Matt Richards has won Olympic gold twice and collected multiple world and European titles. The one thing missing from his collection is a Commonwealth medal.
The 23-year-old Welsh swimmer finished fourth four times at the 2022 Birmingham Games. He arrives in Glasgow with a straightforward goal.
"It would mean the world," Richards said of winning gold at Glasgow 2026. "Every time I've ever stood at the top of the podium I've heard the British national anthem, which is fantastic and amazing and every time it's special. But I've never been able to stand at the top of the podium and hear the Welsh anthem and that's something important to me. It is something I'm absolutely determined to make sure that when we get up there we fill that stadium with our anthem and do it as many times as possible."
Richards leads a Wales team of 21 swimmers and Para-swimmers who will compete from Friday, July 24 through Wednesday, July 29 at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre in Glasgow, according to BBC Sport.
One of Wales' first medal opportunities could come from 19-year-old Ela Letton-Jones, who competes in the S13 100m freestyle on Friday. Letton-Jones, from Y Felinheli in Gwynedd, won silver at the World Para-Swimming Championships in Singapore last year.
"The fact I performed well last year gives me confidence, hopefully I can perform better even better in Glasgow," she said. "I like that I can push myself and I know that I can always perform better. The goal is to win more medals and hopefully make Wales proud."
Another name to watch is Theodora Taylor, a 17-year-old from Torfaen Dolphins who will compete in multiple events including relays. Already racing at senior level, she won silver at the GB Swimming Championships in April in the 50m freestyle, a result that earned her selection to represent Great Britain at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris next month. Richards is also in that European squad.
Making his Commonwealth debut is 20-year-old Tyler Melbourne-Smith, who already has two golds and a bronze from the 2023 Youth Commonwealth Games in Trinidad and Tobago. The step up has not gone unnoticed by the swimmer himself.
"It just shows as an athlete I'm taking the leap from junior to senior level," Melbourne-Smith said. "Now I'm racing some of the best swimmers in the world and at Commonwealth Games, it will be the same. I'm looking forward to go out, compete, just give it everything I've got."
Also in the Wales squad is Olympic gold medallist Kieran Bird and Medi Harris, who won one of Wales' two bronze medals in the pool at the 2022 Commonwealths.
