With so many athletes, sports and time zones, the Commonwealth Games can be a marathon in itself. Lucky for you, we’ve cast our eyes over the field and identified the most inspiring golden girls and golden guys who will carry our athletic dreams in Glasgow.
Nina Kennedy, Women’s Pole Vault
Nina Kennedy is the reigning Olympic gold medallist in pole vault, but an injury-ravaged 2025 had her Comm Games campaign in doubt… until this month. On 11 July, the West Aussie cleared the highest jump of her life (4.95 metres) to shatter her own Australian record. Can the 29-year-old vault past the elusive five-metre mark in Glasgow?
Watch Nina in the women’s pole vault final on August 1 from 1:30-5:00 am AEST.
Georgia Godwin, Gymnastics
Georgia Godwin is such a legend on the Uneven Bars, the International Gymnastics Federation named her in their Code of Points. ‘The Godwin’ is a “clear hip circle forward to handstand with a 360-degree turn” and the 154cm Queenslander will weaponise it in Glasgow to defend the golds she won in 2022 at Birmingham in All-Around and Vault.
Watch Georgia compete on Monday, July 27 (Vault 1-5.30pm, All-Around 6-9pm AEST).
Cameron Myers, The Mile
Cameron Myers was born to run. The 20-year-old Canberra kid’s speciality event is The Mile, which is being staged at these Commonwealth Games for the first time in 60 years. And having stunned the athletics world in 2023 by running the fastest mile (1.6km) for a 16-year-old, the world No 1 over 1500m is a hot favourite to win Australia a historic gold.
Watch Cameron run in the men’s Mile final on Saturday 1 August (4-7pm AEST).
Mollie O’Callaghan, Swimming
Mollie O’Callaghan, Australia’s 22-year-old queen of the pool, dropped a bombshell this week. The five-time Commonwealth and Olympic Games gold medallist revealed she would race in Glasgow with spinal stress fractures. Can Mollie still conquer the 50, 100 and 200m freestyle events and the relays? Just watching her try will be compelling.
Tune into Mollie’s races from July 24 to July 29 (5:30 & 7pm heats, 4am finals).
Jacky Hudson and Louise Hoskins, Para Women’s Pairs Bowls
Jacky Hudson and Louise Hoskins are our oldest Commonwealth Games debutants. Louise, 76, and Jacky, 75, are elite bowlers and will represent Australia in the vision-impaired mixed doubles and the para women’s pairs respectively. A fixture since 1930, Glasgow will see bowls and para bowls contested on an indoor “rink” for the first time.
Jacky and Louise roll Friday 24 July to Sunday 2 August (5.30-11pm & 12-7am AEST).
Lachlan Kennedy, Track
Lachlan Kennedy became the first Australian to break the 10-second barrier on home soil with an explosive 9.96-second run in April. It gave the Brisbane sprinter bragging rights over rival Gout Gout (who won’t be in Glasgow) but still doesn’t guarantee gold, with teammates Eddie Nketia (9.74) and Rohan Browning (10.01) hot on his heels.
The men’s 100m final will be run on Wednesday, July 29 at approx. 3:30am AEST.
Lakeisha Patterson, Para Swimming
Lakeisha Patterson has defied cerebral palsy, epilepsy and early onset Parkinsons to become a 13-time national champion and spearhead of Australia’s Para Swimming team. At 27, the Wodonga-born freestyler is at her fourth Comm Games and hoping to replicate the twin golds she won in the 50m S8 and 100m S9 at the 2018 event.
Watch the Para swimming events from Friday July 24 to Wednesday July 29 (12-7.30am)
Kyle Chalmers, Swimming
Kyle Chalmers is at his third Comm Games and is coming in hot for 2026, having won three gold medals in 2022 and four in 2018. Even at 28, “King Kyle” reigned supreme at the nationals in June and the heavily tattooed, reptile-loving 2016 Olympic champion will be hungry for a new gold rush in his pet 100m freestyle and relay events in Glasgow.
Catch Kyle and our swim stars from July 24 to July 29 (5:30 & 7pm heats, 4am finals).
Eleanor Patterson and Nicola Olyslagers, High Jump
Eleanor Patterson and Nicola Olyslagers are Australia’s high jump queens. Famous for journaling in her notebook after every jump, Nicola, 29, won silver medals at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics and gold at the 2025 World Athletics Championships, with Eleanor, 26, often close behind. Look for an Australian gold-silver dais in Glasgow.
The women’s high jump final is on Wednesday 29 July (approx. 4am AEST).
Angela Ballard, Para T53/4 Wheelchair Sprint
Angela Ballard will be the first Para athlete to compete at five Commonwealth Games. After a car accident left her a paraplegic aged seven, Canberra-born Angie devoted herself to the T53 and T54 sprints, setting international records and winning world titles. Now 44, Angie wants her 30th year as an Australian representative to be her best yet.
See Angie in the T54 1500m final and 400m T53/54 events on Wednesday 29 July.
Jessica Hull, The Mile
Jessica Hull will hit the ground running in Glasgow, having last week won the 3000m at the London Diamond League in a season-best 8:24.69. Her target here is to become the first Australian woman to win The Mile, and few would bet against the Paris Olympic silver medallist achieving it, particularly given COVID-19 derailed her 2022 Games tilt.
Watch Jess run in the women’s mile final at Scotstoun Stadium on Saturday 1 August
Matt Denny, Discus Throw
Matt Denny stands 196cm and weighs 120g but he’s all heart. The big man from the small town of Allora (pop: 1205) is also in career-best form, having last year thrown 74.78m to break his own Oceania record. Matt won a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, but in Glasgow he wants gold… and a shot at Mykolas Alekna’s world record of 75.56m.
Matt will defend his 2022 discus gold medal on Saturday, August 1 (7-11pm AEST).
Torrie Lewis, Track
Torrie Lewis, Australia’s fastest woman, will be running down a dream in the 100m and 200m track events in Glasgow. The former gymnast first sent a warning shot to the world as a 19-year-old by running 11.10 to shatter Raelene Boyle’s 1968 record. Now 21, Torrie has been training in Europe and racing in the Diamond Leagues to peak in Glasgow.
Torrie is running in the athletics programme from 27 July to 1st August 2026.
The Commonwealth Games begin 24 July 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. Find more information here.
