King and Sir Chris Hoy kick off Glasgow Commonwealth Games countdown
Charles handed a wooden baton to the six-time Olympic champion to launch the King's Baton Relay at Buckingham Palace on Monday, with 500 days to go before the sporting event begins.
Glasgow was announced as the Games host for the second time last year after the original host, the Australian state of Victoria, was forced to withdraw.
The Games were previously held in the Scottish city in 2014.
Charles shared a laugh with Scotland's First Minister John Swinney as he greeted guests in the palace's Marble Hall.
They included the first four baton bearers for the Games: Sir Chris, Scottish Paralympic and Commonwealth wheelchair racer Sammi Kinghorn, Royal Commonwealth Society volunteer Keiran Healy, and Gabriella Wood, an Olympic and Commonwealth judo athlete from Trinidad and Tobago.
British Paralympian Kadeena Cox and judo competitor Sarah Adlington then presented Charles with the baton and his message for the Commonwealth Games, with the latter tied in a red ribbon.
Charles placed the message into the baton, where it will remain until it is opened and read out at the opening ceremony.
Sir Chris, who won Commonwealth gold medals in 2002 and 2006, was handed the baton by Charles before walking through the palace's Quadrangle with a guard of honour provided by pipers wearing kilts.
Ms Kinghorn, Mr Healy and Ms Wood were each then handed the baton in turn before it left the palace grounds. The King's Baton Relay will begin in Trinidad and Tobago.
Speaking about the event afterwards, Sir Chris told the PA news agency: 'It's pretty special – I wanted to slow it down and not rush it too much.
'It's a very kind of private and intimate ceremony, almost – there's not thousands of people here, but it feels very special to be part of it and wonderful that we are in this 500 days to go with such a fantastic celebration.'
Sir Chris said Glasgow hosting the Games for a second time was 'fantastic for Scotland', adding: 'I think it's showing that Scotland can and does put on world class events in sport, and it only inspires us.'
The baton is comprised of three interlocking pieces of sustainability sourced ash, a Scottish hardwood, and was inspired by the three Commonwealth Games values of humanity, equality and destiny.
For the first time, each of the 74 nations and territories participating in the Games will have their own uniquely designed batons with a different word from the King's message engraved on them.
Mr Swinney told PA: 'There's a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of warmth towards the Commonwealth Games.
'Of course, what we've had to do this time, we've stepped in very late in the preparations, when the Games were not going to be held in Australia, and we've provided the replacement venue, so the Games will be different.
'They'll give a different size and a different scale, but the reimagining of the Games is part of, I suppose, what Glasgow has been really good at. Glasgow has been a centre of invention in all of its history.'
The First Minister added: 'The baton is emblematic of the whole message of sustainability that lies at the heart of so much of our agenda in Scotland, about making sure that we address the climate challenge, that we ensure we act in a sustainable fashion.'
Charles attended the annual Commonwealth Day Service of Celebration at Westminster Abbey earlier on Monday alongside the Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Princess Royal and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
The King and Camilla will also attend a Commonwealth Day Reception at Marlborough House on Monday evening, where the inaugural Commonwealth Peace Prize will be awarded.
The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games will take place from July 23 to August 2 next year.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC Sports
3 hours ago
- NBC Sports
Decorated Megha Ganne adds U.S. Women's Amateur title in seventh and final try
BANDON, Ore. – Katie Rudolph's introduction to Megha Ganne came at a driving range in Union, New Jersey. It took just a few swings from the 7-year-old Ganne that day at Galloping Hill to captivate Rudolph, who then raced to Ganne's parents to ask them if she could take the reins as Ganne's coach. 'She was basically a miniature version of who she is right now,' Rudolph said. A big personality with an even bigger game. And it wasn't long before Rudolph was telling Ganne, 'Let's go be the best in the world.' Ganne took a massive leap toward that goal on Sunday at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, where the now 21-year-old Ganne, a rising senior at Stanford, took down Michigan State grad Brooke Biermann, 4 and 3, in the scheduled 36-hole final of the 125th U.S. Women's Amateur. 'I'm not going to lie, I was thinking about this trophy like the entire day,' said Ganne, who never trailed against Biermann. Six times the intricate Robert Cox Trophy had eluded Ganne, a veteran of now 15 USGA championship starts, but no more. She gripped that thing tight and with both hands hoisted it way into the crisp, oceanside air. 'It's so much harder than it seems to win one of these,' Ganne said, 'and it takes not only like a lot of patience, tries at it, but so many things working in your favor – good health, good luck, good fortune, and good timing. All those things coming together just feels like it's fate.' Ganne entered this week ranked 11th in the world amateur rankings and with a sparkling resumé, even from a young age. She was a four-time Drive, Chip and Putt national finalist. She qualified for her first U.S. Girls' Junior in 2017, at just 13 years old, and a few weeks later did the same for her first U.S. Women's Amateur. Two years after that, she was the youngest match-play qualifier by four years at the 2019 U.S. Women's Amateur before losing in the semifinals in 19 holes to Albane Valenzuela. Then came Olympic. In her second U.S. Women's Open appearance, a 17-year-old Ganne arrived on the national stage in San Francisco by leading after the first round and later booking her place in Sunday's final pairing. Though she'd slip to T-14, she still captured low-amateur honors – and everyone's attention. 'We flew under the radar for a long time,' Rudolph said, 'but when Olympic happened, it was like, 'OK, let's say goodbye to those days because you're officially on the radar. You're going to be it moving forward.'' Ganne was the Rolex AJGA Junior Player of the Year that winter. The next summer, she went 3-0 in her Curtis Cup debut at Merion before heading off to Stanford, where she's won twice in three seasons while playing a pivotal role in the Cardinal's 2024 NCAA Championship, plus national runners-up in 2023 and this past spring. But when Ganne would hit putts in her family's basement in Holmdel, New Jersey, some 45 minutes south of New York City, it was to win USGA titles. She's always held these championships in high regards – the star-studded fields, elite venues, unmatched history. 'Every time the USGA sends me a feedback form, I never know what to say because I don't know how it could possibly get better,' Ganne said. Ganne was disqualified from her final U.S. Girls' Junior in 2022 for signing for an incorrect score, and she missed last year's U.S. Women's Amateur after withdrawing the week of with food poisoning, a fitting end to a frustrating summer that also saw Ganne miss the Curtis Cup and miss extended time with hip and back injuries. But that adversity strengthened Ganne, now healthier and more pliable, who navigated 119 holes this week on the David McLay Kidd layout. She tied for 10th in stroke play before winning each of her first four matches without needing to play the par-5 18th hole. That momentum, however, came to a screeching halt in Saturday's semifinal opposite Australia's Ella Scaysbrook, who led 4 up with seven holes to play. On the ropes, Ganne thought about that fearless 15-year-old who nearly pulled off the unthinkable. If she could rally then, surely she could again in what will be her last U.S. Women's Amateur (she will be pro by next summer). 'There are so many more things to believe in now, although I had a lot of belief at 15 as well,' Ganne said. 'But at 15, I don't think I had nearly the toolset that I do now; I have so many more shots in the bag, my physical game has evolved, my mental game has evolved. It felt like when I was 15, I had to be playing my absolute best golf just to contend with these players, which is a totally different feeling than I have now. I feel like if I play golf that I know is well within my limits and my control, I feel like I'm going to be tough to beat.' Ganne prevailed in 19 holes to book her place in the championship match against Biermann, who was arguably the sentimental favorite, a bubbly blonde from St. Louis with her dad, Bill, on the bag and younger sister Ashleigh, who has battled a rare chromosomal condition, walking the fairways. Biermann was also a sizable underdog. Ganne birdied two of the first three holes to take a 2-up lead through three holes of the morning portion. Though Biermann immediately responded with lengthy birdie makes to tie the match through five frames, the flatstick would soon be her downfall. She whiffed on 3-footers at Nos. 7 and 13, and Ganne went into the lunch break leading, 3 up. Biermann found a couple sparks in the afternoon, most notably a 12-foot birdie conversion at the par-5 13th to get the ledger back to 3 down. But when she three-putted from just off the green and about 25 feet away at the par-4 14th, Biermann knew that was it. Ganne and her superstar ball-striking, no more evident than the piercing 5-iron she hit to birdie the par-4 11th in the afternoon, were just too much. 'Unfortunately, the putter went cold today,' said Biermann, who will turn pro and enter LPGA Q-School next month, 'but overall, I felt like I gave it my all and I had a blast out here.' Moments later, Ganne landed her tee ball at the par-3 15th just off the left side of the green but only 18 feet from the hole, and after Biermann missed her birdie try, completed her two-putt for USGA immortality. 'To actually have that putt is surreal,' Ganne said. This time, though, she wasn't standing in her basement. When she dropped her putter and immediately put both hands over her mouth, Ganne was illuminated by the setting sun along the Oregon coastline. Golden hour, as they call it, had arrived, and soon, it wasn't hard to notice the shiny tears starting to roll down Ganne's face as she embraced her loved ones, including her parents, Hari and Sudha, and Rudolph. 'I hope this helps her take the lid off things and she just starts winning everything,' Rudolph said. That 7-year-old girl with the bright future? She's still the same girl, only now she's a U.S. Women's Amateur champion.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Olympic champion received last-minute bike help from Salvation Army
An Olympic champion who survived liver failure and won two gold medals at the British Transplant Games received last-minute bike help from The Salvation Army. GB athlete Jenny Glithero, who had a life-saving liver transplant in 2021, visited the charity's Recycles Booth House workshop in Swindon for repairs before the competition. She thanked the charity's social enterprise bike workshop for its assistance and community work. Held in Oxford from July 31 to August 3, the British Transplant Games saw Jenny secure gold wins in the women's 30-39 8km time trial and the 12km road race. Simon Styles, leading the Swindon Recycles project, said: "It's not every day an Olympic champion walks into our workshop. "We're honoured she trusted us with her bike at such a crucial moment—and thrilled her races ended in triumph. "Her story of resilience, from surviving liver failure to standing on the podium, mirrors the determination we see in the people we support every day." Following her visit, Jenny said: "Thanks so much for your generosity. "To receive a big smile and a helping hand two days before race day—fixing my pedals—meant the world. "The Salvation Army's work is incredible: getting people on bikes, upskilling, and offering purpose in times of need." Following her emergency liver transplant in May 2021, Jenny triumphed at the 2023 World Transplant Games, securing her reputation as a strong advocate for organ donation and post-transplant recovery. The Salvation Army's Swindon Recycles Booth House workshop blends practical skills training with mental health support. Its programme provides affordable bike sales, repairs, and servicing to the public, with proceeds reinvested into supporting participants. It offers mechanical skills training and structured mentorship to help people gain qualifications and employment opportunities. Simon added: "We're about more than bikes. "Jenny's win reminds us that with the right support, anyone can pedal past their limits." The initiative promotes community, purpose, and sustainability, aligning with The Salvation Army's mission to combat poverty and social exclusion. Read more: Lorry driver jailed after milkman killed in horror crash Whether through a low-cost bike for a struggling family or training for someone rebuilding their life, Recycles proves that second chances can roll forward. The Salvation Army, an international Christian church and registered charity, has been transforming lives for more than 150 years. Working in 134 countries worldwide, The Salvation Army offers friendship, practical help, and support for people at all levels of need. In the UK and Ireland Territory, this work includes more than 600 community churches and social centres.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Shock in Porto Alegre, relief elsewhere: see the table 📊
Sunday (10) was a day of four games for the 19th round of the Brasileirão. There was a giant breathing a sigh of relief, the fastest goal of the competition, and a surprising result. See below what happened and, afterwards, the updated table. Remembering that there is still one game left to finish the 19th round. The day of BR started with two games with the ball rolling from 4 pm. The VAR worked a lot at Allianz. Stage of a beautiful goal and Palmeiras' comeback against Ceará. In São Januário, Atlético scored the fastest goal of Brasileirão-2025. But saw Vasco seek the draw. A result that did not save the Cruz-Maltino from the Z-4. The sequence of the night had Santos' comeback over Cruzeiro at Mineirão. Ensuring relief for Peixe and an advantage for Flamengo at the top. Grêmio versus Sport was the duel that closed the night. Game that had the first victory of Leão in the tournament. It had been 141 days without any triumph in the season. UPDATED TABLE 📊 What's left in the 19th round 👇🏽 8/11 - Monday 20h - Juventude 🆚 Corinthians - Alfredo Jaconi 📅 Next round 20th round 8/16 - Saturday 16h - Fluminense 🆚 Fortaleza - Maracanã 16h - Ceará 🆚 Red Bull Bragantino - Arena Castelão 18h30 - Vitória 🆚Juventude - Barradão 18h30 - Sport 🆚 São Paulo - Ilha do Retiro 21h - Corinthians 🆚 Bahia - Neo Química Arena 8/17 - Sunday 16h - Santos 🆚 Vasco - Vila Belmiro 16h - Atlético 🆚 Grêmio - Arena MRV 18h30 - Internacional 🆚 Flamengo - Beira-Rio 20h30 - Botafogo 🆚 Palmeiras - Nilton Santos 8/18 - Monday 20h - Mirassol 🆚 Cruzeiro - Maião Photo: Reproduction/CBF This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.
