Olivia Breen’s leadership at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow has been praised by Tanni Grey-Thompson after the Welsh captain secured two medals at the event. Breen, who turned 30 this week, added long jump gold to the T38 100m silver she had previously earned.
Golden first jump at Scotstoun
The Surrey-born Breen leapt 5.09m with her opening attempt on Friday night at Scotstoun, moving straight to the top of the leaderboard, where she remained for the rest of the competition. Grey-Thompson, an 11-time wheelchair racing Paralympic champion, praised the captain’s impact both on and off the track.
“Livvy brings such light to the team, she’s always happy and positive and it raises everyone’s spirits,” said Grey-Thompson. “It’s just amazing how she is with the team – everyone loves watching her compete, because she is just such a positive person.”
“We share a birthday! Although I’m slightly older than her, but it was her birthday the other day. The long jump was amazing – it was cold, she was wrapped in blankets, but she nailed the first jump and that was it. The inclusion of these games is phenomenal – there are 47 para events with medal status. It’s been amazing and Glasgow has really stepped up.”
Star-studded Team Wales gathering
Grey-Thompson, 57, was speaking from a star-studded event at Team Wales house, which also featured Breen, Jamie Baulch, chef de mission Gethin Jones, Aled Davies and Rosie Eccles. During the watch party, further Welsh medal success was screened, with Emma Finucane and Anna Morris taking cycling golds and Connor Williams and Orlando Holley-Sotomi finishing on the boxing podium.
National Lottery impact
Grey-Thompson, who claimed her first Paralympic title at Barcelona 1992 and retired after Athens 2004, has seen the effect of National Lottery funding, which began in 1997, first-hand. She expressed gratitude to those who buy tickets.
“It’s really important to say thank you to National Lottery players – many of these athletes here are funded by them and it’s been incredible for British sport,” she added. “The National Lottery changed everything – if you have talent, there’s a much better chance of that being recognised. It helped athletes dedicate more time to training and recovery – I think it’s good for athletes now to know what it was like before. Without people buying a ticket, they wouldn’t be able to do what they do.”
More than £33m is raised every week for good causes thanks to National Lottery players, providing support for sport, arts, heritage, community projects and UK athletes competing at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
