Hannah Brier, the fastest Welsh woman in history, has called for change after she missed out on a spot in Wales' 2026 Commonwealth Games team despite breaking a 44-year-old Welsh record days after the qualification period closed. The 28-year-old sprinter said it had been "deeply upsetting" to not qualify for the team after juggling working and training full-time in an attempt to fulfil her dream of competing in Glasgow.
Record-Breaking Performance
Brier broke the Welsh 100m record last summer in a time of 11.26 seconds. Not content with just attempting to qualify for the 100m, she also targeted the 200m. On the final day of qualification, having already broken the Welsh indoor 200m record this season, she ran the exact 200m qualifying standard of 23.07 seconds just hours before the deadline. However, the Welsh athlete said she was subsequently informed that the policy stated the standard had to be surpassed and not equalled in order to qualify. The next day she received a call saying she had not been selected.
"I was devastated. After dedicating the last four years to this goal, I was left feeling that I had fallen short," she wrote. She was told she had no grounds to appeal her non-selection but was determined to prove she was in the shape of her life. Friends and family encouraged her to launch an appeal, which was later rejected.
Historic Record Broken Days After Deadline
On May 26, seven days after the qualification window closed and still heartbroken, Brier broke the long-standing Welsh women's 200m record at the Stratford Speed Grand Prix in London in a time of 22.79 seconds. The record had stood for 44 years after Michelle Scutt ran 22.80 seconds back in June 1982. Her time would also have seen her take home a bronze medal in the Commonwealth Games in 2022.
"A Welsh record that had stood for 44 years was gone. I became the fastest Welsh woman in history over both the 100m and 200m," she reflected. Writing on Facebook, the sprinter said everything since then had been a blur with supporters and strangers campaigning for her inclusion in this summer's Team Wales squad, but ultimately said nothing could change the policy.
Call for Policy Change
"Despite running a time that would have placed third at the last Commonwealth Games and within Sport Wales' target of a top-six finish, I ran it seven days too late," she said. Brier said she had explored every avenue but nothing could be done. The athlete said she was concerned about what message her non-inclusion would send to young Welsh athletes making sacrifices to pursue their dreams and called for the policy to change.
She wrote: "Things need to change, and I hope that my story will spark meaningful conversations and positive change within our policies - so that future athletes never find themselves in the same position. I'm not alone in this. Several other highly talented Welsh athletes worked tirelessly to achieve the qualifying standards, yet despite their efforts and achievements, were ultimately not selected for the Games."
To the young athletes coming through Welsh sport: "Keep chasing your dreams relentlessly. There will be setbacks, disappointments, and moments when the odds seem stacked against you, but never let that diminish your belief in what you are capable of achieving."
Team Wales have been approached for comment.
