Commonwealth Games 2026: Meet the Team NI athletes heading to Glasgow

Northern Ireland’s biggest squad to go to the Games swims in Glasgow with 15 athletes.

The headliner is the Olympic 800m gold medalist Daniel Wiffen. The 24-year-old will be competing in her second Commonwealth Games and will be looking to go one better than she did in Birmingham four years ago when she won silver in the 1500m.

Wiffen, who also won bronze in the 1500m in Paris, will compete in the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle in Glasgow.

He will come up against a good friend Jack McMillan At 400 meters. The 26-year-old was part of Team GB’s relay team that claimed Olympic gold in Paris.

McMillan will compete in the 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle and possibly the men’s relay team in his second Games after finishing 11th in the 100m in Birmingham.

Daniel Hill Returned for his fourth Games after making his Commonwealth debut as a 14-year-old in 2014.

The two-time Olympian is the 2024 European champion in the 50m backstroke and will compete in the 50m and 100m backstroke as well as the 50m freestyle.

Eli McCartney She is preparing for her first Games after winning two golds and a bronze at the 2023 Youth Commonwealth Games.

The 21-year-old will feature in the 100m and 200m breaststroke and the 200m individual medley.

Conor Ferguson Returned to the Games in 2018 after reaching two finals. The 26-year-old, who made his Olympic debut in Paris, missed Birmingham 2022 but returned for the 50m backstroke in Glasgow.

Lotte Cullen Preparing for his maiden Commonwealth Games where he will compete in the 100m and 200m backstroke.

The 21-year-old who was born to an Irish father and a Malaysian mother, grew up in Ipoh, Malaysia before moving to Northern Ireland at the age of 10.

Grace Davison Selected for her second Games and will compete in the 100m and 200m freestyle as well as the 100m and 200m backstroke.

The 18-year-old won a gold and a bronze medal at the 2023 Youth Commonwealth Games and made her Olympic debut in 2024.

Northern Ireland will also be represented in four relays. Women’s 4x100m Freestyle, Men’s and Women’s 4x100m Medley Relay and Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay.

Adam Bradley, Matthew Hamilton, Paddy Johnston, Alana Burns Atkin, Victoria Catterson and Emily Hughes will be in line for selection and they will also compete in various individual events.

Para-swimmer, six-time Paralympic gold medalist Bethany Firth He returns to the Games aiming to defend his S14 200m freestyle title, which he won in Birmingham.

Barry McClements Back to the Games and S9 will compete in the 100m backstroke and S10 in the 100m fly.

The Newtonards man became the first swimmer to medal in the pool for Team NI in 2022 when he won bronze in the S9 100m backstroke.