Catching up with the Commonwealth Games Team Leader - Scott Grace

There are under ten days to go until the start of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, and we cannot wait to watch all of the action!

We caught up with Team Leader Scott Grace to find out what he's looking forward to, and the last minute preparations for the team before heading to Scotland.

What are you most excited for at the upcoming Games?

"I am really excited to see a real mix of young, up and coming athletes as well as experienced athletes as part of the England team. Seeing how excited they are to be part of Team England has been great.

"As it is almost a home Games, I am also really looking forward to the Glasgow crowds, I know they will be amazing and the atmosphere will be incredible. It is also great for the athletes to have friends and family make the journey to Scotland to support. It is a big part for me as a Team Leader seeing the athletes get the best experience and feel they are able to compete at their very best on the Commonwealth stage.

"We have also got a great set of staff supporting the athletes and myself too, so I am excited to see how we will all come together to give the athletes the best time - which will hopefully lead to bringing home as many medals for England as possible."

What were your kitting out highlights?

"There are some great pieces in this year's kit and it was really nice to see athletes going through their first kitting out experience - it was a special moment for them and us. They all seemed to enjoy trying on the delegation and competition kits and picking what works best for them. It really starts to feel real once the receive their suitcases and bags and you can see the buzz around the room.

"During kitting out, we also spoke to athletes about their hopes, and their measures of success and we can't wait to watch their journeys over the next few weeks. When you see some athletes who have been through multiple major Games still having that buzz, that is a special moment."

Looking ahead to preparation camp

"For us, preparation camp is giving athletes the opportunity to come into an environment where they are supported by both team staff and therapists. It is about making sure athletes feel they have the final bits of preparation together and we welcome them to bring their personal coaches as well.

"For some, it is about locking into the environment and really taking themselves away from their normal day to day life so they can completely focus on the Games. For other athletes, they tend to want to stay in their own coaching and training set up, so some will not be entering prep camp and will instead join us in Glasgow.

"Although it is all about preparing for the Games, we are also going to look to do some fun stuff too. Down time is often plenty in a games environment and the prep camp too as you rest and recover but we are going to do some fun quizzes - test athlete's knowledge of sport and music etc. More technically, we have a specific relay practice which will take place with the 4x100m teams to bring them closer together. We just want it to feel like a really relaxed, positive environment which will also help them to finalise their preparations and do what they need to do."

What are your hopes for Glasgow?

"As a Team Leader, we do speak about medals at the Commonwealth Games but success for me is the athletes going out there, performing at their very best. We want them to feel they have been given all the tools to do their best with the support of our team. I am hoping we can get every athlete to the start line, the circle or the runway, feeling that they are in the best place to perform and making sure they are supported throughout.

"Hopefully for them all it is a great positive outcome, whether that be through medals or personal bests or that they are really happy with how they performed that day. Beyond that it is a case of coming away feeling that the experience they had full stop was positive and it helped them for their long term development - especially for those who are going on to the European Championships in August.

"The thing I love so much about the Commonwealth Games is it is the one time we have an integrated team of athletics and para athletics. It is the opportunity for all of our world-class athletes to compete side by side as one big team, feeling part of the process together which is something we don't see at the Olympic Games. It is fantastic to see the very best athletes across all disciplines come together as one."

Keep up to date with the Commonwealth Games

Don't forget, if you want exclusive news, first look at reports and athlete content - make sure you sign up to our Ready, Set, Glasgow mailing list.

You can also follow along with our England Athletics podcast series, as we speak to six athletes of Commonwealth Games past and present. We currently have three episodes released, with three more still to come!