The Vortex - May 2026: Scott & Evans Joined By 23 Mates On Home Glasgow 2026 Commonwealths Squad
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Scotland has selected 23 swimmers to join pre-selected gold-hopes for a home Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, Duncan Scott and Angharad Evans. The event unfolds 24 to 29 July at the Tollcross International Pool.
Scott was the first to be pre-selected ... and here's some stuff from Scott on why swimming matters - all levels - and where he's at on the way to LA2028:
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Craig Lord
Evans joined Scott on the pre-selected list, with their coach Ben on her way to the two headline grabbers at British Championships last month:
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Craig Lord
Commonwealth Games Scotland announced the following:
With two months to go until the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, the full complement of swimmers set to represent Team Scotland has been revealed.
23 swimmers join the pre-selected Duncan Scott and Angharad Evans on Team Scotland, in addition to seven para-swimmers previously announced.
Eight of the athletes have previously competed at a Commonwealth Games
including Birmingham 2022 medallists Katie Shanahan and Evan Jones, who return for their second Games. Evan took two bronze medals four years ago in the 4x100m Medley and 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay events, while Katie was also a double bronze medallist in the 400m Individual Medley and 200m Backstroke. She went on to take 5th place in the latter on her Olympic debut at Paris 2024. Shanahan said:
“I’m absolutely delighted to be picked for my second Commonwealth
Games. I’ve got a lot of family and friends coming to watch and it’s literally down the road from where I live so it just makes it even more special. It’s not long now with the final preparations and competitions coming up and the excitement is definitely building. Competing for Team Scotland is just so different, it only happens once every four years and there’s a different energy about it all. It’s different in a very good way and I’m looking forward to getting back in that environment in the prep camp and then in Glasgow. I just can’t wait to compete.”
Two more Paris 2024 Olympians are named, as double European U23 champion Keanna MacInnes returns for a third Commonwealth Games and freestyle specialist Lucy Hope is back for her fourth, having first represented Team Scotland at Glasgow 2014 as a 17-year-old.
Five swimmers from Team Scotland’s most recent Commonwealth Youth Games team make the step up to senior level, including Youth Games flagbearer and silver medallist Stefan Krawiec, Scotland’s most successful Youth Games athlete ever Matthew Ward, who brought home four gold and three silver from Trinbago 2023 and gold medallist Dean Fearn, who has since gone on to become a medallist at the World Junior Championships.
Holly McGill returns to Team Scotland after 5th place in the 200m Backstroke as a 16-year-old at Birmingham 2022 and two gold and a silver at Trinbago 2023, one of a select few athletes to have competed at a senior Games prior to Youth Games selection.
A total of 13 swimmers will make their Commonwealth Games debut including European U23 medallist Lucy Grieve, who experienced the Birmingham 2022 Games as part of Team Scotland’s Achieve programme. Butterfly specialist Ciara Schlosshan will have some family rivalry, with sister Leah competing for Team England, while also making her debut is Evi Mackie, the youngest in the squad having just turned 17.
Stefan Krawiec said: “It's pretty surreal to be honest. Making the Games is one thing but for it to be in Glasgow is a different thing all together. I feel very honoured and privileged. A number of my Edinburgh teammates are also part of the team which makes it extra special.
"Being at Tollcross will be amazing. I won my first British medals in this pool, and it was my first big competition as a young athlete. I've got lots of great memories in this pool I've been in that multi-sport environment before at the Youth Games, dealing with other athletes and being respectful of their timetables. Although I'm not sure the heat will be as much of an impact as it was in Trinidad!"
Elinor Middlemiss MBE, Team Scotland Chef de Mission, said: “I am absolutely delighted for the swimmers named in the Team Scotland squad for Glasgow this summer. There is a great mix of experienced athletes and Games first-timers, showing we have an extremely talented team and real strength in the squad.
“It’s also wonderful to see so many of our Youth Games team making the standard and having the opportunity to use that experience at a home Games. I wish everyone selected all the best in their preparations and look forward to seeing them in action in July.”
Team Scotland - Glasgow 2026 - Swimming:
Duncan Scott (pre-selected)
Angharad Evans (pre-selected)
Megan Barnes
Evie Davis
Dean Fearn
Scott Gibson
Archie Goodburn
Lucy Grieve
Luke Hornsey
Lucy Hope
Charlie Hutchison
Evan Jones
Stefan Krawiec
Evi Mackie
Keanna MacInnes
Sean McCann
Holly McGill
Joshua Mitchell
Anna Morgan
Jensen Norris
Ciara Schlosshan
Katie Shanahan
George Smith
Matthew Ward
Emma Wood
Swimming Mourns Dolphin #453: 1994 World 25km Champion Melissa Cunningham
Swimming Australia and the wider world swimming shoal today mourn Dolphin #453, Melissa Roberts, nee Cunningham, OAM, the 1994 World 25km champion who passed away after battling cancer for the past 14 years.
Born in 1974 in Sutherland, Melissa made her Dolphins debut at the 1993 Pan Pacific Championships and joined an elite group of world-class open water athletes.
A year after her Australian debut, she was crowned the 25km FINA World Champion in Rome, taking gold ahead of Hungarian Rita Kovács and the defending champion and teammate Shelley Taylor-Smith, who had claimed the inaugural FINA open water crown at Perth 1991.
In a tribute to Melissa, Swimming Australia noted:
"Her extensive accolades also include recognition on Sydney Olympic Park’s Path of Champions, Swimming Australia’s Open Water Swimmer of the Year in 1994 and 1996 and induction into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 2013.
"As tough as a they come, Roberts’ first ever open water swim was swum inside a shark cage for the 8km stretch between Townsville to Magnetic Island. She also pushed herself to the limit when she claimed a Guinness World Record of the most kilometres swum in a pool in 24-hours by a female athlete. The feat, which left her allergic to chlorine, was achieved at her home pool at the time, Brisbane’s Chandler, and Roberts clocked a whopping 93kms in 24-hours, smashing the preexisting record by 10.9km"
When Melissa, who topped the 25km race at the 1996 FINA Open Water global showcase in Switzerland, retired from competition, she helped found the Australian Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame, became a technical official, an administrator and also served as commentator for open water swimming at the 2007 FINA World Championships in Melbourne and an announcer at the first Olympic 10km marathon swimming event in Beijing 2008.
For her service to swimming, Roberts was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) at this year’s Australia Day Awards, and the dedicated Dolphin expressed her prolonged gratitude when she said:
“The sport that has shaped so much of my life continues to bring unexpected and meaningful moments”.
In 2012, Roberts was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer and fought her greatest battle bravely until the end.
Swimming Australia ended its statement with this note of condolence: "Thoughts are with family and friends of a Dolphin open water pioneer, and Swimming Australia thanks you for your lifelong contribution."
A Brace For Huske in Sacramento
Olympic 100m butterfly champion Torri Huske claimed a brace of wins on day 2 at the Sacramento round of the U.S. Pro Swim Series, a 57.46 in her Paris 2024 glory event followed by a 1:57.15 200 free topper.
Closest to Huske on 'fly were Canadian Taylor Ruck, 57.95, and France's Marie Wattel, 58.15, while Kennedi Dobson, who topped the 400IM pin day 2, finished second in the 200 free on 1:57.38, with Bella Sims on 1:58.54.
The men's 50m back witnessed the first comeback victory of American triple Olympic champion of 2016, Ryan Murphy. Now 30. With a 22-month swim break behind him, he clocked 25.17 to grab the win ahead of Aiden Hayes, 25.36, and the man who pipped Murphy for the 100m win yeomen day 1, Daniel Diehl, 25.37.
The women's backstroke dash went to World champion Katharine Berkoff in
27.41 ahead of her closest rival in the 100m on day 1, Mary-Ambre Moluh, 27.80.
In the men's 100 'fly, Sean Niewold saw a 51.88 in heats before taking the final in 52.13 ahead of Michael Andrew, 52.36, Hayes and Canada’s Finlay Knox home in 52.60 and 52.67 respectively at a meet where most are racing multi-events per session, the meet a time-trial training set of sorts, each with their own purpose in mind.
Other winners included Thilda Haell, 16:25.99, 1500m free; Dobson on 4:43.73, and 16-year-old Syunta Lee, 4:22.00 in the 400IM finals; and Henry McFadden, on 1:47.34 as the sole sub-1:48 in the 200m free.
Also in The Vortex:
- Neil Brooks Clear To Celebrate Different Victory 46 Years After Olympic Glory
- Roos Vanotterdijk, Florine Gaspard & Lucas Henveaux Leads Belgian Team To Paris Europeans
- The Car Ride Home! - Wisdom from Wayne Goldsmith
- WADA Slams Enhanced Project As 'Clown Show' Draws Near - & The Guardian Rejected After Raising Legitimate Concerns
- Teen Mijatovic Goes His First Sub-15 In the 1500 As Pro Swim Gets Underway in Sacramento
- Katie Ledecky Honoured By Yale: "A Streaking Comet in Water"
- Lewis Clareburt Closes Nationals With 4:09 Gauntlet To Glasgow for Another Kiwi 400IM Crown
- 'Best Yet To Come' - Vanotterdijk On 56.7 Return To Racing
- Emma McKeon Moving On & Off To Sydney For New Chapter In Life
- Third Freestyle Crown For Fairweather In Sub-16 1500 At NZL Nationals
- Lewis Clareburt & Erika Fairweather Build Their Glasgow 2026 Campaigns -
- The return Of Ryan ... Murphy - As The Other Ryan ... Lochte Joins Coaching Ranks
- Britain's Euro Junior Team Announced For Munich 2026
- England 42 To Race At Glasgow Commonwealths
- USA Swimming & Speedo Extend Partnership Through 2028
- Florian Wellbrock & German Men's Distance Free Force Lead 44-Strong Team To Paris Euros
- Moesha Johnson Taking OW World Cup By Storm
- Regan Smith Leads Isabelle Stadden To No 3 In All-Time Sub-58 100 Back Club ... at the same meet:
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- Léon Marchand & Summer McIntosh Practice What They'll Preach In Championship Waters This Summer
- Seven Russian Aquatics Athletes Sanctioned Among 300 Caught In WADA Operation LIMS
IN OTHER NEWS:
Thursday May 7
Obituary, Tributes & Plaudits for Coach Ian Turner
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TIMELINE:
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The SOS FORUM:
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EDITORIALS
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