Swimming

The finest swimmers from across the Commonwealth are set to showcase their dynamic strength, skill and speed as they make a serious splash at Glasgow 2026. 

Swimming and Para Swimming see athletes contest events across four swimming styles – Freestyle, Breaststroke, Butterfly and Backstroke; while the Individual Medley events, which include all four strokes, really test their versatility. 

With distances ranging from a 50m sprints to the lung-busting 1500m Freestyle, the variety of events will showcase the talent, skills and strengths of every athlete in the pool, each vying to claim a place on the podium. 

As well as individual races, in Swimming and the fully integrated Para Swimming, spectators will be able to marvel at the relay events, where tactics, takeovers and teamwork combine as four swimmers work together to outswim their opponents. 

Here’s how it works: 

Swimming and Para Swimming at the Commonwealth Games takes place in a long-course 50m pool – double the length you might find in typical leisure pool and often referred to as ‘Olympic size’.  

For most events, heats will take place first, with the fastest swimmers or relay teams proceeding to semi-finals and finals.   

Para Swimming 

With Para Swimming fully integrated into the Glasgow 2026 swimming event, there will be even more chance for spectators to get inspired as athletes overcome barriers to compete at the highest level.  

To be eligible to compete in Para Swimming, a person must have an eligible impairment and meet the minimum impairment criteria set out in the World Para Swimming Classification Rules and Regulations. 

World Para Swimming caters for three impairment groups - physical, intellectual and vision impairment and there are 10 eligible impairment types numbered 1-10.  

Sport class names use a prefix “S” (Freestyle, Butterfly and Backstroke), “SB” (Breaststroke) and “SM” (Individual Medley). 

  • S1-S10 / SB1 – SB9 / SM1- SM10 (Physical impairment) 
  • S/SB11-13 (Vision impairment)
  • S/SB14 (Intellectual impairment) 

 More information on Para Swimming classifications can be found here. 

Did you know? 

  • Glasgow 2026 will feature the largest ever Swimming programme at a Commonwealth Games, with the inclusion of the Women’s 1500m and men’s 800m Freestyle for the first time.
  • Swimming is a ‘core’ Commonwealth Games sport and has been part of the programme since debuting at the inaugural event, Hamilton 1930.
  • Manchester 2002 saw the debut of Para Swimming with the programme expanding to 12 medal events at recent games.
  • The Butterfly stroke used to be considered only a legitimate variation of Breaststroke. In 1938, English swimmer John G Davies won the 220 yards Breaststroke in a new Games record using what was later to become known as the butterfly. As a result, that record stood for 20 years!