University athletes lit up Glasgow 2026 with 10 medal wins, highlighting Edinburgh's position as Scotland's leading sporting university.
University of Edinburgh athletes have won a record-breaking haul of medals at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, winning 10 medals across the competition.
21 athletes with University connections took part in the Games, bringing home 10 medals, including four gold, three silver and three bronze.
This marks the University’s most successful performance at a Commonwealth Games, with 10 medals equivalent to 12th place in the final medal table of 72 competing nations.
The final weekend saw accolades for Edinburgh alumna and wheelchair racer Melanie Woods, winning the Women’s 400m T54 to take her second gold of the Games.
Melanie was also awarded the prestigious David Dixon Award, presented to just one athlete across the competition, recognising an individual who best embodies the values of the Commonwealth Games through outstanding performance, fair play and contribution to sport.
This followed her remarkable performance in the T54 1500m, where she showed incredible resilience by winning both the original final and race rerun, staged two days later following an appeal, returning to the track to win the title once again.
Alongside Melanie’s two golds, para swimmers Faye Rogers and Stephen Clegg MBE were also crowned Commonwealth champions after winning gold in the pool.
Current medical student Faye delivered an incredible performance to win the Women’s 200m Individual Medley SM10 title on the opening day of the competition.
As well as taking gold in the para competition, Faye also competed alongside able-bodied swimmers in the Women’s 200m Butterfly, highlighting her exceptional talent and determination.
Stephen Clegg won gold in the Men’s S13 50m Freestyle, his title win following an earlier silver medal in the Men’s 100m Freestyle S13 final.
University athletes also won silver and bronze medals across the competition.
Swimmers Ciara Schlosshan and Anna Morgan both took home silver medals as part of the second-placed Scotland team in the Women’s 4x100m Medley Relay squad, while Josh Mitchell won bronze as part of the Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay.
In athletics, distance runner and current postgraduate student Megan Keith claimed bronze in the final of the Women’s 5000m, with a season’s best time of 14 minutes and 49 seconds.
Stephen Mackenzie won bronze with a record-breaking jump of 8.08m in the Men’s Long Jump final, the greatest distance ever jumped by a Scottish competitor on home soil.
It was also a remarkable Games for inspirational swimmer and recent graduate Archie Goodburn, who reached a Commonwealth final following his diagnosis with a rare brain tumour, known as an oligodendroglioma, in 2024.
Following his Men’s 50m final swim, Archie used his post-race interviews to reflect on his Games achievements and passionately advocate for greater support and early diagnosis for young people living with brain cancer.
University athletes competed in six sports, including nine swimmers, six athletics competitors, two netball players, two judoka, one weightlifter and one basketball player.
Alongside current students and alumni, the cohort included associate athletes training with the University’s world-class sport performance programmes.
Each athlete’s place at the games reflects years of training and dedication, during which many have balanced their sporting ambitions alongside their academic career while studying at Edinburgh.
Their selection also reflects the quality of talent developed through the University’s specialist performance training environment, delivered by Edinburgh Sport.
Leading coaching staff from the University also supported athletes at the Games, with Performance Swimming Head Coach Mat Trodden and Performance Swimming Coach Danny Kirkham joining Team Scotland.
Away from the competition, several former University sports scholars and alumni held key roles on screen. Runner Eilidh Doyle presented coverage and commentary on athletics, Michael Jamieson provided swimming commentary and Grace Reid interviewed and showcased athletes' stories throughout the Games.
Several University students and staff members also played their part in delivering this year's Games by volunteering at Team Scotland HQ and across venues.
The Edinburgh-associated athletes who competed at the Games includes:
We wish huge congratulations to every University of Edinburgh athlete who competed in Glasgow and to their coaching and support teams. To see this group achieve the most successful Commonwealth Games in the University's history is a remarkable accomplishment and a testament to their talent, commitment and resilience.
Whether standing on the podium, reaching a final or inspiring others through their determination, every athlete has made us immensely proud. Many have balanced the demands of elite sport alongside their studies, making their achievements all the more impressive.
They have represented themselves, their nations and the University with distinction, and they leave Glasgow with memories, friendships and achievements that will inspire the next generation of Edinburgh athletes.
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