The Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow is underway, and the excitement is palpable. Despite initial teething problems and a fair number of empty seats, the Games are proving to be a success. The soul of the Games is being provided by the athletes themselves, with standout performances from the Botswanan lawn bowler Diza Mphotho and the Australian swimmer Cameron McEvoy.
McEvoy, the reigning Olympic champion at 50m, finished second in his heat, though second overall in terms of time, behind his heat-winner, Joshua Liendo. The top 16 go through to the semis, so McEvoy's performance is still impressive. The bowls are also underway, with Scotland's Jason Banks taking on Fiji's Rajnesh Prasad. Prasad is playing well, having won the first set 6-2.
In the netball, Australia is leading New Zealand 23-12 after the first quarter, with the holders quick to hit form. New Zealand are headed for victory over Scotland, with the score 63-40 in the fourth quarter. The crowd at the Hydro is showing plenty of appreciation for the athletes.
The track and field is yet to start, but there's plenty of action from the pool, including the 50m freestyle heats for the men. Adam Ramsay-Peaty, or is it Adam Peaty-Ramsay, is defending his title in the Men's 100m Breaststroke. The Commonwealth record was broken by Scott, who lifted his arms up in the air and started to pound his chest like a silverback after leaving the pool.
The big news on Friday was the incident involving Langton, an England gymnast who initially lay motionless after a fall. A dozen medical personnel carefully stabilised him before lifting him on to a stretcher about 11 minutes after the fall. He was applauded by the crowd as he was taken from the competition floor.
Despite the initial teething problems, the Commonwealth Games 2026 is proving to be a success, with plenty of soul and glow. The athletes are providing the soul, and the crowd is showing plenty of appreciation for their performances. The Games are a testament to the resilience and determination of the athletes, and the management's efforts to 'reimagine' the Games have paid off.
