Commonwealth Games 2026 - Para Bowls & Track Cycling

Banner Image: SWpix Cycling

Over the last ten days, five Carmarthenshire athletes have represented Team Wales in the Para Bowls and Track Cycling at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Athletes from 74 Nations and territories competed across 10 sports between Friday July 24 and Sunday August 2.

Steffan James was the first athlete in action in the Para Bowls during the opening five days of competition at the SEC centre. Just 48 hours after his bronze medal match, attention turned to the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome as track cycling sessions began during the second half of the week, featuring a record-breaking Games for Emma Finucane, along with Jessica Roberts, Rory Gravelle and Steffan Lloyd.

As the Games concluded on Sunday evening, we take a look at the Carmarthenshire athletes who were selected to represent their country in Scotland.

Team Wales, which saw a squad of 113 athletes participate, finished the Games with a total of 31 medals and 9th in the medal table — 9 gold, 10 silver and 12 bronze.

Steffan James represented Team Wales at his first Commonwealth Games on the opening five days in Glasgow, competing alongside Julie Thomas in the Para Mixed Pairs bowls.

On the way to the bronze medal match at the SEC centre (July 28), the pair won four matches and lost just one when they faced Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa and Scotland.

Steffan and Julie came through a thrilling and closely fought contest, with James securing the bronze medal for Wales with the final bowl of the game in the tie-breaker after it finished 1-1.

Image: Team Wales

What a games it turned out to be for Carmarthenshire's track cyclist Emma Finucane, who represented Team Wales at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this week. Four races... Record-breaking four gold medals... Three Games record... all achieved in just four days!

On Thursday, the Welsh Sprint Team became Commonwealth champions after the trio took a comfortable victory over England in a new Games record.

Finucane, a multiple Carmarthenshire Sports Personality of the Year winner, returned the next day for the individual sprint and claimed another games record of 10.322 seconds.

Making her debut in the 1000m time trial race on Saturday, she won her third gold with another record of 1:05.285. Finishing off with victory in the Keirin final on Sunday afternoon, Emma is the first athlete in history to win more than two gold medals at the same games!

Image: Team Wales

Jessica Roberts represented Team Wales at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this week, securing two track cycling medals along the way.

On Day 1, Jessica was part of the Women’s Team Pursuit squad that won bronze, defeating England in the final with a time of 4:12.973.

She then added an individual silver medal in the 25km Points Race on Saturday, scoring 52 points to secure second place.

Jessica was also in action in two other events during the Games, including the Individual Pursuit qualifying rounds and 11th in the Elimination Race on the final afternoon of competition.

Image: Team Wales

Rory Gravelle represented Team Wales at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Thursday and Friday, in two track cycling events.

Rory was part of the Men's Pursuit squad, which qualified for the final on the opening evening of competition and finished 4th in a time of 3:54.063.

Just 24 hours later, the former Queen Elizabeth High School pupil was back on track in the Men’s Elimination Race, which brought the second day of competition to a close. He finished in 10th position on Friday evening.

Image: Team Wales

Steffan Lloyd represented Team Wales at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow between Thursday and Sunday, in four track cycling events.

He competed in the Men’s Team Sprint on Thursday, where Team Wales recorded a time of 44.075. The following day, he progressed through the qualifying round of the Keirin, reaching the repechage stage after finishing just +0.152 seconds outside the automatic qualification places.

In the Individual Sprint, Lloyd advanced to the 1/8 final after recording 9.050 seconds in qualifying. To round off his competition on Sunday morning, he was the highest-placed Welsh finisher in the 1000m Time Trial, posting a time of 1:00.638 to finish sixth overall.

Image: Team Wales