Team Canada has sent a contingent of 149 athletes to the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. The Games, which run from July 23 to August 2, will feature a reduced sports program compared to previous editions.
This year’s event marks the 23rd edition of the Commonwealth Games. Glasgow stepped in to host after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew in 2023 due to rising costs. Approximately 3,000 athletes from 74 countries and territories are expected to compete.
The sports program for Glasgow 2026 includes 10 sports: athletics, swimming, boxing, judo, artistic gymnastics, track cycling, netball, weightlifting, bowls, and three-on-three basketball. Six sports will also feature their para sport counterparts: athletics, swimming, bowls, basketball, track cycling, and weightlifting. The Commonwealth Games integrates para sport into a country’s medal tally, and Glasgow will host the largest para sport program in the Games’ history.
The number of medal events has been reduced to 215 in Glasgow, down from 280 at the 2022 Games in Birmingham, England. Sports such as triathlon, beach volleyball, diving, road and mountain biking, wrestling, rhythmic gymnastics, and field hockey, which were part of the 2022 program, have been removed for 2026.
Team Canada’s Leadership and Roster
Leading Team Canada as Chef de Mission is Olympic gold medallist in wrestling, Erica Wiebe. Wiebe previously won gold at the Commonwealth Games in 2014, also held in Glasgow, and again in 2018 in Gold Coast, Australia. She described her return to Glasgow in this role as a “perfect, full circle moment.”
Wiebe, now Manager of Athlete Relations, DEI, and Safe Sport at the Canadian Olympic Committee, reflected on her 2014 Commonwealth Games experience, noting it provided her with confidence for future success, including her Olympic victory at Rio 2016. She emphasized the importance of the Commonwealth Games as a “key development pathway” for athletes.
The Canadian team includes several decorated athletes. The athletics squad features Olympic champion sprinter Andre De Grasse, hammer throwers Ethan Katzberg and Camryn Rogers, and decathlete Damian Warner. Also competing are world champion thrower Sarah Mitton and race walker Evan Dunfee. Other notable athletes include Olympic medallists Aaron Brown, Brendon Rodney, Jerome Blake, and Mohammed Ahmed, as well as world indoor champion Christopher Morales Williams.
In swimming, Olympic medallists Kylie Masse and Josh Liendo will compete. Masse, the reigning Commonwealth champion in the 50-metre backstroke, views the Games as an important step for her preparation for Los Angeles 2028. Maude Charron, a two-time Olympic medallist in weightlifting, aims for a third consecutive Commonwealth gold medal.
Four-time Olympic gymnast Ellie Black is participating in her third Commonwealth Games, using the event as a building block for her path to Los Angeles 2028. She is joined by world silver medallist on vault, Lia-Monica Fontaine, and Olympians Félix Dolci, René Cournoyer, and William Émard on the men’s artistic gymnastics team. The track cycling team includes Olympians Maggie Coles-Lyster, Sarah Orban, James Hedgcock, and Tyler Rorke.
A Reimagined Games Model
Claire Carver-Dias, president of Commonwealth Sport Canada, noted that the scaled-down format of the Glasgow Games represents a “new kind of Games.” She stated that the aim is to demonstrate that a smaller, smarter, and more sustainable approach can still deliver world-class sport and a lasting legacy. She described it as a “pilot” or “reimagined” model, suggesting that future iterations might see an increase in sports, though not to previous levels.
Wiebe highlighted that despite the reduced schedule, the Games will be held in “world-class venues with an expert sport operations staff.” Canada will also have teams in 3×3 wheelchair basketball, para athletics, bowls and para bowls, boxing, judo, and para swimming.
For the first time, Commonwealth Sport has allowed teams to partner with a charitable organization. Commonwealth Sport Canada has partnered with Right to Play, a global organization focused on protecting, educating, and empowering children through play, including Indigenous communities in Canada. Right to Play’s logo will be displayed on Canada’s non-competition uniforms, emphasizing sport’s role in building inclusive communities.
Historically, Canada has consistently ranked among the top three nations in the overall medal count at the Commonwealth Games, typically behind Australia and England. Carver-Dias confirmed that Canada will continue to aim for a top-three finish in Glasgow. Fans can follow Team Canada’s progress through live daily broadcasts and streaming coverage, starting with the Opening Ceremony on July 23.
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Source: sportsnet.ca
