HOME advantage at these Commonwealth Games means more than just the backing of a boisterous Glasgow crowd.
Ten core sports must be included in every Games programme but on top of that the host nation may then choose to include up to seven optional sports. It is not just for entertainment value that Team Scotland has elected to bring back judo for the first time in 12 years. If they are to get anywhere near their target of beating their medal haul of 33 set in Edinburgh in 1986, the Scottish judokas will need to deliver a very large swathe of them.
At the Olympic Games in London two years ago, France and Japan were the leading judo medal winners with seven apiece. Next came Russia with five, then Brazil with four, and Cuba and South Korea with three each. None of these countries are part of the Commonwealth.
Great Britain, in fact, was the only nation with athletes in Glasgow to medal in London. Little surprise, then, that judo is back on the agenda for the first time since 2002 when Scotland took 10 medals, including Graeme Randall's gold.
The competition gets underway this morning at the SECC for three consecutive days,with each weight category played out to a finish on its chosen day. Six Scots are on the mat today - including sisters Kimberley and Louise Renicks - three more are in action tomorrow, with a further five competing on Saturday. There is a certain braggadocio required to compete in any form of combat sport - when was the last time you heard a boxer talk down his chances? - but there is a genuine feeling that the majority of Team Scotland are capable of earning a medal of some colour or other.
The numbers involved, as much as their individual talent, make that so. A fairly short field means no Scottish entrant has to win more than four bouts to be crowned Commonwealth champion. Some, like the three-time Olympian Sarah Clark, only have to win one bout to reach the semi-finals, while Sarah Adlington - who competes in the +78kg category on Saturday - starts in the semi-finals with just seven judokas fighting at her weight. There is a repechage event for those unlucky enough not to make it to the latter stages but confidence is high among the Scottish contingent that that will not be needed.
"I'm not sure of the format so I'm just concentrating on trying to win," said Adlington. "It's just a judo tournament at the end of the day. What we've got to do is the exact same thing as before - step on the map and try to win. That doesn't change. Although there's a lot of expectation, the mindset is just the same."
A good day on the map - with numerous renditions of Flower of Scotland ringing out around the SECC this evening - could set the tone for a successful Games for the home nation. Should the judokas get the ball rolling with a decent haul on day one then the hope is it will inspire and motivate others to deliver medal-winning performances over the following 10 days.
Individual athletes, of course, can influence nothing beyond their own destiny but Adlington hopes her team-mates can help spark a Scottish gold rush. "I compete on the Saturday but hopefully there will be medal opportunities every day," she added. "Hopefully the first day goes well for us and that continues all the way through. I'll try to go to the morning sessions to watch on the first few days and just get used to the atmosphere. There are going to be big crowds so I have to get a feel of what that will be like. Then I'll go back and chill and think about what I'll have to do on Saturday."
The beauty, or cruelty, of judo is that it can be all over in a matter of seconds, as Euan Burton, who carried the Scotland flag in the opening ceremony last night, and Clark discovered to their cost in London two years ago. A piece of misjudgment, or a bit of magic from an opponent, can see years of preparation go up in smoke.
"I don't think there's any sport like it," acknowledged Adlington. "I don't think you appreciate that until you're in it. We're all used to it now - you can win inside 30 seconds or lose inside 30 seconds. One mistake and it can all be over, but one piece of magic judo and you can be Commonwealth champion.
"You need a little of everything. You have to be mentally and physically strong, and you need a bit of 'judo feel' as well. You can learn different things but hard work and determination are important as well. It's a fight and how hard you can fight for four or five minutes is key to whether you win or lose."
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