Double Olympic Champion Matt Richards to Spearhead Team Wales at Commonwealth Games
Double Olympic champion Matt Richards headlines a 21-strong Team Wales squad across swimming and para swimming for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
The team – comprising 16 swimmers and five para swimmers – features Olympic champions through to world and European junior medallists.
Richards is yet to pay a trip to the Commonwealth podium despite having amassed Olympic, world and European titles.
At the 2022 edition in Birmingham, he secured four fourth-place finishes in relay events and was fifth in the 200 free. The meet took place shortly after his move from Bath to Millfield where he began his partnership with coach Ryan Livingstone with the pair now working together at Manchester Performance Centre. It soon bore fruit with Richards leading home Olympic champion Tom Dean for a British 1-2 in the 200 free with the pair making up half the victorious 4×200 free quartet at the 2023 worlds in Fukuoka.
The 23-year-old will head to Glasgow for the meet that runs from 24-29 July at Tollcross International Swimming Centre before the European Championships follow hot on the heels in Paris.
Swim Wales Performance Director Ross Nicholas said: “This selection represents the culmination of years of hard work and commitment from the athletes, coaches and support staff across the Welsh performance pathway. We are excited by the quality within this squad and are looking forward to watching their performances at Tollcross.
“Representing Wales at a Commonwealth Games is a special achievement and we know the athletes will wear the red dragon with pride.”
Graeme Antwhistle and Graham Wardell feature among the coaching staff with Alys Thomas travelling as assistant manager and athlete mentor. Thomas won the 200 fly title at Gold Coast 2018 with her winning time of 2:05.45 placing her third among British women behind Ellen Gandy (2:04.83) and Jemma Lowe, who twice went 2:05.36.
Team Wales squad for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, Glasgow, 24-29 July
Alexandra Bastone
Amy Crowley
Dan Jones
Dylan Broom
Ela Letton-Jones
Harry Milne
Jack Knight
Joshua Inglis
Kieran Bird
Kyle Booth
Lewis Fraser
Matthew Richards
Medi Harris
Meghan Higgs
Meghan Willis
Rebecca Sutton
Rhys Darbey
Rose Williams
Sophie Davies
Theodora Taylor
Tyler Melbourne-Smith