Elinor Middlemiss MBE has announced that she will retire from Commonwealth Games Scotland following Glasgow 2026 after an extraordinary involvement with the Commonwealth Games, that began at the Edinburgh 1986 Commonwealth Games and will conclude in Glasgow in 2026.

Elinor represented Scotland at five Commonwealth Games as a Badminton athlete between 1986 and 2002, competing across successive Games cycles and achieving medal success for her country.

Those formative experiences shaped her lifelong commitment to excellence, athlete welfare and the unique pride of representing Scotland on the Commonwealth stage.
Following her competitive career, Elinor transitioned into sport administration and leadership, becoming a central figure within Commonwealth Games Scotland, and made history when she became the first ever woman to hold the post of Chef de Mission for Team Scotland at Birmingham 2022.

Across multiple Games cycles, she has played a pivotal role in the planning, preparation and delivery of successful Team Scotland campaigns, earning widespread respect for her calm authority, clarity of purpose and people-first approach.
Glasgow 2026 will mark Elinor’s tenth Commonwealth Games involvement and her final role with the organisation, serving as Chef de Mission for a home Commonwealth Games. It represents a fitting and symbolic conclusion to four decades of service to Team Scotland, bringing her journey full circle from athlete to a senior team leadership role, back on home soil, where it all began.

Reflecting on her career, Elinor said “I’ve been planning to retire after the 2026 Games for some time now, and the fact that they’re being held in Glasgow as a home Games makes it feel even more right. It will be such a special experience and a truly brilliant way to finish.

“I’m completely focused on, and excited about, leading Team Scotland at a home Games in Glasgow as Chef de Mission in the summer. It will be an incredibly special experience. I had the privilege of being part of the Team Scotland General Team Management at Glasgow 2014, and to be able to do it again in 2026 is a real honour. Sharing in the experience that each of our athletes will have in Glasgow is a privilege I never take lightly, and the entire team staff and I will work tirelessly to make this a great Games for Team Scotland.

“I’ve been incredibly fortunate in the roles I’ve had with Team Scotland, from competing as an athlete at five Games between 1986 and 2002, to being part of different amazing, dedicated staff teams since 2010. Glasgow 2026 will be my tenth Games, and each has been amazing in its own way, each with its own personality, environment and challenges.

“I began working in sport in 2006 at the East of Scotland Institute of Sport alongside Michael Cavanagh, a great champion of the Games and of Team Scotland. I later moved to Commonwealth Games Scotland as Head of Games Operations in 2011. I still remember a conversation on a flight to an Isle of Man Youth Games recce, when a colleague encouraged me to go for the role and that simple ‘absolutely’ stayed with me and opened the door to so many opportunities over the past 15 years. He knows who he is.

“Being responsible for the planning, preparation and delivery of Team Scotland has been an incredible privilege. Serving as Chef de Mission at Birmingham 2022 and again for Glasgow 2026 is something I never imagined would be possible, and it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.”

CGS Chair Ian Reid said: “Elinor departs Commonwealth Games Scotland with our thanks and best wishes and leaves an enduring legacy. She departs with the deep respect of athletes, colleagues and partners and the gratitude of Scottish sport for a career defined by commitment, integrity and pride in the Commonwealth Games. Her ability to bridge athlete experience with Games delivery to provide the best platform for them to perform has defined her contribution and influence.”