Talk of the Games, Day 7: 'I used to be a soccer player'
Some of the best quotes from Day 7 of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
A selection of what the athletes have had to say on the seventh day of action in Glasgow.
Can Scotland Para Track Cyclist Neil Fachie, who turned 42 in March, describe what it's like to win Men's Tandem B 100m Time Trial gold in front of a home crowd after coming out of retirement for a "last hurrah" at Glasgow 2026?
"The short answer is no - but I can try... I'm getting older and my memory's going, so it's nice to have one (medal) that's a bit fresher."
Before retaining her title in the Women’s 86+kg Weightlifting, England's Emily Campbell filmed the first round of flagship BBC cooking show, Celebrity MasterChef:
"You will see a lot of Caribbean cooking from me on MasterChef. I have worked really hard on refining my dishes, so make sure you tune in."
Botswana's Charles Diteko (pictured right) is delighted to be representing his country at Bowls in Glasgow, for more than one reason:
"I used to be a soccer player and I'm a big fan of Celtic. So if there is a match on and I have time I will try to get to it. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
Catherine Papani on how she and husband Keith Papani, who is also competing for Niue at Glasgow 2026, took up Bowls:
"(Me) coming off netball and Keith coming off rugby, we decided in 2013 to start playing lawn bowls because it's a bit gentler on the knees. In 2014, we were actually here in Glasgow at the Commonwealth Games representing Niue... our girls have been playing a little bit of bowls... their dad's quite competitive, so they've kind of shied away for now."
Chloe Dunbar, moments after claiming silver behind her Canadian teammate Sheriauna Haase in the Women’s 100m T47:
“I used to run with my prosthetic because I was nervous about what people would think about my image, and then I’ve seen Sherry running without her arm and being confident of who she was, so that's now made me become the person that I am today - especially in Athletics.”
Zak Shaw on flipping over the number clipped to his England vest to reveal the dedication 'Gold for you mum' when crossing the line to take gold in the Men's 100m T12:
"I thought when she passed, I'd feel her with me, and it's something that I've probably found the most challenging, that I felt lonely a lot of the time. I really wanted to make sure that today was a day where I was running for both of us."
Joseph Truman, who picked up Men's Team Sprint silver with England in Track Cycling, had a simple explanation for why final opponents Australia won gold:
"They were a bit faster."
Nigeria’s Chukwuebuka Enekwechi now has a gold medal around his neck to match the gold wedding ring on his finger after winning the Men’s Shot Put on Thursday. Turns out bronze medallist Scott Lincoln (ENG) was involved in both.
“It was Scott who persuaded me to propose to my wife. I was rooming with him during some professional track meet and we were talking about our personal lives. And he let me know that it's about time."
Thea LaFond, after winning the Women's Triple Jump.
“All I want the world to know is that Dominica exists, and that we have amazing people. We're small but mighty."
