A total of 257 of Australia’s best athletes are preparing to compete in the 23rd edition of the Commonwealth Games, starting in Glasgow this week. We are one sleep away from the opening ceremony, which kicks off at 5am AEST on Friday, 24 July.
While these games were initially meant to be held on home soil in Melbourne, Victoria, an unfortunate withdrawal saw Scotland step up, agreeing in September 2024 to hold the games in Glasgow for the second time in 12 years.
So, who are the top contenders you should be keeping an eye on? Out of the 257 green-and-gold competitors ready to storm Glasgow, here are six standout Australian athletes you simply cannot afford to miss:
Nina Kennedy (Women’s Pole Vault)
The 2026 flag bearer is coming off a gold medal win at the 2024 Summer Olympics, as well as gold at Birmingham’s 2022 Commonwealth Games. She enters as the overwhelming favourite for the women’s pole vault event.
The 29-year-old recently won the Monaco Diamond League women’s pole vault with a whopping 4.95m jump, breaking her own Australian record.
She looks to defend her crown on Friday 1 August, 1:30am AEST.
Kyle Chalmers (100m freestyle, 100m relay)
Returning for his third consecutive Commonwealth Games, “King Kyle” will be looking to defend his 100m freestyle title, after winning gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
He will also compete in the 100m freestyle relay event, where he and Australia will look to extend their unbeaten Commonwealth Games streak that dates to 2010.
Chalmers will compete in the heats for the 100m freestyle relay on Friday, 24 July, 7:30pm AEST. The finals start at 4am the next day.
His individual freestyle heats take place on Tuesday 28 July, 7:30pm AEST. The finals take place on 29 July, 4am AEST.
Torrie Lewis (Track – 100m, 200m, and 100m relay)
At just 21 years old, this rising track sensation just broke her own national 100m record with an 11.04 second sprint in Slovakia at the TIPOS P-T-S meeting.
This is the fastest time ever recorded by an Australian woman, making her one of the major gold-medal favourites for not only the 100m sprint, but also the 200m.
The final of the 100m takes place on Wednesday 29 July. The final of the 200m held on Sunday, 2 August.
Cameron Myers (One Mile Event)
Making his anticipated Commonwealth Games debut after he dominated The Mile at the Eugene Diamond League earlier this month, the 20-year-old phenom is highly tipped to take home the gold in the One Mile event.
Myers recorded a time of 3:46.06 in the United States, setting a new Oceania record.
The One Mile final takes place on Sunday, 2 August between 3:30am – 7am AEST.
Jacky Hudson and Louise Hoskins (Para Women’s Pairs Bowls)
Our last athletes are our oldest. Jacky Hudson, 75, and Louise Hoskins, 76, will become Australia’s oldest Commonwealth Games debutants when they both represent the nation in lawn bowls.
Hudson will compete in the para women’s pairs, while Hoskins will represent Australia in both the vision-impaired mixed doubles and para women’s pairs.
Hudson, who is vision-impaired, turned a social pastime into an elite career that included gold at the 2023 World Bowls Championships.
Hoskins was recently named Bowls Australia’s 2026 International Female Para Bowler of the Year, recognising her outstanding achievements and contribution to para bowls.
Jacky and Louise will take to the indoor greens starting 24 July.
Additional reporting by Rayan Rashid.
Photo: By Filip Bossuyt found HERE and is used under a Creative Commons Licence. This image has not been modified.
