For most athletes, a home Commonwealth Games would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but for Stirling-based Lucy Hope, lightning has struck twice. The swimmer was just 17 years old when the Games rolled into Glasgow in 2014, but after Australia withdrew from hosting duties this year, the Scottish city stepped in once more.
From teenage debut to seasoned competitor
Now with two Olympics and dozens of international competitions under her belt, Hope is a very different prospect compared to her teenage self. She said: “I was still at school, and it was kind of unexpected - just an excitable teenager at the Games and trying to soak up everything. So, I think I'm coming into this one a little bit older, but a little bit wiser as well.
“Since then, I've done two Olympic Games, four World Championships and another three Commonwealth Games. So, time has passed and I kind of need to keep reminding myself of that.”
Atmosphere and anticipation
Hope remembers the electric atmosphere from her first Games. “I remember from the first Games that the atmosphere in the crowd was unbelievable. The Tollcross International Swimming Centre is quite a small venue, but the sound bounces off the walls, and you get a tingling in the air. It's such an exciting atmosphere to be a part of and hopefully that can be replicated again in 2026.”
Hope will compete in the women’s 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relays for the fourth time this summer. Thanks to her consistency across the last decade, she sits third in the all-time medal list for British swimmers at the European Championships, behind Fran Halsall and Freya Anderson.
Preparation and perspective
“We've got a few more weeks until we head up to Aberdeen for prep camp. So, we’re just fine-tuning a little bit and getting some race prep in ahead of the taper, which is the most exciting part of training,” she said.
“We get told that it's once in a lifetime opportunity, but this is twice in a lifetime opportunity for me. So, it's just as special as the first one and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Backing team-mates and the future of the Games
Chief among the Scottish swimming squad is eight-time Olympic medallist Duncan Scott, but it’s another name that Hope backs to produce standout performances. She said: “I think Angharad Evans will have a lot of people shocked at how fast she'll go in the summer. She's produced so many great times already this year and goes into the Games with a world-leading time. She joined our programme a couple of years ago and the transformation she's had since she joined is unbelievable. She's so excited when she goes into a race that she gets a little bit nervous sometimes.”
Glasgow has been praised for its willingness to accept the Games, but they have been forced to announce a reduced programme due to the short notice. The original hosts, Victoria in Australia, withdrew, citing the financial burden of the Games and drawing into question its sustainability in the long-term future. But Hope remains hopeful: “How we've been able to take over and adapt certain aspects of the Games is a more sustainable way for the Games to continue. The whole thing of building new infrastructure and hosting a full Commonwealth Games might be things of the past, but being able to utilise existing arenas, pools and being able to hold it across multiple cities in one country would be such an exciting thing for the future. Scaling it down slightly might help it to last a lot longer in the future.”
