The flashbulbs will go off, illuminating the Queensland skyline, and Neil Stirton will drink it all in.
Even as he heads into his fourth Commonwealth Games, the wonder of stepping out on opening night will never cease to amaze him.
Aberdonian Stirton made his Team Scotland bow Down Under in 2006. Melbourne’s MCG was a haven of blue light, koala mascots and thousands of handheld flags, the start of a Commonwealth odyssey that has brought shooter Stirton a medal of each colour.
But as memorable as those steps on to the podium have been, the memories that come flooding back are of his first steps as a Commonwealth athlete.
Stirton said: “I remember walking out at the opening ceremony and being blown away. There were 80,000 people and I defy anyone to say their hairs weren’t standing up on the back of their neck. That’s a vivid memory. The Australians certainly know how to run an event.
“You’ll find in the modern age, athletes will be out with their phones recording it and I’m sure there’ll be plenty of footage online. I would rather soak it in and enjoy the moment.”
His debut Games got even better, winning a silver medal in the 50 metre rifle prone pairs at 25, but better was to come four years later. Alongside Jonathan Hammond, he came away with a bronze in the 50m rifle three positions pairs and a gold in the prone pairs. Two games down, three medals in the bag.
The only Games the 37-year-old did not medal at was Glasgow 2014. Making the finals of the prone and three positions events, Stirton came eighth in the first and fourth in the latter, missing out on a fourth medal by milli-metres.
His event sees him take aim at a target from 50m away. As the title suggests, the prone event involves laying flat and firing 60 shots in 75 minutes. In the three positions format, Stirton will have three rounds of 40 shots in the prone, kneeling and standing positions, completed over two hours and 45 minutes.
Given his track record in Games past, setting his sights any lower than a medal would be reductive. But he takes on additional roles now. As one of the more experienced Team Scotland members, Stirton was asked to speak to the rest of the squad at the kitting out day in Dunblane, enlightening them as to what they can expect in the Athletes’ Village and how important acclimatisation is.
Stirton said: “If anyone comes to me at the dining table with any questions – people can go stir crazy in a confined environment and it’s about keeping yourself occupied for an hour or so, then switching and doing something else.