Malcolm will be a senior figure in the Wales team in Melbourne

"There's a big bond already growing," said the 26-year-old from Newport, who took 200m silver at the 1998 Games.

"We have a lot of talented youngsters in a very strong team, the media hype's building and it's all very exciting.

"My preparations are great at the moment and I'm really excited about winter training, next season is going to be a lot better for me."

Since the 1998 Games, Malcolm's major championship highlights have mostly been in the relay events.

I need to bulk up as I've lost too much weight Christian Malcolm

He won the 200m at the European Cup in 2000, took silver in the 4x100m at the 2003 World Championships in Paris, and bronze in the same event at Helsinki this season.

Malcolm says his preparations are going smoothly as he targets more success in Melbourne next year.

"Having to peak in March means that training starts a lot earlier and I'm treating it like I'm preparing for a big indoor season," he told BBC Sport Wales.

"At the moment I'm not setting goals, we'll see how the winter goes, but I'm injury free and healthy right now.

"I need to bulk up as I've lost too much weight and the other guys out there are bigger than me, I'm looking to expand muscle."