THE first members of the Australian athletics squad for the XVII Commonwealth Games have touched down at Manchester Airport.

Australia is expected to take home a large haul of medals and among the athletes who arrived were 400-metre hurdles hopeful Jana Pittman, 19, sprinter Patrick Johnson, 29, and 1998 Commonwealth Games silver medal-winning heptathlete, Jane Jamieson, 27.

Jana Pittman, who this week won her event at her final pre-Games meeting, the MAL Cup IAAF Permit Meeting in Hungary, said she was really excited about competing in the new stadium.

She said: "We've heard great raps about the new stadium. The English always put on a great competition and it's great competing in that atmosphere."

And she was in confident mood about Australia's likely medals tally. "I think we've got a really good chance," she said. "We're a young team and I think we're definitely going to bring home some medals.

"The Commonwealth Games are a big step for me but I'm looking forward to running against my heroes, who I watched four years ago in Kuala Lumpur."