Commonwealth Games: New Zealand athletes chase eight medals in Glasgow

Emma Foy (right) returned to para-cycling in 2025 after stepping away four years earlier. Photo / Photosport

Foy first took up para cycling in 2013 and was fast-tracked on to the high performance programme, taking a bronze medal at the 2013 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships.

She improved at the para track world championships the next year, winning gold with her pilot Laura Thompson, later taking a silver and a bronze at the Rio 2016 Paralympics.

Foy then took back-to-back world titles in 2019 and 2020 in the Women’s Tandem Individual Pursuit, but stepped away from the sport in 2021 before returning last year to take two silvers at the para world track championships.

She still needs to qualify from her heat to have a chance at a medal which starts at 9pm.

3.43am: Women’s team pursuit

New Zealand should expect a podium finish in the women’s team pursuit. Photo / Photosport

New Zealand should consider themselves favourites in this event after taking a silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics behind the United States.

In the run-up to the Glasgow, the team took two track cycling world cup gold medals and New Zealand has strong form at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, taking 11 medals at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and took silver at the 2023 world championships.

Anyone wanting to watch their qualifying race can check it out at 9.15pm.

4.14am: Nicole Murray

Women’s C4-C5 Individual Pursuit

Nicole Murray won a bronze medal at the 2025 para-cycling world championships. Photo / Photosport

Murray is one of New Zealand’s more experienced para-athletes, having competed at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics, taking home a bronze medal in the French capital.

She won another bronze, this time at the 2025 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in Ronse, Belgium before securing three silvers and a bronze at the track world championships in the same year.

Murray’s qualification race starts at 10.36pm.

4.35am: Men’s team pursuit

New Zealand will face tough competition from Australia in the men’s team pursuit. Photo / Photosport

The men will have a lot to live up to if the women’s team pursuit are able to come away with a gold, but a medal of some colour is expected for the team.

This will be a very tough race for New Zealand, having to face off against Australia, who won gold at the 2024 Olympics in this event.

England, Wales and Scotland are the three other teams present in qualifying at 9.56pm, but are comprised of cyclists who represented Great Britain at the Paris Olympics and won silver just behind the Australians.

5.10am: Women’s team sprint

Ellesse Andrews (left) was part of the women’s sprint team that won a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Photo / Photosport

New Zealand’s last chance at winning gold in the velodrome on day seven of the Commonwealth Games, with there being no entry into the men’s team sprint.

Ellesse Andrews and Rebecca Petch, who helped New Zealand to a silver medal in this event at the 2024 Olympics, are part of the group competing in Glasgow.

They missed out on gold then to Great Britain by half a second, but should stand a better chance at finishing on top of the podium with that trio being split up.

5.30am: David Liti

Men’s +110kg Weightlifting

David Liti is the only athlete in his event at the 2026 Commonwealth Games to have made the 2024 Paris Olympics final. Photo / Photosport

New Zealand came so close to medalling in the weightlifting on day six, with Georgia Theron and Litia Nacagilevu just missing out on the podium, but Liti has a strong chance to come away with some sort of prize from the Glasgow games.

He’s already won medals at the Commonwealth Games before, including a gold on the Gold Coast in 2018 and a silver in Birmingham four years ago.

The 30-year-old attended the Tokyo and Paris Olympics, finishing fifth and eighth, but was able to finish on the podium at the 2026 Oceania Championships.

None of his competitors made the Olympic final in 2024, which could bode well for the man from Auckland. However, Samoa’s Sanele Mao beat Liti at the Oceania Championships earlier this year with a total of 410kg. Liti’s Games record is 414kg.

6am: Tom Walsh and Nick Palmer

Men’s Shot Put

Tom Walsh was the top qualifier in the men’s shot put. Photo / Photosport

Two Kiwis are in with a shot of a medal, with Tom Walsh leading the charge ahead of Nick Palmer.

Walsh put in the longest throw during qualification at 21.03m, while Palmer came third in his qualifying round.

Walsh has put in strong performances at the Commonwealth Games since his first appearance in 2014, where he won a silver followed by golds at the two following competitions.

He’s performed well at the Olympics also, winning a bronze at the 2016 and 2020 games but underperforming compared to his usual expectations by finishing 12th in Paris two years ago.

6.34am: Anna Grimaldi

Women’s 100m T47

Anna Grimaldi has won multiple Paralympics and world championship medals. Photo / Photosport

Grimaldi could round out a golden morning for New Zealand, coming into the Glasgow games with an already impressive medal collection.

At 19-years-old, she won her first Paralympics gold in 2016 in the long jump, later overcoming a foot fracture to win silver at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships in the same event.

She won gold again in long jump at the Tokyo Paralympics and eventually added sprinting into her routine after claiming a bronze at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships in Paris.

During the Paris Paralympics, she finished on the podium in the 100m and won gold with a personal best time in the 200m.

Other athletes to watch

James Preston will run in the men’s 800m semi-final at 7.45am, but the para men’s bowls pairs start the day off at 7.30pm with their match against Scotland.

The bowls men’s pairs play Tonga at 10.20pm and Tayla Bruce competes in the singles at 11.45pm.

The Silver Ferns will aim to keep up their winning ways against Trinidad and Tobago at 1am.

New Zealand medal tally

Gold – 3

Silver – 7

Bronze – 4