Commonwealth Games: Lauren Cox Talks 2022 Catalyst & Rues Kaylee McKeown Absence
The 2022 Commonwealth Games served as a real eye-opener for Lauren Cox and offered her a glimpse of what she could achieve on the international stage.
Cox made her senior debut at the Games in Birmingham where she led off the Team England women’s and mixed medley relays which both went on to win bronze. She also finished fourth in the 50 back – 0.03 off Kaylee McKeown in third – and fifth in the 100.
From there she went straight on to the European Championships in Rome where she swam the prelims of the mixed medley relay before being replaced in the final by Medi Harris as the British quartet finished third.
But it was the Commonwealth Games that made a huge impression on the then 20-year-old.
Speaking to Swimming World, she said: “I’ve been saying for a really long time now that the 2022 Commonwealth Games was my favourite meet. I think in the 100 I PBd every time I stepped in the water. It was my first time swimming in front of a really big crowd, first time on a senior team, first time on a podium.
“It was a lot of firsts and I really think that inspired me and motivated me to see that actually I really want to take this seriously and I really want to represent Great Britain at the next level up. So those medals were a big milestone for me and opened my eyes to seeing that this is what I could do if I continued to work hard.”
Cox has navigated some highs and lows in the four years since Birmingham including 50 back bronze at the 2023 worlds which was followed a year later by desolation at missing out on the Great Britain team for the Paris Olympics.
The addition of the 50m events to the Olympic programme at Los Angeles 2028 reinvigorated Cox’s love for the sport as did her fledgling involvement with AP Race and its co-founder Adam Peaty who set up the brand with Ed Baxter.
She set a British 50 record of 27.15 at the AP Race London International in May 2025 and went on to finish fifth, 0.06 off the podium at the 2025 World Championships in Singapore, while leading off the women’s medley relay that were eighth. Cox enjoyed a fine conclusion to the year when she claimed the 100 back crown at the European Short-Course Championships in Lublin and set a 26.03 British 50 back record en-route to fourth.
Now she heads into the Games in Glasgow as fourth fastest in the Commonwealth in the 50 back and fifth in the 100 in 27.39 and 59.45 respectively. Kaylee McKeown leads the Commonwealth swimmers with her times of 27.13 and 57.77 from last month’s Australian trials.
However, the five-time Olympic champion withdrew from the Games with glandular fever leaving team-mates Mollie O’Callaghan and Iona Anderson jostling for pole position although the former’s race schedule is as yet unknown.
Cox, who’s coached by Ryan Livingstone at Manchester Performance Centre, regretted Mckeown’s absence and would rather measure herself against the Australian who won four golds among six medals in Birmingham.
“I really like Kaylee as a person and I really look up to her, she is definitely one of my swimming role models,” said Cox.
“I love what she’s done, I think she’s incredible. She’s one of the best female swimmers and for me to race against her is such a privilege and I think it brings a better racer out of me by her being in the race. It’s a real shame to hear she’s not going to be in Glasgow and I do hope she gets better soon. I always like having a good race try and take it to her as much as I can.”
Cox was speaking after the England football team qualified for the semi-final of the World Cup with a hard-fought quarter-final victory over Norway. While the Three Lions would go on to lose 2-1 to Argentina in the semi, aspects like the team bonding, character and spirit resonated with Cox.
“Since I’ve been making teams, I look at it like gosh, I bet their camps are the same as our holding camps and I bet they have all these team meetings. I wonder what the psychologists are saying to them and is it something they would say to us? I see them banding together and one thing I do look at is their celebrations after the goal – we really should do that in swimming a bit more because they really take in the crowd and everything. We’re like them – we represent England as well. It’s really special.”
Can we expect some football-style celebrations in Glasgow then? “Definitely,” she said. “I’m getting them girls and we’re practising our celebrations at the holding camp for sure.”
Glasgow stepped in to stage the Games after Victoria withdrew as hosts because of financial concerns. While the future of the Games is assured for at least one more edition with Ahmedabad, India, hosting in 2030, many have questioned its ongoing relevance.
Birmingham 2022 was Cox’s launchpad and the 24-year-old points to the development opportunity it offers younger, less experienced swimmers. She‘ll approach the competition at Tollcross with the same mindset as she does any other international meet.
“I feel the exact same way about it as I do Europeans, worlds. It has the same feel and I go in with the same seriousness as I would for those meets. It’s another chance. We have the Aussies and the Canadians – they’re still the ones I’m trying to beat at the worlds so the level of competition for me is still the same so I see it level with everything else.”