First Minister John Swinney has spoken of his pride in Team Scotland at a special reception to officially recognise the team and congratulate them on their success at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Over 200 athletes, coaches and support staff attended the special event at Stirling Castle, celebrating one of Team Scotland’s most successful Games ever and the culmination of the vision shown in the delivery of Glasgow 2026 that has helped to safeguard the future of the event.

The 176-strong team won 39 medals in Glasgow – 13 gold, 9 silver and 17 bronze- a gold medal tally only topped at Glasgow 2014, in a Games which saw more women than men in the squad for the second time in succession.

Glasgow featured the largest para-sport programme in Games history and saw Team Scotland’s para-athletes contribute significantly to the team’s medal tally with 14 medals, eight of them gold.

Team Scotland won medals in nine of the 10 sports on the programme, with netball also recording their best ever Games finish.

First Minister John Swinney said “I have never, never been so proud of Scotland than the way in which we rose to the challenge of hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. From the welcome that was given by the people of the city to the athletes who did us proud.

“So, to each and every one of you my warmest thanks and I look forward with enormous pride and enthusiasm to the Commonwealth Games in 2030, where I know Scotland will once again steal the show.”

Adding their congratulations were Maree Todd, Minister for Mental Wellbeing, Public Health, Sport, Alcohol and Drugs and Susan Jackson, Commonwealth Games Scotland Board Director and three-time Commonwealth Games medallist.

Sarah Adlington spoke on behalf of the athletes, reflecting on a fantastic home Games for Team Scotland and on her own journey, as she brings a 22 year judo career to a close.

The contribution of Elinor Middlemiss MBE was recognised with the presentation of a ceremonial Glasgow 2026 gold medal, honouring her 40 year association with the Commonwealth Games from the first of her five Games as an athlete in 1986 to Team Scotland’s first ever female Chef de Mission at Birmingham 2022 and Glasgow 2026.

Team Scotland will next compete at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Malta in 2027 before setting sights on the centenary Commonwealth Games in Amdavad, India in 2030.