Isle Of Man Names 22 for Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games
The isle of man named its initial 22-athlete squad for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on 14 May, and the group already spans athletics, bowls, cycling, gymnastics, para powerlifting and swimming. For a scaled-down Games, that is a sizeable first cut, with more Manx participants expected in the coming weeks.
Erica Bellhouse on the allocation
Erica Bellhouse, Team Isle of Man Chef du Mission, said the Island having another large allocation for a scaled-down Games is testament to its sporting quality. Twenty-two competitors were selected to fly the Manx flag in Glasgow in July and August, giving the Island representation across six disciplines from the outset.
The breakdown is direct: four athletes in athletics, three in bowls, two in cycling, one in gymnastics, one in para powerlifting and 11 in swimming. That spread gives the squad depth rather than a single-point focus, and it also shows where the Island has the most immediate numbers to build from.
Astin, Lockley and Mullarkey
Three of the athletics names already know the Commonwealth stage. Sarah Astin, Ollie Lockley and David Mullarkey have previous Commonwealth Games experience for the Isle of Man, while Regan Corrin is set to make his Commonwealth debut.
That mix leaves athletics with both continuity and a first-timer in the same selection. It is a useful balance for a squad still being built, especially with Glasgow 2026 scheduled for 23 July to 2 August.
Swift and Bezance lead
Matthew Bostock and Ben Swift will compete for the Isle of Man in track cycling, with Swift arriving as a former world scratch race champion. In para powerlifting, 17-year-old Alfie Bezance secured a bipartite place and is ranked 11th in the Commonwealth in his discipline.
Bowls also returns to the program for the Isle of Man, with Michael Collister, Mark McGreal and Caroline Whitehead selected. That is a change from Birmingham in 2022, when the Island did not have representation in bowls.
Swimming accounts for the biggest share of the squad, and six of those names are debutants: Libby Curphey, Lauren Dennett, Charlie Foster, Ella Justice, Magnus Kelly and Alex Turnbull. Peter Allen, Laura Kinley, Kiera Prentice, Harry Robinson and Joel Watterson are the swimmers with previous Games experience from Birmingham in 2022, while Harry Eyres will lead the Island's charge in gymnastics after winning multiple medals for the Island at the International Island Games in Orkney last summer.
With the first squad now named, the Isle of Man has a firm base for Glasgow and a clear sign of where its strength sits: swimming depth, experienced athletics, and established names in cycling and bowls. The next additions, if they come, will only broaden that first 22.
