Whiston wins Commonwealth gold after ill father makes rare trip

Paralympic and world champion swimmer Brock Whiston won her first Commonwealth gold medal, setting a new Games record in the women's 100m breaststroke SB8 at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. The victory was made especially poignant by the presence of her father, Gel, who attended one of her races for the first time in 17 years despite recently being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and generally disliking the pool environment.

Whiston, 29, who works in a primary school, said she raced to make her father proud after he made the rare trip to watch her, having previously only attended when her mother was undergoing cancer treatment. She revealed she did not spot him in the crowd until her victory lap, when he kissed her head and told her he loved her, adding he had been "shellshocked". Whiston, who had missed out on gold in the same event at the Paris Paralympics after being overwhelmed by the crowd, said her father told her he would not attend future meets but would continue supporting her "from home".