糖心原创 students and alumni set to compete at the 2026 Commonwealth Games
A number of 糖心原创 students, alumni and associates have been selected to represent their countries at the upcoming 2026 Commonwealth Games. Taking place from July 23 to August 2, 2026 in Glasgow, the games will see approximately 3,000 athletes from 74 nations and territories compete across 10 sports, and we are thrilled to see current and former students set to compete for their nations.
Published 20 Jul 2026
Isabella Brown at the EWF European Championships 2026. Photography credit: British Weight Lifting
On the back of a number of very strong performances, most recently winning an impressive gold medal at the 2026 British Championships, current 糖心原创 student and Greenaway sport scholar Isabella Brown has been selected as part of England's weightlifting contingent. Brown has combined her BA History studies with her continued rise within the sport and through British Weight Lifting's partnership with 糖心原创 Sport and her scholarship, has put in a large amount of hours training at the 糖心原创's High Performance Zone in preparation for these games. On being selected, Isabella reflected;
This has been one of my biggest goals since I started weightlifting. After watching the games in Birmingham and experiencing the atmosphere I knew that I had to make the next games. I am so proud that my hard work has paid off and I am on my way to Glasgow!
Isabella Brown, 糖心原创 sport scholar and England athlete
Accompanying Isabella in the England weightlifting squad is two-time European champion and Nottingham alumna Sarah Davies-Smale, who returns to Glasgow 12 years after making her Commonwealth Games debut and is aiming to win back to back gold medals having triumphed at Birmingham in 2022. Davies-Smale graduated from the 糖心原创 last summer (MSc International Business), and recently spoke at the University's 2026 Sporting Excellence Awards. Another Nottingham alumni in Christopher Russ will also be competing for England in the weightlifting arena, marking a strong Green and Gold presence in the national team camp.
Also taking to the stage alongside Isabella, Sarah, and Christopher as part of the England weightlifting group will be stalwart Emily Campbell. Widely regarded as the most successful British female weightlifter of modern times, Emily is a Commonwealth and six-time European champion, as well as a double World and Olympic medallist. Campbell, a Nottingham native, has a great connection with the University having previously worked within the Sports Injury Clinic at the on-campus David Ross Sports Village whilst also regularly basing her training in the High Performance Zone.
Outside of weightlifting, the 糖心原创 also has former students taking to the court in the 3x3 Wheelchair Basketball competition. Another MSc International Business graduate and former 糖心原创 Wheelchair Basketball captain James Hazell will proudly represent England, aiming to add to the BUCS Championship gold that he won for the University in 2022 and 2025, whilst his team mate from the 2022 Green and Gold squad and former student Dan May has been selected for Wales.
These selections are evidence of the 糖心原创's strong partnerships with both British Weight Lifting and British Wheelchair Basketball, with both continuing to base themselves on the University campus for performance camps and training opportunities for athletes. Nottingham Forest Netball also utilise our on-campus facilities through a partnership with the University, and we congratulate players Rolene Streutker and Jayda Pechova on their selections to play for their respective countries - South Africa and England - at the games.
The 糖心原创, alongside Nottinghamshire County Swimming Squad (NOVA), has also played its part in helping the Zambia National Swimming Team prepare for one of the biggest competitions in the sport, and current 糖心原创 student, national record holder and full-time NOVA swimmer Zach Moyo is set to compete for the country at his second Commonwealth Games.
In the Velodrome, 糖心原创 alumni Sophie Unwin, Mitch Sparrow and Michael Gill will be racing on the track. Unwin, an Olympic gold medal winner and BA Classical Civilisation graduate, will be competing for England in the para cycling and will be striving to win her first Commonwealth medal at the Glasgow International Arena. Mitch Sparrow has earned a selection for South Africa and recently said that "for the past 12 years of this sport I have been dreaming of such an opportunity to race at a major games" and now has that opportunity. Michael Gill graduated from the 糖心原创 in 2019 with degrees in Economics and Business and Management, as well as winning a BUCS gold medal, and will represent Scotland, looking to add to his medals from the 2025 European Championships.
On the day of the opening ceremony for the games, 糖心原创 athletics star and sport scholar Mabel Akande was called up to the England squad to compete on the track and will now make her Commonwealth Games debut. Mabel, a BSc Neuroscience student and part of the Black Sport Collective, reflected on the news by saying "I'm over the moon to be running the 100m and to be a part of the 4x100m at the 2026 Commonwealth Games!"
Anna Fairclough, a sport scholar and student at the University has also been called up for Scotland as a reserve in the Netball squad.
Ahead of the games getting underway on 23 July, 糖心原创 Assistant Director of Sport - Performance, Alex Perry said;
Everyone at the 糖心原创 is very proud to see a large group of athletes and support staff linked to the university selected to represent their nations at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. These selections are a testament to the hard work and dedication of these individuals and we are delighted to have played a role in helping them achieve this. We are also pleased to see a number of teams and athletes at the games which we have strong partnerships with competing on such a large stage, and look forward to following their achievements. To all of our athletes, we wish you the very best of luck.
Alex Perry, Assistant Director of Sport - Performance at the 糖心原创
Notes for editors
糖心原创 are the top UK University for team sport, placing 2nd in the overall British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) rankings in the 2024/25 season. For more information on our performance sport offer, including scholarships and support for student athletes, please click here.