13-strong team named for sport at which Scotland excelled at Glasgow 2014
Sarah Adlington has the chance to make more Commonwealth Games history after being selected in the Scotland judo squad for Glasgow 2026.
The 39-year-old leads a 13-strong team for what will be the swan-song of her glittering career.
She was part of the Scottish team’s record medal haul at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games when judo was the host country’s most successful sport with six golds, two silvers and five bronzes.
There was no judo at the 2018 Games in Gold Coast but the sport returned in Birmingham four years later and Adlington struck gold again. She is eyeing one last shot at glory on the mat at the SEC in Glasgow later this summer.
Famous judo family
“Experience teaches you a lot, and I’ve definitely got plenty of that. I’m hoping I can put it to good use at the Games,” said Adlington. “Competing at Glasgow is a bonus and it’s going to be the perfect ending to my career.”
She will compete in the women’s +78kg category at the Games which open on July 23 and run until August 2.
Adlington, who will turn 40 three days after the Games end, is very much the senior stateswoman in the Scotland judo selection, with her five female team-mates having an average age of just 20.
They include Sunny Doig, 21, who was part of Team Scotland’s Achieve Programme for upcoming athletes at Birmingham 2022, Eva Ewing, who at 18 is the youngest judoka in the Scotland team, Sophie Wood, Nicole Wood (no relation) and Summer Shaw, British Championships gold medallist and the oldest of the female debutants at 22.
The Scotland men’s competitors include Scott Cusack whose parents have a storied history in the sport. His mother, Loretta, was the 1982 world champion and won gold at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland. She will be at Glasgow 2026 as Sport Competition Manager for Judo.
Scott’s father Billy competed at the 1992 Olympics Games in Barcelona and also secured a medal at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, winning bronze in the 71kg category.
“To actually make the team, I am delighted,” said Scott. “Having my mum and dad both compete at the Commonwealth Games, it’s always been a thing that I wanted to do. I really want to make them proud and do the best that I can.”
There is another family connection with Ollie Short who earns selection for his first Games after his brother Alex competed at Birmingham 2022, just missing out in the bronze medal match. Ollie Short was a silver medallist at both the Hong Kong Asian Open in November and the Mandurah Oceania Open in May.
The men’s selection is completed by Gregor Miller (also part of the 2022 Achieve Programme), Neil MacDonald, Aiden Moffatt, Daniel Pacitti and Jaden Calder. The team will be coached by Gary Edwards, Taka Kitahara and Graeme Randall.
Scotland judo team for Commonwealth Games
Women: Sarah Adlington +78kg, Sunny Doig -63kg, Eva Ewing -48kg, Summer Shaw -48kg, Nicole Wood -78kg, Sophie Wood -63kg.
Men: Jaden Calder -100kg, Scott Cusack -90kg, Neil MacDonald -66kg, Gregor Miller +100kg, Aiden Moffat -66kg, Daniel Pacitti -73kg, Ollie Short -73kg.