Tolchard joy at gold in fifth Commonwealth Games
Sam Tolchard won gold in the men's bowls singles at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, beating Malaysia's Izzat Shameer Dzulkeple in a dramatic final. It is the first gold of the 37-year-old Torquay bowler's career, achieved at his fifth Commonwealth Games, and comes despite him balancing elite competition with running a self-employed electrician business in Devon.
Tolchard won the first set 8-0 before trailing 6-3 in the second, only to score a four-shot maximum in the penultimate end and clinch victory by one shot on the final end. He had previously taken silver in the pairs in 2022 and three bronze medals (pairs in 2014 and 2018, fours in 2022), and this win echoes his sister Sophie's gold at the 2014 Games. Tolchard spoke emotionally of his late father, Ray, a former first-class cricket umpire who died when Sam was 15, saying his parents' support made the achievement possible.
- Sam Tolchard wins bowls singles gold at Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games
- First gold of his career at a fifth Commonwealth Games appearance
- Beat Malaysia's Izzat Shameer Dzulkeple in a tense final
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The Commonwealth Games is a major international sporting competition held every four years, featuring athletes from nations across the British Commonwealth. Bowls is a sport where players roll weighted balls across a flat green towards a smaller target ball, with success depending on precision and tactical skill.
Sam Tolchard is a 37-year-old bowler from Torquay, Devon, who has competed at five Commonwealth Games whilst also working as a self-employed electrician. Before this Games, he had won a silver medal in pairs (2022) and three bronze medals at previous Games, but no gold.
Tolchard's sporting achievement mirrors that of his sister Sophie, who won gold at the 2014 Games. He has spoken emotionally about his late father Ray, a former first-class cricket umpire who died when Sam was 15, crediting his parents' support as fundamental to his success in elite sport.