Latest news with #2026CommonwealthGames
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
King to launch Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Baton Relay with Chris Hoy
THE King will launch the inaugural King's Baton Relay at Buckingham Palace today, officially starting the countdown to the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. He will hand the baton to champion cyclist Sir Chris Hoy (below) - the first bearer on its journey around the world. Trinidad and Tobago will be the first destination. Charles and Camilla will also be guests of the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Baroness Scotland, at the annual Commonwealth Day reception on Monday evening. After Hoy, the next three baton bearers will be wheelchair racer Sammi Kinghorn, ocean plastics campaigner Keiran Healy and Trinidad and Tobago judo athlete Gabriella Wood - who studies at the University of Stirling. The King will place a sealed message into the baton, and it will remain inside until the opening ceremony to be read out. First Minister John Swinney also will be in London to attend the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey. Swinney said: "Glasgow already has a tremendous record for hosting, receiving international recognition for the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games. "Glasgow 2026 will bring huge economic benefits to the city and support upgrades to sporting facilities - benefitting individuals, communities and clubs." The games will take place from July 23 to August 2 next year.
The Independent
10-03-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Swinney speaks of ‘huge benefits' from Commonwealth Games on milestone day
Hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow is a 'huge opportunity', Scotland's First Minister said as the city reached a 'milestone' in the countdown to the sporting contest. There are 500 days until the tournament gets under way in Scotland's largest city. The event has been slimmed down to 10 sports, with Glasgow having stepped in as host city last year after the Australian state of Victoria pulled out amid concerns over costs. John Swinney stressed the 'huge economic benefits to the city' that come from hosting the event. The Scottish Government has made clear public funding is not needed in order for the tournament – which will run from Thursday July 23 through to Sunday August 2 – to take place. It marks Glasgow's second time hosting the games in just over a decade, with Commonwealth athletes having come to the city in 2014 Mr Swinney said: 'As the countdown to Glasgow 2026 reaches the 500 days-to-go milestone, today is an excellent opportunity for us all to come together, to show our support for the athletes and everyone involved in bringing the games to Scotland. 'With athletes and para athletes from 74 nations and territories, hundreds of thousands of visitors, and a global broadcast audience of more than one billion, this is a huge opportunity for Scotland on the world stage.' He spoke out ahead of attending the Commonwealth Day Service of Celebration at Westminster Abbey in London. The First Minister added: 'The theme of this year's Commonwealth Day event celebrates the importance of strong and connected communities – and that is exactly what the Glasgow 2026 Games will represent. 'Glasgow already has a tremendous record for hosting, receiving international recognition for the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games as an outstanding fortnight of sporting and cultural events.' Mr Swinney continued: 'Glasgow 2026 will bring huge economic benefits to the city, and support upgrades to sporting facilities – benefiting individuals, communities and clubs. 'The games will also generate thousands of volunteering opportunities which will develop skills and provide significant health and wellbeing benefits to those participating. 'Watching Scottish athletes on the world stage can also inspire the public to be more active, try a new sport, or join a local sports club – contributing to our vision of a more active Scotland.'
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Swinney speaks of ‘huge benefits' from Commonwealth Games on milestone day
Hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow is a 'huge opportunity', Scotland's First Minister said as the city reached a 'milestone' in the countdown to the sporting contest. There are 500 days until the tournament gets under way in Scotland's largest city. The event has been slimmed down to 10 sports, with Glasgow having stepped in as host city last year after the Australian state of Victoria pulled out amid concerns over costs. John Swinney stressed the 'huge economic benefits to the city' that come from hosting the event. The Scottish Government has made clear public funding is not needed in order for the tournament – which will run from Thursday July 23 through to Sunday August 2 – to take place. It marks Glasgow's second time hosting the games in just over a decade, with Commonwealth athletes having come to the city in 2014 Mr Swinney said: 'As the countdown to Glasgow 2026 reaches the 500 days-to-go milestone, today is an excellent opportunity for us all to come together, to show our support for the athletes and everyone involved in bringing the games to Scotland. 'With athletes and para athletes from 74 nations and territories, hundreds of thousands of visitors, and a global broadcast audience of more than one billion, this is a huge opportunity for Scotland on the world stage.' He spoke out ahead of attending the Commonwealth Day Service of Celebration at Westminster Abbey in London. The First Minister added: 'The theme of this year's Commonwealth Day event celebrates the importance of strong and connected communities – and that is exactly what the Glasgow 2026 Games will represent. 'Glasgow already has a tremendous record for hosting, receiving international recognition for the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games as an outstanding fortnight of sporting and cultural events.' Mr Swinney continued: 'Glasgow 2026 will bring huge economic benefits to the city, and support upgrades to sporting facilities – benefiting individuals, communities and clubs. 'The games will also generate thousands of volunteering opportunities which will develop skills and provide significant health and wellbeing benefits to those participating. 'Watching Scottish athletes on the world stage can also inspire the public to be more active, try a new sport, or join a local sports club – contributing to our vision of a more active Scotland.'
BBC News
06-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Glasgow 2026 to have record medal tally & mile race
More than 200 gold medals will be contested at the scaled-back Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games - the most in the event's track cycling and Para-sports will each boast more medallists than in any of the previous 22 iterations of the athletics will have two new events - the mixed 4x400m relay and the Commonwealth Mile, which replaces the will be fully integrated across six of the 10 disciplines, with a Games record of 47 medal events in total. Biggest ever cycling, swimming & Para programmes The 10-sport Games programme will based at four venues within an eight-mile corridor of the city and be held across 10 days from 23 July to 2 the overall number of sports has halved from 20 in Birmingham in 2022 to combat rising hosting costs and time demands, the schedule remains intense.A total of 26 cycling golds will be fought for at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, with eight of those in para-track cycling. That is double the amount on offer three years 56 will be on offer at Tollcross International Swimming Centre, with the men's 800m and women's 1500m freestyle races included for the first the 1500m - in which Scotland's Josh Kerr and Laura Muir are Olympic medallists - is a surprise has been replaced by an event last run in say the Commonwealth Mile - the equivalent of approximately 1600m - is a tribute to "The Miracle Mile" run at the 1954 staging in that occasion, England's Roger Bannister and Australian John Landy competed two months after the former became the first athlete to run a sub-four minute mile."The mile is the quintessential Commonwealth athletics event whose return I very much welcome," said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe, who suggested the event to Glasgow organisers."From 1930 through to 1966, the mile was the blue riband event of each Games and the magic of the mile continues to resonate."A ticket to watch its Commonwealth final will be one of the must have seats in Glasgow next year."
