finals scheduled in both night sessions.

Hayden Roulston has been named to join Jason Allen and Marc Ryan as New Zealanders in the 4000m individual pursuit at the velodrome.

This trio will be followed by Elisabeth Williams and Fiona Carswell in the 500m time trial - an event which has attracted only seven entries (from four countries). In a late addition, New Zealand will have Hayden Godfrey as one of 11 starters in the men's 1000m time trial.

At the pool Alison Fitch, Lauren Boyle and Melissa Ingram will lead off the New Zealand bid when they swim 200m freestyle heats at noon.

The best chances, however, appear to lie in the men's 200m butterfly (Moss Burmester, Andrew McMillan) and the women's 200m individual medley (Helen Norfolk). There will be heats and semifinals in the women's 50m butterfly and breaststroke and the men's 50m backstroke with New Zealanders involved in all.

Shelley Kitchen will be the first New Zealander in squash action at noon. Tamsyn Leevey will play later in the day.

The Sharon Sims-skipped triple will see first day action as will women's pair Jan and Marina Khan. Gary Lawson will skip the men's triple in matches against Fiji and Namibia. The men's pair of Rowan Brassey and Jamie Hill will play their first matches tomorrow.

New Zealand have named a strong badminton combination for their first-up clash with Kenya in the team's competition including highly rated mixed doubles pairing of Dan Shirley and Sara Runesten Petersen.

The men's basketball team drove north to Bendigo yesterday and will be on court later today against South Africa in first round action.

Table tennis has first day play and the rugby sevens team kick off the defence of their crown with pool matches against Wales, Namibia and Kenya with the top two in each pool going through to tomorrow's quarter-finals.

The Black Sticks women play an afternoon match against Scotland. The artistic men's team will be New Zealand's only gymnastic competitors in action today.