Glasgow 2014: First medals as Commonwealth Games competition begins
Glasgow 2014: Hosts score first day success
(about 1 hour later)
The first medals have been won on the opening day at the Commonwealth Games.
Host nation Scotland had a successful first day at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
By mid-evening, Scottish competitors had secured 10 medals, including four golds.
Team Scotland won 10 medals, including four golds, to claim third place in the medal table.
Kimberley Renicks won Scotland's first gold medal of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with an impressive victory in the judo at the SECC.
England leads the table with six golds out of 17 medals on day one, with Australia second.
The Queen declared the event open on Wednesday night in front of a 40,000-strong crowd in Celtic Park after a live show featuring about 2,000 people.
Much of the Scottish success came in judo, with six medal winners, including golds for sisters Kimberley and Louise Renicks.
Meanwhile, games organiser Glasgow 2014 has said there was no row surrounding the Red Arrows display on Wednesday.
Sisters Kimberley and Louise Renicks won Scotland's first gold medals with victories before a raucous home crowd.
The RAF team used red, white and blue smoke at the opening ceremony.
Kimberley, 26, secured her country's first gold, beating India's Sushila Likmabam courtesy of an ippon in the 48kg weight category.
Some people complained on social media after it emerged that the media pack handed to journalists at the opening ceremony stated the Red Arrows would fly over Celtic Park and Glasgow "in a v-formation trailing blue and white smoke".
The Lanarkshire native's crowning move sparked jubilant scenes at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC).
'UK ambassadors'
Louise, 31, overcame England's Kelly Edwards in a nervy 52kg final.
The display featured the traditional red, white and blue smoke.
There was more medal success for Scotland in the judo hall with Stephanie Inglis taking silver in the under 57kg category while Glasgow fighter Connie Ramsay secured bronze.
In response to question from the media, the Ministry of Defence said: "The Red Arrows are ambassadors for the United Kingdom and are famous for their red, white and blue smoke trails which represent the whole of the UK.
John Buchanan won bronze in the men's under 60kg category while James Millar took bronze in the under 66kg competition.
"The flypast was to celebrate the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, the Commonwealth and the presence of Her Majesty so it was fitting that red, white and blue were used."
In one of the shocks of the Games so far, Ross Murdoch broke the Commonwealth Games record as he easily beat fellow Scot Michael Jamieson to claim gold in the men's 200m breaststroke final.
A spokesman for Glasgow 2014 later said: "Glasgow 2014 would like to clarify that it was its ceremonies producers Jack Morton who had initial conversations requesting the Red Arrows for a blue and white trail to represent the Host Nation's Saltire but this was never formally requested.
Murdoch finished nearly a second ahead of Jamieson - the poster boy of Glasgow 2014 - in two minutes 7.30 seconds, with England's Andrew Willis third.
"We were delighted with the participation of the Red Arrows who deployed their standard trail of red, white and blue in last night's ceremony."
A thrilled Murdoch, 20, said: "There's no way that just happened. I can't believe it. That was amazing.
The Scottish government said it made "no such approach" about a blue and white smoke display and said it believed the UK government did not want the suggestion to go ahead.
"I didn't think I could do that if I'm honest. I'm so surprised."
A spokesman said: "Glasgow 2014, as organisers of the Games, independently contract a private company to organise and stage the opening and closing ceremonies.
Hannah Miley won the gold medal ahead of England's Aimee Willmott in the women's 400m individual medley.
"An approach was made by them to the MoD to explore whether it would be possible to have blue and white smoke in recognition of Scotland as the host Commonwealth nation.
Scotland's first medal of the games went to Aileen McGlynn and pilot Louise Haston who won silver in para-cycling.
"We believe that ultimately the UK government did not want to proceed with this suggestion."
The pair came second in the women's sprint B2 tandem at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome.
Scotland won its first medal - Silver for Aileen McGlynn and Louise Haston - in the Para-cycling women's tandem sprint.
The race was won by Sophie Thornhill and pilot Helen Scott, who picked up England's first Commonwealth Games track gold after beating the Scottish pair 2-0 in a best-of-three final.
The first day of competition in the Games brought news that Mo Farah would not take part.
England lead
The double Olympic gold medallist withdrew after failing to recover from a recent illness.
English success started with Triathlete Jodie Stimpson, who won the first gold medal of the Games to banish the pain of missing out on the London Olympics.
Elsewhere, Scottish swimmer Michael Jamieson is aiming to secure a gold in the 200m breaststroke on Thursday evening.
Stimpson sprinted to victory at Strathclyde Country Park while team-mate Vicky Holland took a surprise bronze behind Canada's Kirsten Sweetland.
Another Scottish swimming hopeful, Hannah Miley, set a new Commonwealth Games record in her opening race.
Stimpson went into the race as the top-ranked competitor and justified that position with a commanding performance, pulling away from Sweetland over the closing 500 metres.
The defending 400m individual medley champion recorded a time of four minutes 38.27 seconds in the opening swim of the competition to qualify for the final.
Alistair Brownlee added Commonwealth triathlon gold to his Olympic, world and European titles to complete the full set and make it a perfect opening day for England.
A total of 16 Scottish swimmers qualified for the final and semi final heats on Thursday evening - 12 in the individual events and four in the relay.
Brownlee ran away from a splintered field as younger brother Jonny took silver and South Africa's Richard Murray bronze.
Elsewhere, English cyclist Sir Bradley Wiggins competes in track cycling's 4,000m team pursuit.
Stewart Harris, chief executive of sportscotland, said: "Congratulations to all Team Scotland athletes who gave their all for their country today, and what an outstanding achievement it is to win 10 medals on the opening day.
"Four gold, three silver, and four bronze medals has exceeded all expectations. Spurred on by an incredible home crowd, Team Scotland is on track to deliver its best ever medal haul at a Commonwealth Games.
"This is a historic and proud day for Team Scotland."
In total, about 4,500 athletes from 71 nations are taking part in the Games, which run until 3 August.
In total, about 4,500 athletes from 71 nations are taking part in the Games, which run until 3 August.
Millions of people across the world watched the opening ceremony, which featured tartan-clad performers, spinning oversized Tunnock's tea cakes and a giant kilt.
The star names involved in the ceremony included actor Ewan McGregor, comedian Karen Dunbar, entertainer and Torchwood actor John Barrowman, musician Nicola Benedetti, and singers Rod Stewart, Amy Macdonald and Susan Boyle.
The Queen declared the Games open by reading her own message from inside the baton, which travelled almost 120,000 miles on its route around the Commonwealth.
Sir Chris Hoy carried it on its final stage to Commonwealth Games Federation president Prince Imran of Malaysia, who struggled briefly to open the container and remove the message to hand to the Queen.
Her Majesty then spoke of the "shared ideals and ambitions" of the Commonwealth and highlighted the "bonds that unite" the 71 nations and territories.
The ceremony also included an unprecedented appeal for donations to Unicef's Children of the Commonwealth Fund, which has raised more than £3.1m.
