Sir Chris Hoy has said he expects the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games to be a “massive success”, despite the event being substantially smaller than the city’s 2014 Games. His support matters as Glasgow prepares to host at short notice after Victoria, Australia withdrew, while organisers seek to demonstrate that a lower-cost model can still deliver a memorable international sporting event.

The Games will run from 23 July to 2 August, featuring 10 sports across four venues on a budget of about £150m, compared with 18 sports and more than £550m in 2014. There will be no city-centre marathon or road cycling races, and Scotstoun Stadium’s temporary 11,000-seat capacity is far below Hampden Park’s 44,000 during the previous Games. Hoy, a two-time Commonwealth gold medallist who has terminal prostate cancer, said he is doing well and intends to enjoy the event.