Chris Bennett has more reason than most to hope for net gains from the Commonwealth Games.

The hammer thrower will go into today's qualification round ranked fifth among the entrants, the prospect of a medal driving the 24-year-old, like his fellow Scots Mark Dry and Andy Frost, to strive for new limits.

Yet next week, when the circus has left, Bennett will among those on the front line, either left to reap the benefits or to pick up the pieces. One of the city's athletics development officers, he took a leave of absence to ready himself for the fray. Local clubs, he believes, are ready for an influx: "London maybe shocked them a little bit. But now they're geared up for it."

Equally, it has added fuel to his personal fire, to step up enough to allow him to be a figure who can inspire in his locale.

"It's been a massive boost," he said. "Someone pointed out to me the other day, I'm the only Glaswegian-born athlete who lives here who's on the team. (Pole vaulter) Jax Thoirs is in America. So it's a little bit special for me with the home Games.

"I know there'll be some extra expectations on me. But you have to look at it and go, 'let's savour the moment'. Because when am I going to ever get another chance to compete at Hampden Park with 45,000 Scots cheering me on?"

English rivals Nick Miller and Alex Smith will form an impediment, with Canada's Jim Steacy favoured to beat his silver of 2006.

Bennett has risen to within reach this summer. Dry and Frost are looking to finally cross the line to an international medal. For all three Scots, there is a bigger picture than mere internal supremacy.

"We're all trying to do our own thing," Bennett said. "But it's nice to have someone in your home nation pushing you.

"Frosty and Mark have been a little bit ahead of me but this year I've come up towards them. It would be great if one of us three got a medal, and it could be any of us. It's all about who holds their nerve."

Meanwhile, Laura Muir plans to channel her internal ire towards gold when the 1500 metres heats begin. The 21-year-old is a genuine candidate to make the podium following a recent personal best which skirted the four-minute mark. And the Perthshire prospect believes she now has the savvy to hold her own.

"In Hengelo [in the Netherlands] last month, I had a couple of people on the outside who were getting a bit too close for my liking and it was getting a bit harsh.

"I thought: 'this is not happening.' So I had the elbows there to get past. Anyone who crosses my path is going to have to fight for it."

Elsewhere, Allan and David Smith are in the qualifying of the high jump, while Paralympic Games silver medallist Libby Clegg goes for gold in the T12 100m final.