Team Wales hopefuls in search of Commonwealth gold

ByAndrew Richards

BBC Sport Wales

Across the globe athletes from 74 countries and territories are preparing for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The 23rd iteration of the Games will be leaner, featuring just 10 sports compared to 20 in Birmingham four years ago.

The sports include athletics and Para-athletics, swimming and Para-swimming, artistic gymnastics, track cycling and Para-track cycling, netball, weightlifting and Para-powerlifting, boxing, judo, bowls and Para-bowls, 3x3 basketball and 3x3 wheelchair basketball.

With over 100 athletes set to be named in Team Wales next week, BBC Sport Wales caught up with a few athletes hoping to wear red this summer.

Double Olympic champion swimmer Matt Richards' medal collection would be the envy of most.

To add to his golds at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, he has topped the podium multiple times at World and European Championships too.

But after a quartet of fourth placed finishes four years ago, Richards has his eyes on completing the set.

"Not just a medal, I want the gold," he said.

"Commonwealths in 2022 didn't go the way I'd hoped. I wasn't performing as well as I'd have liked to that year. It's that one that's really gotten away and it happens to be one that's the only opportunity I get to do, racing for Wales.

"So it's one that's close to my heart and one that I'm going to be going at pretty hard this year.

"I'm in great shape. We had the British Championships which went really well. I had two golds and a silver there and so gearing up well for a busy summer.

"I think the main thing for me is put on that Welsh dragon, get out there and bring back some gold."

Teenager Ruby Evans has had a brilliant 12 months.

In October 2025, she won silver in the floor exercise at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Indonesia.

And in March this year she became the first Welsh athlete in more than 50 years to win the all-around title at the British Championships in Liverpool.

This will be Evans' first Commonwealth Games, having not quite been old enough to compete in Birmingham in 2022.

"I was three months off my birthday last time, but I'm excited because I've always wanted to do the Commonwealth Games," said the 19-year-old.

"I've always wanted to do something for Wales because everything's always Great Britain, which is obviously amazing, but I think just competing for my home country will be such a special feeling.

"Things are going well, I did the British Championships and won that, so that gave me confidence.

"I would say [there is] a bit of pressure, but I wouldn't say it's too much because I don't like to put pressure on myself. I just like to go with the flow and then whatever happens, happens."

Funmi Oduwaiye took up para-athletics in 2022 and by 2023 had made her debut in the F64 discus and F64 shot put at the World Para Athletics Championships in Paris.

In October 2025, the former Wales Under-18s basketball player won bronze in the F44 shot put in New Delhi.

The 23-year-old is planning on competing in both her preferred throwing events in Scotland this summer and is excited to make her Commonwealth debut.

"I'm looking forward to competing and representing my smaller nation of Wales rather than the whole of Great Britain," Oduwaiye said.

"The fact that I know my team-mates more closely, train alongside some of them, I'm family friends with some of them.

"I'm looking forward to the vibes, I'm looking forward to the energy and what the rest of the Commonwealth can bring."

Owain Harris-Allan was just 18 in Birmingham four years ago and admits he exceeded his expectations by winning a bantamweight bronze.

"It was all a bit of a flash," he said.

"I came through the back door, it didn't really hit me until a couple of months after, but it was a great feeling."

After narrowly missing qualification to box for Team GB at the Paris Olympics two years ago, the now 22-year-old feels confident of his chances in Glasgow.

"Gold is the minimum I'll be taking this time," Harris-Allan said.

"It's a lot of pressure, but pressure makes diamonds, so I like the pressure.

"In the last four years I've had a lot of experience. I'm grateful to be in this position right now.

"I'm looking forward to doing it again and being on top of the podium."

After missing out on qualification initially, 3x3 wheelchair basketball player Libi Phillips and her team-mates were left with a nervous wait to see if Wales had secured a wildcard spot.

When the message came through to confirm Wales' place in Glasgow, it was action stations for the Pembrokeshire athlete and her family.

"As soon as we found out, straight on the phone - "Mum, book the tickets!" - so they're coming, mum and dad," Phillips said.

"I'm just feeling happy to just be excited now.

"In Birmingham in 2022 and in Glasgow this year they're doing a 3x3 format.

"It's basically half a court as opposed to the full court so it cuts out the transition. It's a much quicker game and there's always something going on."

Ross Owen is something of a veteran, hoping to compete in his third Commonwealth Games in lawn bowls this summer.

Despite competing on the Gold Coast in 2018 and winning bronze in the men's triples in Birmingham four years ago, Owen feels the same pride competing for his nation.

"It means everything," he said.

"Growing up as a child, watching heroes of mine play in various sports whether it be football, rugby or even bowls.

"Just watching them and being inspired to be one of them, and now to be given the opportunity to do it is a privilege.

"It's always good to play at a home games so I'm really excited for the challenge."