GLASGOW, Scotland:

Jamaica flexed its track and field muscles yesterday with a dominating performance in the first athletics session at the Commonwealth Games, while swimmer Alia Atkinson will be looking to stroke her way to another medal, as the Glasgow 2014 gold rush hits another gear in the Scottish city.

Eight athletes will be gunning for medals at Hampden Park today, as all nine Jamaicans on the track won their respective heats yesterday, with shot put competitors O'Dayne Richards and Raymond Brown also securing spots in their final with contrasting performances in qualifying.

In the pool, Alia Atkinson, the 50m breaststroke silver medallist, will look to bounce back from her miserable seventh-place finish in the 200m breaststroke after her 1:06.87 makes her the fastest swimmer heading into the 100m breaststroke final today at 8:26 p.m. (2:26 p.m.) at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre.

Many believe this is actually Atkinson's best event and will be looking for her to add to her bounty here.

With Usain Bolt likely to be watching from the Athletes Village and Yohan Blake on a television set somewhere, Jamaican sprinters Nickel Ashmeade, Kemar Bailey-Cole and Jason Livermore will be looking to continue the island's sprinting dominance, when they line up in today's 100m semi-finals at 7:35 p.m. with one eye on the final at 9:50 p.m.

All three won their heats comfortably, Bailey-Cole the second-fastest qualifier overall with 10.16, while Jason Livermore clocked 10.26 and national champion Ashmeade, one of only three qualifiers to have gone below 10 seconds this year, posting 10.40.

The women were just as commanding and there were three Jamaicans among the four- fastest qualifiers to today's semi-finals with Nigerian Blessing Okagbare's 11.20 leading the way.

Veronica Campbell-Brown, the fastest Jamaican this year with 10.86 seconds and an impressive Schillonie Calvert stopping the clock comfortably on 11.29. Kerron Stewart won her heat in 11.35. The women's 100m semi-final is set for 7:10 p.m., with the final running off at 9:35 p.m.

Also on the track, all three Jamaicans in the women's 400m won their respective heats with ease and qualified for today's semis (8:15 p.m.); Christine Day and Stephenie-Ann McPherson both claiming winning times of 52.25 with Novlene Williams-Mills easing to a 52.39 win as well.