Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games: Dame Sarah Storey on integrated Para sport, how tandem racing works and the races not to miss
Updated 29/07/2026 at 14:01 GMT+1
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Dame Sarah Storey knows a thing or two about making Commonwealth Games history. Storey became the first Para-cyclist to represent Team England, at Delhi 2010, competing against able-bodied athletes before Para sport was integrated into the Games programme.
How the Commonwealth Games differs from the Olympics explained
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A five-time Paralympic swimming champion before switching to cycling, Storey went on to become Britain's most successful Paralympian with 30 medals, including 19 golds.
After announcing her retirement earlier this month, she joins TNT Sports' punditry team for Glasgow 2026.
The Chris Hoy Velodrome will host one of the standout competitions of the Games, with golden couple Emma Finucane (Wales) and Matt Richardson (England, formerly Australia) among the major Home Nations stars.
Paralympic champions Kadeena Cox and Lizzi Jordan will also feature for a strong Team England squad, while Scotland will look to rising talent Erin Boothman.
Ahead of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, which are live on TNT Sports and HBO Max, Storey picks out the riders to watch, reveals the races she's most looking forward to, and explains how tandem racing works.
Who are you most excited to see at Glasgow 2026?
Dame Sarah Storey: "Morgan Newberry of Team England in the Para track cycling, because she and I raced together. She was also on my Skoda Cycling academy when I was the principal of that.
"And from a track perspective, I'm looking forward to seeing Ciara Oliva of Team Wales. She has come back to competition after having three children. Her youngest is very young, so I'm excited to see mum power in action."
Which races can't you wait for?
Storey: "I'm most excited for the team pursuit races, because we get to see the Home Nations competing against each other, which can be very exciting.
"You often see athletes in each of those Home Nations teams that won't make the Great Britain team for the Olympic Games.
"I'm also excited to see the solo Para-cycling riders on the track for the first time."
Why does integrated Para sport matter so much?
Storey: "It's fantastic to see how it's been more and more integrated. There were no Para events in Delhi in 2010, and that was obviously a challenge for those of us who wanted to compete.
"But it's the growth of that side of the Commonwealth Games programme that's been one of the most exciting things to watch. To be alongside in the Commonwealth Games programme, it is exactly the sort of model that I think should be used more and more."
Could the Olympics ever follow suit?
Storey: "It's not going to be possible in the Olympic and Paralympic Games. They are just too big as standalone events.
"But World Championships, Commonwealth Games, European Championships, certainly National Championships... having integrated events is the best way to make sure that sport is showcased.
"If you've got twins, and you've got a twin with a disability and a twin who doesn't have a disability, for them to be able to look at the same event and see opportunities for them both, that is the absolute best message you could have."
How does tandem racing actually work?
Storey: "The pilot on the front is the able-bodied rider with full sight, and the person who rides on the back is the visually impaired rider.
"The visually impaired riders can be classified in three different ways. Completely blind is a B1 category rider, B2 or B3 with varying degrees of sight, but for the purposes of tandem racing, everybody is on the back of the tandem if they have a visual impairment.
"The communication is done through the bike itself, whether that's through the handlebars - the pilot can hold the handlebars more tightly and the person on the back would feel that, similarly if they're on the back and hold the handlebars more tightly, the pilot would certainly feel that - but also through the pedals and voice commands."
What makes a great tandem pilot?
Storey: "The pilot is someone who has stepped out of competition - there are rules that are changing all the time. So the pilot is not someone who has competed on their solo bike in that same event and then popped off the solo bike straight onto the tandem.
"It's also a misconception that you can just be the best solo bike rider in the world and jump onto the front of the tandem and instantly be successful.
"The extra length on the bike, the way it feels in the bankings, the way the bike handles, means that you need a technically proficient person being able to pilot that bike safely, but also quickly.
"I have a lot of insight into this because my husband used to be a tandem pilot!"
Can riders hear the crowd when racing?
Storey: "You can hear everything. It's a challenge, really, as an athlete. You want the crowd support, but you also can't focus on it. You have to focus on the event.
"But when you're in the final stages of an event, and it's more and more difficult to concentrate because of the fatigue and oxygen debt that you're in, that noise can really help you dig even deeper."
What is your favourite Commonwealth Games memory?
Storey: "I absolutely loved watching Helen Scott and Sophie Thornhill smash the competition in 2018 on the Gold Coast [in the women’s B&VI]. They were just incredible with the way that they dominated that event.
"And I think my second is the hilarity of the closing ceremony in Manchester. There was no cover for the athletes in the stand at that closing ceremony.
"It was chucking it down with rain and we got absolutely soaked to the skin. And we basically ran up to the village to warm up!"
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