Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games: Highlighting Para Sports, Swimming, and Track Cycling as Premier Medal Events
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Synopsis
The Glasgow 2026 Organising Company has revealed the medal event lineup for the 23rd Commonwealth Games. Para sports, swimming, and track cycling are set to lead the medal events, marking a historic moment for inclusivity and competition.
Key Takeaways
- Largest Para sport medal event program in Commonwealth Games history.
- Glasgow 2026 to feature over 200 gold medals across 10 days.
- Record-breaking 47 para medal events included.
- Track cycling program to host 26 medal events, the largest ever.
- Swimming program will include 56 medal events, the most extensive in history.
Glasgow, Feb 6 (NationPress) The Glasgow 2026 Organising Company announced the medal event lineup for the 23rd Commonwealth Games on Thursday. Para sport, track cycling, and swimming are set to feature the most comprehensive medal event programs in the history of the Commonwealth Games.
The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games are scheduled from July 23 to August 2, 2026, incorporating a 10-sport program spread across four venues within an eight-mile radius of the city, with over 200 gold medals available throughout the 10-day sporting event.
Glasgow 2026 will present a fully integrated para sport agenda across six of the ten sports, featuring a record-breaking 47 medal events in para disciplines throughout the Commonwealth Games.
The dynamic sporting agenda will unfold at the Commonwealth Arena and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, Scottish Exhibition Centre (SEC), Scotstoun Stadium, and the Tollcross International Swimming Centre. The ten scheduled sports include: Artistic Gymnastics, Athletics and Para Athletics, 3x3 Basketball and 3x3 Wheelchair Basketball, Boxing, Swimming and Para Swimming, Bowls and Para Bowls (indoor), Judo, Netball, Track and Para Track Cycling, Weightlifting and Para Powerlifting.
The Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome is expected to host a busy and extensive program of races, marking the largest track cycling lineup ever witnessed at a Commonwealth Games. The track cycling schedule will include a total of 26 medal events across both para and non-para categories.
The para track cycling segment has expanded from Birmingham 2022, now offering eight medals, including time trials for C1-C3 (men) and C4-C5 (women) as well as individual pursuits for the first time.
The Tollcross International Swimming Centre will also feature a packed agenda, preparing for the most extensive swimming program in Commonwealth Games history, with a total of 56 medal events across both para and non-para competitions. In a historic first for the Games, men’s 800m freestyle and women’s 1500m freestyle races will be included.
At Scotstoun, World Athletics has innovatively refreshed the athletics competition with the return of the Commonwealth Mile. Last run in 1966, the Mile race, which will be contested on the track, pays homage to ‘The Miracle Mile’ at the Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, Canada in 1954, when England's Roger Bannister and Australia's John Landy, the only two sub-four-minute runners in the world at that time, faced off just two months after Bannister achieved the milestone.
The athletics agenda has also been revised to enhance competition depth across all 74 territories, with the inclusion of the mixed 4x400m relay.
For the first time in Commonwealth Games history, para athletics will feature athletes competing in jumping, throwing, and track events, with all three disciplines being incorporated into the program.
On the basketball court, the tremendous success of the 3x3 program in Birmingham has led to an expansion of the 3x3 Wheelchair Basketball competitions for men and women from six teams to eight, and the 3x3 Basketball competitions for men and women from eight teams to twelve.
Phil Batty OBE, Chief Executive of Glasgow 2026, stated, “What makes the Commonwealth Games so special to many is its fully integrated sports program. I take pride in the fact that Glasgow 2026 will showcase the largest Para sport medal event program in Games’ history and play a vital role in promoting and supporting Para sport.
“Glasgow 2026 serves as a bridge to the future of the Commonwealth Games, and we have a clear vision that it will be brilliantly different. The extensive Track Cycling and Swimming programs, alongside the return of the Mile in Athletics, a plethora of disciplines introduced for the first time in the Para Athletics, Para Track Cycling, and Para Swimming programs, not to mention the increased numbers of teams in 3x3 Basketball and 3x3 Wheelchair Basketball, makes the Glasgow 2026 sporting lineup an exciting prospect for fans and athletes alike.
“I am confident that with action-filled programs across all four venues in the city, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Glasgow 2026 is poised to be a world-class sporting celebration, brimming with passion, enjoyment, and exceptional sport!”
“This compelling medal event program continues the innovative thread that is a key aspect of Glasgow 2026’s engaging concept – in terms of sports formats and disciplines, the compact number of sports, and the concentration of existing venues.” stated Katie Sadleir CNZM, Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Games Federation.
“We are excited to unveil such an engaging medal program for the Commonwealth Games, which is sure to thrill and entertain fans watching in person or from home during each day of competition.
“With more Para sport medals than ever before at the Games, Glasgow 2026 promises to be a truly inclusive celebration of sports, culture, and diversity that inspires our athletes.”
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe remarked, “The mile is the quintessential Commonwealth athletics event, and I warmly welcome its return to the Games in Glasgow 2026.
“From 1930 to 1966, the mile was the premier event of each Games, and the allure of the mile continues to resonate with sports fans. A ticket to witness its Commonwealth final will be among the most sought-after seats in Glasgow next year.”
