The Australian Commonwealth Games Team is ready to take on the world, backed by world class performance support from the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS).
Competing across 10 sports including six Para sports from 23 July to 2 August, the 256 Australian athletes will take to the field of play representing their nation, sport and the countless contributors that helped them develop from a junior athlete to competing on the world stage.
AIS people, programs and innovations have helped Australia to enter Glasgow 2026 with a clear goal in mind, to be the leading nation at the Games, and AIS supported coaches, practitioners, engineers and operations staff are an integral part of the invisible architecture that allows athletes to perform at their very best on the big stage.
AIS Engineering and the REST Hub have delivered innovations supporting Glasgow-bound athletes, including custom carbon‑fibre seats for wheelchair basketballers Tom O'Neill-Thorne and Tomas Klein and Sam Rizzo, while wheelchair racers Eliza Ault-Connell, Aimee Fisher and Mikaela Dingley will take on the competition in Glasgow with customised track chairs tailored to each athlete with 3D printed knee supports, seat and cushion adjustments, foot supports and wheel enhancements.
Innovative AIS-designed ice baths will help Para athletes in critical recovery, with the stability-focused design better able to meet the needs of Para athletes, also supporting greater independence by reducing the need for assistance during recovery.
Swimmers like Kyle Chalmers and Sam Williamson fine-tuned their Games preparation with wet plate testing at the AIS, while racewalkers Jemima Montag, Rebecca Henderson, Isaac Beacroft and Timothy Fraser have made the most of AIS facilities, staying in Altitude House and working with the Biomechanics team, using advanced motion capture, force plates and electromyography to analyse walking technique and optimise performance.
Dozens of coaches on the ground in Glasgow have grown through AIS coaching development programs, from head coaches including netball's Stacey Marinkovich and swimming's Rohan Taylor, to coaches earlier in their professional career like Para cycling coach David Betts and Commonwealth Games bowls champion athlete-turned-coach Karen Murphy.
AIS staff are also on the ground providing world class support behind the scenes to help Australian athletes perform at their best.
The team behind the team includes Dr Laura Piromalli overseeing athlete recovery processes between events to physiotherapist Alison Low and physical therapists Paula Peralta and Alison Alcock keeping the Aussie team in top physical condition, to nutritionists Joanne Mirtschin and Kylie Andrews ensuring athletes are fuelled for performance, to operational staff across logistics, communications and healthcare.
AIS staff won't only be making an impact behind the scenes, with wheelchair racer Eliza Ault-Connell, who is central to supporting hundreds of Para athletes as AIS Para Sport Wellbeing and Engagement lead, competing in her second Commonwealth Games.
AIS is proud to support Australia's elite athletes as they take on some of the world's best over the coming 10 days of competition.
