Max Litchfield has had a career spanning three Olympics and five World Championships but Glasgow 2026 will mark only his second Commonwealth Games, 12 years after his senior debut at the same Tollcross pool that hosts this year’s event.
Litchfield made his senior bow at Glasgow 2014 representing Team England, a year after being a member of the British 4×200 freestyle relay quartet that won gold at the 2013 World Junior Championships, with teammate James Guy anchoring them to victory.
Max Litchfield: Photo Courtesy: Deepbluemedia
However, the 19-year-old was disappointed with his performances at the Games where he finished 12th in both the 400IM and 1500m freestyle. It turned out to be a valuable learning experience and one that he applied immediately at the European Championships in Berlin a fortnight later.
There he finished fourth in the 400IM in a 4:14 PB, just 0.82 off the podium, with the meet serving as a launchpad which has subsequently seen Litchfield reach world and European podiums. There’s also been three straight fourth-place finishes in the 400IM at the Olympics in 2016, 2021 and 2024.
Litchfield, coached by Dave Hemmings at Loughborough Performance Centre, missed out on the 2018 Games with a shoulder injury and personal issues meant he was absent four years later from Birmingham 2022.
Now the 31-year-old will set his sights on his first Commonwealth podium at Tollcross International Swimming Centre where the meet runs from 24-29 July.
Looking back to 2014, Litchfield told Swimming World: “It’s kind of a full circle thing 12 years later. Not the most positive of memories to be honest, it was my first senior team and I was just buzzing to be there. I went to the meet and just didn’t really swim well, I swam pretty awful.
“I didn’t enjoy the rest of the Commies because of that. I should have done – looking back, I was too young to think swimming’s not gone well but I can enjoy this experience which I should have done. It definitely helped me moving on and I went from there to Europeans.
“I learned about myself and about the way I rest and swim and taper – so it was a big learning curve from that perspective but I didn’t really embrace and enjoy the Games as much as I should have because I was too annoyed about how badly I’d swam and not taken advantage of that.”
Stepping Stone To LA28
Reigning champion Lewis Clareburt heads the Commonwealth 400IM rankings in 4:09.47 ahead of Litchfield (4:11.69) with Duncan Scott the leading man in the short medley, four years after gold in Birmingham. Litchfield is also set to be a member of the Team England 4×200 free relay squad with Olympic champions Tom Dean and James Guy.
While Litchfield has his eyes on a glittering prize in Scotland, he’s clear that Glasgow 2026 is a stepping stone on the road to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. The Englishman is already a veteran of three Olympics and has the unenviable record of three straight fourth-place finishes in the 400IM at the Olympics in 2016, 2021 and 2024.
Litchfield said: “One hundred percent you want to win medals, I’ve never won a Commonwealth Games medal: 2014 was my only opportunity and I didn’t manage to do it there. So, I want to win medals and I want to win gold.
“At the same time, it’s still a stepping stone meet, the main focus is still LA. If we go in there and win gold, great; if we go in there and we get a medal, great; if we go in there and we swim a great time and a great race but there’s still things to work on then it’s a matter of learning about that and putting those things right moving into LA. It’s crazy that we’re halfway there already.”
Hopes For Leon Marchand Recovery
There’ll be no let-up for the British contingent following Glasgow with the pool programme at the European Championships running from 10-16 August in Paris.
Litchfield has won two silvers and two bronze medals across the Europeans in 2018 and 2021 in both medleys and the 4×2 free relay.
Leon Marchand: Photo Courtesy: Deepbluemedia
Leon Marchand is expected to be the face of the Europeans, two years after winning four gold medals at Paris 2024 where his ripple effect extended far beyond the pool.
He opened his programme at last month’s French Championships with a 4:04.56 400IM as he soared to the fifth-fastest time in history.
However, he withdrew after the 200 breast prelims with an adductor muscle injury in his right leg to cast doubt on his participation.
Litchfield is hopeful Marchand will take to the blocks at the Olympic Aquatic Centre, the Briton always wanting to pit himself against the best.
“What Leon’s done for the sport is incredible, he said. “It would be phenomenal to see him swim at a home Europeans so hopefully he can recover and rest up. Seeing what form he was on, he could pretty impressive. You definitely want the best field there, you want it to be at full strength. Hopefully he can recover and be ready to go. Realistically for me I’m not thinking about anyone else, I’m just thinking about the best way I can race my race and get in there and give it may all to see what I can get on the other side.”