Regional pathway delivers on the world stage at Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games

August 4, 2026

The Regional Academies of Sport (RAS) network is celebrating an outstanding campaign at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, with 19 current and former academy athletes, coaches and officials proudly representing Australia, New Zealand and Tonga on the international stage.

Across the Games, Regional Academies of Sport representatives competed in athletics, para athletics, swimming, para swimming, cycling, lawn bowls and netball, once again demonstrating the strength of the regional sporting pathway and the important role the academy network plays in developing high-performance athletes.

The campaign was highlighted by a number of outstanding medal-winning performances, with Regional Academies of Sport alumni and current representatives delivering memorable moments on the Commonwealth stage.

Medal highlights

Gold

Briony Akle (Western Sydney Academy of Sport): Netball Assistant Coach, New Zealand Silver Ferns
Daniel Barber (Western Region Academy of Sport): Cycling, Men’s Team Sprint
Rose Davies (Hunter Academy of Sport): Women’s 10,000m and 5000m, record breaking women’s double
Sienna Toohey (Southern Sports Academy): Swimming, Women’s 4x100m Medley Relay

Silver

Gordon Allan (Western Sydney Academy of Sport): Para Cycling, Men’s C1 to C3 1000m Time Trial, C2 Commonwealth Games record
Layla Sharp (Western Sydney Academy of Sport): Women’s Long Jump T38, Australian record
Nicola Olyslagers (Central Coast Academy of Sport): Women’s High Jump
Sienna Toohey (Southern Sports Academy): Women’s 50m Breaststroke

Bronze

Ayla Kowalczyk (North Coast Academy of Sport): Women’s Long Jump T38
Sienna Toohey (Southern Sports Academy): Women’s 100m Breaststroke
Torrie Lewis (Hunter Academy of Sport): Women’s 100m, Australian record

Beyond the medals, Regional Academies of Sport representatives delivered a number of impressive performances throughout the Games, including finals appearances, top-four finishes, personal bests and valuable international experience.

Among the officials representing the network was Western Sydney Academy of Sport representative Tamara Buriani Gennai, who was one of just 13 international match officials selected to umpire the Glasgow 2026 netball competition. Her appointment reflects the strength of the academy pathway beyond athlete development and recognises her standing among the world’s leading netball officials.

The achievements in Glasgow are a testament to the dedication of the athletes, coaches, officials, families and support networks who continue to invest in regional sporting talent. They also reinforce the important role the Regional Academies of Sport network plays in providing talented young athletes with access to high-performance coaching, education and competition opportunities close to home.

With Brisbane 2032 on the horizon, the performances in Glasgow are another reminder that many of tomorrow’s Olympians, Paralympians and Commonwealth Games representatives are developing through Regional Academies programs today.

Regional Academies of Sport congratulates every athlete, coach and official who proudly represented their academy and their country at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Regional Academies of Sport representatives

Academy	Representative	Sport / Event	Result
Hunter Academy of Sport	Rose Davies	Athletics – Women’s 10,000m, 5000m	Gold – Women’s 10,000m and 5,000m double
Hunter Academy of Sport	Torrie Lewis	Athletics – Women’s 100m	Bronze – Women’s 100m • Australian Record
Hunter Academy of Sport	Jemma Pollard	Athletics – 4x400m Mixed Relay	Qualified for the final in 3:15.21, ranked 3rd overall
Central Coast Academy of Sport	Nicola Olyslagers	Athletics – Women’s High Jump	Silver – Women’s High Jump
Central Coast Academy of Sport	Alyssa Gillespie	Para Swimming – Women’s 100m Breaststroke SB8	4th in the final, 1:32.80.
Central Coast Academy of Sport	Liliya Tarintoff	Cycling – Track Sprint	12th in the Women’s Sprint, 16th in the Women’s Keirin, 8th in the Women’s 1000m Time Trial
North Coast Academy of Sport	Aaron Teys	Lawn Bowls – Men’s Pairs	Three wins and two losses in sectional play. Defeated Pakistan, Fiji and Tonga
North Coast Academy of Sport	Corey Wedlock	Lawn Bowls – Men’s Pairs	Three wins and two losses in sectional play. Defeated Pakistan, Fiji and Tonga
North Coast Academy of Sport	Ayla Kowalczyk	Para Athletics – Long Jump	Bronze, 4.71m personal best.
North Coast Academy of Sport	Lexie Brown	Para Athletics – Women’s 100m T37	7th in the final, 13.15 seconds (+1.7).
Western Sydney Academy of Sport	Briony Akle	Netball – Australian Assistant Coach	Gold with the Silver Ferns. NZ defeated Jamaica 56 to 48.
Western Sydney Academy of Sport	Gordon Allan	Para Cycling – Track Sprint C2	Silver in the Men’s C1 to C3 1000m Time Trial, setting a C2 Commonwealth Games record. 4th in the C1 to C3 3000m Individual Pursuit
Western Sydney Academy of Sport	Layla Sharp	Para Athletics – Long Jump T38	Silver, 5.06m personal best and Australian record.
Western Region Academy of Sport	Daniel Barber	Cycling – Track Sprint	Gold in the Men’s Team Sprint, reached the Men’s Sprint quarterfinals. 5th in the Men’s Keirin final.
South West Sydney Academy of Sport	Jacqua Pori-Makea Simpson	Netball – Tonga Head Coach	9th with Tonga Tala at the nation’s first Commonwealth Games.
South West Sydney Academy of Sport	Van Nguyen	Netball – Head Physio, Tonga Team	9th with Tonga Tala at the nation’s first Commonwealth Games.
Southern Sports Academy	Sienna Toohey	Swimming – Women’s 50m & 100m Breaststroke	Silver – 50m Breaststroke Bronze – 100m Breaststroke Gold – Womens 4×100 Medal Relay (Games record)
Southern Sports Academy	Mia Hogan	Para Swimming – Women’s 100m Freestyle S7, 200m Individual Medley	4th – Women’s 100m Freestyle S7