Sarah Adlington, the first judoka to win two Commonwealth Games gold medals, is preparing for a 'bonus' Games in Glasgow 2026, where she hopes to cap her remarkable career with a third gold. The 39-year-old made her multi-sport debut at the 2014 Glasgow Games and sees the upcoming event as a full-circle moment.
A Full Circle Moment
Adlington said: "Glasgow was my first multi-sport event, so I was like a kid at Disneyland. Everything about Glasgow in 2014 was just so exciting. It feels ages ago. This is really a bonus Games, because if the Commonwealths were going to be in Australia, then judo wouldn't have been in. I wasn't 100% sure if I would end my career before, then this seemed like the fitting end. It's a full circle moment."
Born in Shrewsbury, Adlington endured near-misses for London 2012 and Rio 2016 but made her Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020. After Glasgow replaced Victoria, Australia, as host, the prospect of a home Games became irresistible, leading her to delay retirement.
Team Scotland and SAPA Support
Adlington is among 43 Team Scotland athletes across eight sports benefiting from the sportscotland Athlete Personal Award programme (SAPA), funded by a £210,000 grant from The National Lottery. The programme eases financial pressures, allowing athletes to dedicate more time to training and recovery.
"Balancing other commitments with training and competitions is always difficult," Adlington said. "In a Commonwealth Games year, we know we have to do everything we possibly can in terms of our preparation. The SAPA funding from sportscotland and The National Lottery is a huge help with that and has allowed me to attend more international competitions and camps leading up to the Games."
Aiming for the Podium
Adlington competes in the +78kg weight division and earned gold in 2014 and 2022. Among the 13 Scottish judokas heading to Glasgow is 30-year-old Scott Cusack, son of Billy and Loretta Cusack, both former Commonwealth Games competitors. Billy has been Adlington's coach for 22 years.
"Billy's been my coach my whole senior career, for 22 years, and his son fights the day before me, so that'll be exciting," Adlington said. "You've got to aim for the top. That would be the fairytale end of my career. I'm doing everything I can to be in the best possible shape when I step on the mat and then give the best performance I can on that day. Hopefully that ends up to the top of the podium - that's the dream."
Moth-Eaten Kilt and World Cup Lessons
After the 2022 Games, Adlington faced an unusual problem when moths ate her official Team Scotland kilt. She also followed Scotland's men's FIFA World Cup campaign, their first in 28 years, and drew lessons from their group stage exit.
"I've had a long career, and I've learned there's no 'shoulda woulda coulda', because sometimes it just doesn't go your way. There are a few big teams in the World Cup for whom it's not gone their way and you realise it's sport. Anything can happen and that's what makes it so exciting. That's why people want to watch it, and that's why people will watch the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. It's hopefully the start of the buzz of people getting back behind Scotland and it's great that they'll get plenty of Scottish people in here in a few weeks' time."
Thanks to National Lottery players, more than £33 million is raised every week for good causes, supporting athletes like Adlington at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
