Commonwealth Games 2026 To Include Men’s 800 & Women’s 1500 Among 56 Medal Events
The 2026 Commonwealths in Glasgow will feature the most extensive medal programme in the pool in Games history with the men’s 800 and women’s 1500 free on the schedule for the first time.
Fifty-six medal events will be contested across swimming and Para swimming at Tollcross International Swimming Centre with the 23rd edition of the Games running from 23 July to 2 August 2026.
The men and women will each contest 20 events – 17 individual and three relays – plus two mixed relays in the 4×1 free and 4×1 medley. The Para events comprise seven events for men and the same for women.
Daniel Wiffen: Photo courtesy: Deepbluemedia
The men’s 800 could well feature the likes of Daniel Wiffen, the Olympic and world champion, who claimed his first medal on the senior stage at the 2022 Games in Birmingham where he won silver in the 1500 representing Northern Ireland. Australian pair Sam Short and Elijah Winnington could provide stern opposition.
Moesha Johnson was sixth in the longest race in the pool at Paris 2024 before the Australian went on to take silver in the 10k in the River Seine.
Amelie Blocksidge is a two-time British senior 1500 champion, claiming the title for the first time on her 14th birthday in 2023 before a successful defence a year later. In 2024, she was crowned European junior champion as she won the distance double.
Every four years there’s little time between the Commonwealth Games and European Championships with a couple of weeks at most separating the two events.
However, in 2026 the events clash with the Europeans in Paris running from 25 July to 8 August.
Katie Shanahan won double bronze in the 400IM and 200 back at the 2022 Games in Birmingham and the Glaswegian will compete in front of a home crowd next year.
She said: “The announcement of the medal events is another great milestone in Glasgow delivering the Games next year. And for me it really is a home Games. I learned to swim in Glasgow and spent many years with clubs in and around Glasgow, so competing for Scotland in a pool I know so well, will be so exciting, and I really can’t wait for it.”
Moesha Johnson: Photo Courtesy: Adam Crane/Salt Diaries (Swimming Australia)
Chief Executive of Glasgow 2026, Phil Batty OBE, added: “What makes the Commonwealth Games so special to so many is its fully integrated sport programme. I am proud that Glasgow 2026 will see the biggest Para sport medal event programme in Games’ history and will play such an important role in growing, supporting and championing Para sport.
“Glasgow 2026 is a bridge to the Commonwealth Games of tomorrow and we have a clear vision that it will be brilliantly different. The huge Track Cycling and Swimming programmes, alongside the return of the Mile in Athletics, a wealth of disciplines introduced to the Games for the first time across the Para Athletics, Para Track Cycling and Para Swimming programmes, not to mention the increase in 3×3 Basketball and 3×3 Wheelchair Basketball teams, makes the Glasgow 2026 sporting programme a really exciting prospect for fans and athletes alike.
“I’m confident that with action-packed programmes across all four venues in the city, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Glasgow 2026 is set to be a world-class sporting celebration, filled with passion, fun, and outstanding sport!”