Olympic silver medalist Katarina Johnson-Thompson has withdrawn from the Commonwealth Games due to injury, becoming one of several high-profile athletes to pull out of the event. Her withdrawal follows decisions by other notable athletes to skip the Games.
Keely Hodgkinson, the Olympic 800m champion, previously withdrew to focus on the European Championships, which are scheduled to begin on August 10 in Birmingham. St. Lucia's 100m Olympic champion Julien Alfred has also withdrawn from the Glasgow Games. Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh, a prominent figure in her sport, is opting to compete in the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships instead.
The Commonwealth Games have faced challenges with athlete participation partly due to the event's timing and its standing in the international sporting calendar. Major sporting nations such as the United States and China are not participants, leading some athletes to prioritize events with broader international competition.
Organizers acknowledged the challenges, with Commonwealth Sport chief executive Katie Sadlier noting that the 18-month lead time for the Games made it difficult to find an ideal window in the global sports schedule. She stated that future events would involve more collaboration with other sporting bodies to create clearer scheduling.
Despite the absence of some star athletes, organizers expressed confidence in the event. Phil Batty, chief executive of Glasgow 2026, highlighted that the Games offer opportunities for emerging talent, drawing parallels to the 2014 Glasgow Games where several athletes achieved breakthrough performances. New mile world record holder Josh Kerr and defending 10,000m champion Eilish McColgan are among the Scottish athletes expected to compete.