Weightlifter Sarah Davies Smale is set for a full-circle moment as she returns to Glasgow, the city where her Commonwealth Games journey began 12 years ago. The 33-year-old, born in Preston, first competed at Glasgow 2014 and will now step onto the SEC Armadillo platform for her fourth - and possibly final - Games in Team England colours.
Fourth Games and Defending Champion
Davies Smale will compete in the women's 63kg category at Glasgow 2026 on 28 July. She is the reigning Commonwealth Games champion, having won gold in the 71kg category at Birmingham 2022. "Representing Team England at the Commonwealth Games has always been big for me," she said. "I remember watching Manchester in 2002 as a kid, watching the gymnastics and thinking, 'one day I want to put on an England track suit.' Never in a million years at that point did I think it would be for weightlifting, but here we are heading into Games number four."
A Career of Milestones
Since her debut in 2014, Davies Smale has achieved remarkable success. She won silver at the 2018 Gold Coast Games, became the first British weightlifter to win a World silver medal in 2021, and claimed gold at the European Championships in 2025 and 2026. "It's nice to have that full circle moment. There's a chance that this will be my last Commonwealth Games, so it's nice to have that nostalgia of my first one and my last one being in the same city, in the same venue," she added.
Experience and Team Role
Davies Smale discovered weightlifting by chance while studying at the University of Leeds, where she made friends with Olympic weightlifters. Now one of the most experienced members of the 2026 cohort, she brings expertise both on and off the platform. "It's nice to bring that level of expertise to the team to help settle some nerves with some of the younger team members," she said. "How competitive we are as a team now is completely different to when we were last in Glasgow. It's been really nice to see the team evolve."
Facing Tough Competition
On 28 July, Davies Smale's sole focus will be defending her title. "I'm the defending champion going into it but competing against my friend from Canada [Maude Charron] who's an Olympic champion, so it's going to be a tough competition," she noted. "She was also in Glasgow the last time round, so it's quite nice for both of us to be back battling out on that stage again."
Thanks to National Lottery players, more than £33 million is raised every week for good causes, supporting athletes like Davies Smale at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
