The 2026 Commonwealth Games begin in Glasgow with around 3,000 athletes from 74 nations competing across multiple sports, including six para disciplines
Great Britain will bank on Kadeena Cox, the only athlete in the past 32 years to win Paralympic gold medals in two different sports
Despite never competing at the Commonwealth Games due to injury, Cox remains one of Britain's most decorated para athletes, boasting multiple World Championship and Paralympic gold medals
England At Commonwealth Games 2026: Know Your Athlete – Kadeena Cox
As the 2026 Commonwealth Games get underway in Glasgow, all eyes will be on Kadeena Cox, one of Great Britain's biggest medal hopes and the only athlete in the past 32 years to have won Paralympic gold in two different sports
Summary
The Commonwealth Games start on Thursday, July 23, in Glasgow, Scotland, with around 3,000 athletes from 74 nations vying for gold, silver and bronze medals. With the first Commonwealth Games starting in 1940 in Hamilton, Canada, it is now the second-largest multi-sports and fourth-largest globally broadcast event in the world.
The Paralympic sports which are a part of this year's event are Para athletics, Para cycling, Para Powerlifting, Para swimming, 3x3 Wheelchair Basketball and Para Bowls.
Great Britain will pin one of their biggest gold medal hopes on Kadeena Cox, the only athlete in the past 32 years to have won Paralympic gold medals in two different sports.
Kadeena Cox Factfile
Kadeena Cox was born on 10 March 1991 into a Jamaican family in Leeds, West Yorkshire. She attended Bracken Edge Primary School in Chapeltown before studying physiography at Manchester Metropolitan University.
After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Cox switched to para athletics in 2015. She made an immediate impact by winning the T37 gold medal at the IPC Athletics World Championships in her very first international competition.
At the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, Cox competed in both cycling and athletics. She won gold in the Mixed 750m Team Sprint C1–C5 alongside Jaco van Gass and Jody Cundy, and added another gold in the Women's C4–C5 500m Time Trial. She also competed in the T38 400m, finishing fourth.
Before suffering a stroke and being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), Cox was an able-bodied athlete. However, her never-say-die attitude helped her become a global icon in para sport, winning multiple World Championship and Paralympic medals.
Kadeena Cox At Commonwealth Games
Kadeena Cox has never won a Commonwealth Games medal, having never competed at the event despite being selected for previous Team England squads. Injuries forced her to withdraw on each occasion, although she served as Team England's baton bearer at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Cox remains one of Britain's most celebrated para athletes, with multiple gold medals across para athletics and para track cycling.
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