Newyddion

26/06/2026 00:00, I Mewn Blog /

Statement – Commonwealth Games Selection

Since the Commonwealth Games team was announced, we’ve received a lot of comments about selection - so I would like to take this opportunity to explain the process.

Firstly, the Commonwealth Games operates a quota system for each nation. Each nation then puts in place their own quota system to decide selection of athletes.

For Team Wales, this means that all individual athletes – not just in athletics, but in bowls, gymnastics, cycling, swimming, boxing and judo too - are considered against the criteria of their ability to finish in a top 6 position at the Games.

Nomination criteria

Each sport is asked to nominate a list of athletes that meet the top 6 criteria. The Team Wales selection panel then ultimately makes the decision on which athletes are selected.

Welsh Athletics agreed nomination standards based on two criteria:

•             An A standard, based on the average performance from previous Games to achieve a top 3 finish. Gaining this standard means an athlete is guaranteed nomination.

or

•             A B standard, based on previous top 6 performances at Games. Gaining this standard means an athlete is considered for nomination but is not guaranteed nomination.

The policy was agreed and published last April following approval by the board of Welsh Athletics, and by Team Wales.

These performance standards were very challenging – however, we must remember it takes an incredible performance to finish in the top 6 at the Commonwealth Games. And rightly, we have been challenged by Team Wales to ensure that the athletes we nominate can achieve that.

Deadlines

This process of course has deadlines which are set by Team Wales which we need to adhere to. Welsh Athletics agreed a performance deadline of 18th of May in order to align to the Team Wales selection timelines,–therefore any athlete wishing to be  considered for nomination must have achieved the required performance standard by that date.

Welsh Athletics did ask Team Wales if we could have a later deadline but given the complexity of the selection process and the fact it must balance the needs of all sports, this was not possible.

Other Performance Criteria

Gaining the B standard doesn’t guarantee nomination. So, in these cases, Welsh Athletics need to consider a number of performance criteria, such as Commonwealth rankings. It goes without saying that for many Commonwealth Games events, the Commonwealth ranking is a near mirror of the World Rankings.

Sadly, this means that some athletes who achieved a B standard were not nominated for selection. And even if we had nominated athletes who had gained the B standard, there is every chance that the Team Wales selection panel would have not selected these athletes. This is a situation we have experienced in previous Commonwealth Games cycles.

Driving performance in Wales

It goes without saying that I would like to see as many Welsh athletes competing at a Commonwealth Games as possible. It is the one opportunity that Wales has to compete on the world stage, and we are working hard to drive up the standard of performance to meet the incredible levels we’re seeing globally in our sport.

Despite this desire, we have to agree a policy that aligns with Team Wales’ top 6 requirement and stick to the deadlines that are set.

Tough decisions

It means incredibly tough decisions need to be made. These decisions will always be emotive and I fully understand the passionate views of the athletics community in Wales, we all want to see the sacrifices and dedication of our athletes being rewarded, but we must work with the data and the timeframes that are in place.

As in previous Games, we will review our approach and feed into any review that Team Wales undertakes.

But we will need to do this on the basis that worldwide performance levels in our sport continue to improve at a rapid rate. And that means that performance levels here in Wales also need to increase. This is a challenge we are keen to take on, and we look forward to seeing our athletes continue to excel and push boundaries.

I hope this provides some clarity on the process and decision-making that led to the team that was ultimately selected for Glasgow.

Our focus now is on supporting the 18 athletes to perform when it matters and I have no doubt that the athletics community in Wales will be behind them all the way.

Diolch!

James Williams

CEO

Welsh Athletics