Australia have taken control of the early Commonwealth Games 2026 medal table, but the opening weekend has also delivered memorable home success for Scotland and several major performances from England.
By Sunday evening, Australia had collected 14 gold medals and 32 medals overall. England remained second with four golds and 18 medals, while four victories lifted hosts Scotland into third place despite having a smaller overall total than several nations.
The standings will continue to change as Sunday’s remaining events conclude, but Australia have already established themselves as the team to catch in Glasgow.
The 23rd Commonwealth Games officially opened on Thursday, 23 July and will continue until Sunday, 2 August. Around 3,000 athletes representing 74 nations and territories are competing across 10 sports, including six programmes with integrated Para sport events.
Fans looking for an overview of the event can read our Commonwealth Games 2026 guide and the full Glasgow 2026 sports programme.
Australia take control of the medal table
Australia’s strength in swimming has driven their commanding start.
The Australian team won six gold medals in the pool on the opening day before continuing to add titles throughout the weekend. Iona Anderson maintained that momentum on Sunday by producing a powerful finish to win the women’s 100m backstroke.
Tim Hodge also claimed gold in the men’s S9 100m backstroke, while Australia continued to collect medals across gymnastics, Para swimming and other events.
Their netball team delivered another statement performance by beating England 66-48 in Pool A. Australia controlled the match against one of their main medal rivals and underlined why they remain favourites to challenge for another Commonwealth title.
Australia’s 14 gold medals placed them comfortably ahead of England and Scotland, who had four each, with Nigeria and South Africa following on three.
Scotland celebrate landmark home victories
Scotland’s athletes have given the Glasgow crowd several moments to remember.
Duncan Scott won the host nation’s first gold medal of the Games in the men’s 200m individual medley. The Scottish swimmer finished in 1 minute 56.38 seconds, lowering his own Commonwealth Games record by half a second.
The victory took Scott to 14 Commonwealth medals and strengthened his position as Scotland’s most successful athlete in the competition’s history.
Faye Rogers also delivered an important home victory in the women’s 200m individual medley SM10, completing a memorable opening night at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre.
Scotland’s success continued on Sunday when Reuben Ward became the first Scottish gymnast to win the Commonwealth men’s individual all-around title.
Ward held his nerve across the final rotations to claim an emotional gold in front of a Glasgow International Arena filled with Scottish flags. His composed performance moved Scotland further up the medal table and produced one of the defining moments of the opening weekend.
Angharad Evans then raised the noise level again at Tollcross by winning the women’s 100m breaststroke.
Evans reached the wall in 1 minute 6.07 seconds, edging South Africa’s Aimee Canny by just one-hundredth of a second. Australia’s Sienna Toohey completed the podium with bronze.
The result gave Scotland a fourth gold medal and maintained the hosts’ perfect record of converting their medals into either gold or silver by Sunday evening.
England build a broad medal challenge
England remain second in the medal table after collecting medals across Para powerlifting, swimming and artistic gymnastics.
Mark Swan claimed the first gold medal of the Games in the men’s lightweight Para powerlifting event. The Englishman lifted 220kg to set a new European record, although he initially appeared unsure whether he had done enough to secure the title.
England’s Para swimmers have also made a major contribution.
Georgia Sheffield and Will Ellard won the women’s and men’s 200m freestyle S14 titles respectively on Saturday. Alice Tai followed on Sunday by claiming the women’s S9 100m backstroke crown in 1 minute 11.93 seconds.
Tai’s victory represented her third consecutive Commonwealth Games title in the event. She had only received medical clearance to compete shortly before the Games, making the result one of England’s most impressive performances of the weekend.
Adam Ramsay-Peaty had to settle for bronze in the men’s 100m breaststroke after Australia’s Sam Williamson took gold and Jersey’s Filip Nowacki won silver.
Ramsay-Peaty responded by progressing through the men’s 50m breaststroke semi-finals on Sunday. He finished second in his heat in 26.82 seconds and will have another opportunity to challenge for a title in Monday’s final.
England’s depth means their medal challenge is likely to grow as athletics, boxing and the later stages of the team competitions gather pace.
India and Nigeria make their mark
India secured their first gold medal of Glasgow 2026 when Mirabai Chanu won the women’s 48kg weightlifting title.
The Olympic medallist entered the competition as one of India’s leading hopes after winning Commonwealth gold at both Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022. Her latest victory moved India into the top eight of the medal table with one gold, two silvers and one bronze.
Nigeria also remain firmly involved near the top of the standings.
Esther Nworgu won the women’s lightweight Para powerlifting gold with a Commonwealth Games record score, while Esther Oyema claimed silver. Nigeria’s early dominance in Para powerlifting helped the team collect three golds and seven medals by Sunday evening.
Malaysia, Canada and South Africa have also made strong starts. Malaysia had two gold medals, while South Africa’s Pieter Coetze set a Commonwealth Games record to win the men’s 200m backstroke on Sunday.
Commonwealth Games 2026 medal table
The following standings were available on Sunday evening, 26 July. The figures may change as further finals are completed.
| Position | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 14 | 7 | 11 | 32 |
| 2 | England | 4 | 8 | 6 | 18 |
| 3 | Scotland | 4 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| 4 | Nigeria | 3 | 4 | 0 | 7 |
| 5 | South Africa | 3 | 2 | 4 | 9 |
| 6 | Canada | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
| 7 | Malaysia | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| 8 | India | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
Readers can follow the changing standings through the official Glasgow 2026 medal table.
Glasgow’s compact model faces its first major test
The action is taking place across a smaller programme than recent editions of the Commonwealth Games.
Glasgow stepped in after the planned event in Victoria, Australia, was cancelled. Organisers have concentrated the competition around existing venues within a compact area of the city, reducing the need for major new construction.
The programme features 215 medal events across 10 sports. Six include integrated Para competitions: athletics, swimming, track cycling, bowls, weightlifting and 3×3 wheelchair basketball.
The opening weekend has shown the benefits of that approach. Large crowds have created strong atmospheres at Tollcross and the Glasgow International Arena, while the tight schedule has produced medal events throughout each day.
Glasgow 2026 is therefore more than a major sporting event. It is also an important test of whether the Commonwealth Games can adopt a smaller and more affordable model before Amdavad hosts the next edition in 2030.
Athletics begins at Scotstoun
The focus will widen on Monday when athletics and Para athletics begin at Scotstoun Stadium.
The programme will feature 59 medal events across six days, including 43 athletics titles and 16 Para athletics titles. The Commonwealth Mile also returns to the Games programme, with the men’s and women’s finals scheduled for Saturday, 1 August.
Fans can follow the leading contenders and results through World in Sport’s athletics coverage and wider Olympics and multi-sport coverage.
Weightlifting, swimming, gymnastics, netball and 3×3 basketball will continue alongside the opening athletics sessions. Boxing will also move closer to the medal rounds, with further previews and results available in our boxing coverage.
The latest session times and results are available through the official day-by-day Glasgow 2026 schedule.
Australia lead, but Glasgow has its home heroes
Australia have quickly established the strongest overall medal challenge, particularly through their swimmers and Para swimmers.
However, Scotland’s home victories have given the first weekend its defining atmosphere. Scott, Rogers, Ward and Evans have all delivered gold-medal performances in front of packed Scottish crowds.
England remain well positioned in second place, while Nigeria, South Africa, Canada, Malaysia and India have ensured the medal table contains a broad spread of nations.
With athletics about to begin and the boxing, gymnastics and team competitions still developing, the Commonwealth Games 2026 medal race remains far from settled.
