After years of dedication, hard work and strict training regimes, 58 athletes will compete at Glasgow 2014 as part of the largest athletics squad to represent Scotland at a Commonwealth Games.

This surpasses the previous record number of 57, who represented Scotland in track, field and marathon during the 1986 Edinburgh games.

With a target of 34 medals across 17 sports, games bosses will be hoping Team Scotland's athletics stars can improve on their performances from 2006 and 2010.

In 2006, Scotland's only athletics medals came in the shape of a silver for 110metre hurdler Chris Baillie and a bronze for then 400metre hurdler Lee McConnell.

It was a similar story in Delhi in 2010 with Eilidh Child winning silver in the 400metre hurdles and Stephanie Twell securing a bronze in the 1500metres.

The team will want to not only improve on this tally in Glasgow, but to also add some gold to their potential medal haul.

The most interesting inclusion in the final squad is European 800metre champion Lynsey Sharp.

She is currently second in the Commonwealth rankings after running an impressive personal best (PB) of 2:00.09 minutes at a race in the Netherlands. That time also made her the second fastest Scot of all time over the distance with only the aptly named Susan Scott ahead of her (1:59.02 minutes). With Sharp putting six months of injury worries behind her and hitting peak form at the optimum time, it provides Scotland with another realistic medal prospect on the track.

Not only that, it means we will possibly see two Team Scotland compatriots fighting it out for the medals in the 800metres, with 21-year-old Laura Muir also finding her form at the right time. The University of Glasgow veterinary medicine student also ran a personal best in the Netherlands, crossing the line in 4:02.91 minutes in the 1500metres. Muir will run in both the 800 and 1500metres at Glasgow but it's the 800 that will make for an intriguing battle between the two Team Scotland athletes.

Sharp is back to the form which saw her win European gold in Helsinki in 2012 and Muir is confident she can break the all-important two minute mark.

The women's 800metres could be a highlight of the games for Scottish fans with both athletes pushing each other all the way in front of what is certain to be a vocal and patriotic Hampden crowd.

There is no doubting the possibility of two medals but there is also strong competition from the likes of England's Jessica Judd and Jenny Meadows as well as Kenya's world champion Eunice Jepkoech Sum. All three of which have broken the two minute barrier.

Another event, in which Scotland will have multiple realistic medal hopefuls, is the men's hammer throw. Mark Dry, Chris Bennett and Andy Frost are all, on their day, 70metre plus throwers.

With the hammer being such a technical event where conditions play a massive factor, any of this Scottish trio could potentially end up on the podium.

Dry has the best throws on paper with a best personal best of 74.82metres. He has also thrown the furthest out of the three this season (72.49metres).

Meanwhile Chris Bennett has already managed to throw a personal best during this outdoor season (71.37metres) and seems to be coming into form on the lead up to the games.

On the other hand, Andy Frost has a better PB than Chris Bennett (72.79metres) but so far this season has only managed to throw 71.19metres; a mark he will be hoping to improve on before Glasgow.

With all three being very evenly matched, and near the top of the Commonwealth rankings, there is a distinct possibility Scotland could claim a medal in this event.

In a similar vein to the women's 800metres, it's important to mention Team Scotland do face tough competition in this event too, with Canada's James Steacy (75.27metres) and England's Nick Miller (74.38metres) currently sitting first and second in the Commonwealth rankings.

There are other events where Scotland's athletes are expected to medal; the most obvious being Eilidh Child in the 400metre hurdles.

The poster-child for the games has the nation's expectations on her shoulders after winning silver in Delhi four years ago.

However going one better this time won't be easy as Jamaica's Kaliese Spencer has had the beating of Child so far this season.

Other medal hopefuls come in the shape of young pole vaulter Jax Thoirs, 3000metre steeplechaser Eilish McColgan and the women's 4x400metre relay team.

However, there is a fine margin between success and failure in sport and the 17 sports included in Glasgow 2014 are no different.

Scotland is hoping for a record medal haul of 34, but nothing is guaranteed.

Even Team Scotland chef de mission Jon Doig said: "From what we've seen with the athletes and how they're performing, we think that's achievable and we want to get past that total, but nothing is guaranteed in sport and you have to wait and see the draws, who else is competing in the events and who performs on the day."

On the contrary, Team Scotland does have the significant advantage of the games being in Scotland.

Athletes should look to emulate their predecessors who were victorious at the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games in 1970 and 1986.

Lachie Stewart defied the odds at the 1970 Edinburgh games to defeat a number of the brightest stars in endurance running, including Australia's Ron Clarke the then world-record holder, to claim gold in the men's 10,000metres.

Similarly Ian Stewart, no relation to Lachie, managed a similar feat at the 1970 Commonwealth Games by winning the men's 5000metres.

In the process he set a European record and also defeated Ron Clarke, Kenya's Olympic 1500metre champion Kip Keino and fellow Scot Ian McCafferty.

Liz McColgan also stormed her way to gold in the 1986 games, winning the women's 10,000metres in style by crossing the finish line 12 seconds ahead of the second place athlete.

None of the Scottish athletes competing at Glasgow 2014 will have the opportunity to participate in a home Commonwealth games again, so they need to embrace it and use it to better their medal chances.

With the Glasgow crowd, who says Eilidh Child can't overcome the odds and beat Kaliese Spencer to claim 400metre hurdle gold?

Who says Eilish McColgan can't emulate her mother's success and win a Commonwealth medal?

Who says Scotland can't win multiple medals in the women's 800metres and men's hammer?

Although people need to treat the games and Scotland's medal prospects realistically, at the same home advantage cannot be dismissed.

It did wonders at London 2012 and for Scotland at past Commonwealth Games so there is no reason as to why it can't do the same in Glasgow come July.

Team Scotland for Glasgow 2014 (Athletics)

Men

Track: Guy Learmonth 800m, 4 x 400m; Chris O'Hare 1500m; David Bishop 1500m; Jake Wightman 1500m; Callum Hawkins 10,000m; Andrew Lemoncello 10,000m; Stephen Lisgo 3000m s/c; Luke Caldwell 5000m (10,000m).

Scotland Men 4 x 400m: Kris Robertson, Jamie Bowie, Greg Louden, Grant Plenderleith

Marathon: Derek Hawkins, Ross Houston

Field: Allan Smith, high jump; David Smith, high jump; Ray Bobrownicki, high jump; Jax Thoirs, pole vault; Gregor MacLean, pole vault; Nick Percy, discus; Angus McInroy, discus; Mark Dry, hammer; Chris Bennett, hammer; Andy Frost, hammer; James Campbell, javelin.

Para: Lewis Clow, T37 100m; Jason Maclean T37 100m.

Women:

Track: Eilidh Child, 400mH 4 x 400m; Laura Muir, 1500m (800m); Emily Dudgeon, 800m; Lynsey Sharp, 800m 4 x 400m; Eilish McColgan 3000, s/c; Lennie Waite, 3000m s/c; Steph Twell 5000m; Laura Whittle, 5000m; Beth Potter 10,000m (5000m)

Scotland Women 4 x 400m: Gemma Nicol, Diane Ramsay, Zoey Clark, Kirsten McAslan

Field: Jayne Nisbet, high jump; Emma Nuttall, high jump; Rachael Mackenzie, high jump; Jade Nimmo, long jump; Sarah Warnock, long jump; Susan McKelvie, hammer; Rachel Hunter, hammer; Myra Perkins, hammer; Kirsty Law, discus; Kirsty Yates, shot put; Alison Rodger, shot put; Henrietta Paxton, pole vault.

Marathon: Susan Partridge, Hayley Haining, Joasia Zakrzewski

Para: Libby Clegg T12 100m; Meggan Dawson Farrell, Samantha Kinghorn T53/54 1500m.