Sutherland District Athletics Club is proud to congratulate Oliver Hoare and Layla Sharp on their selection to represent Australia at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Their selection is a tremendous achievement and reflects years of dedication, perseverance and outstanding performances on both the national and international stage. To earn the opportunity to wear the green and gold at one of the world's premier multi-sport events is an honour reserved for Australia's very best athletes.

A Champion Returns

Oliver Hoare returns to the Commonwealth Games after creating history by winning the men's 1500 metres at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where he claimed gold in a Games record time.

Now firmly established among the world's elite middle-distance runners, Oliver will once again wear the green and gold in Glasgow as one of Australia's strongest medal hopes. This is set to be one of those moments where the whole country holds its breath, watching in anticipation.

For Sutherland District Athletics Club, seeing one of our athletes once again competing on one of athletics' biggest stages is a source of enormous pride and an inspiration to the next generation of middle-distance runners following in his footsteps.

A Rising Star

Joining Oliver in Glasgow is rising para-athletics star Layla Sharp, whose selection marks another significant milestone in her rapidly developing career.

A proud Biripi and Darug woman, Layla has quickly established herself as one of Australia's most exciting young para-athletes. Her transition into long jump has been nothing short of remarkable, culminating in selection to represent Australia at her first Commonwealth Games.

For Layla, selection for Glasgow represents another important step towards her long-term goal of competing at the Paralympic Games.

"Representing Australia at the Commonwealth Games this year is pretty exciting," Layla said. "It's the next step in international competition. After competing at the World Championships last year, I want to keep making these international teams every year. The Commonwealth Games is a stepping stone towards my eventual goal of the Paralympics."

Although Layla had achieved the selection standard and knew she was in a strong position, receiving official confirmation was still an emotional moment.

"Getting the official email after what felt like such a long wait was a relief," she said. "Then having the team publicly announced was amazing because I could finally tell everyone. It was quite surreal really. Last year I wasn't sure how my season was going to go after taking on long jump as a relatively new event, so to see it all come together has truly been a blessing."

Looking ahead to Glasgow, Layla is excited to continue building on her international experience.

"I'm really looking forward to another international competition and my first overseas competition in long jump," she said. "I loved the World Championships last year, so I'm sure the Commonwealth Games will be just as amazing."

A Club to Be Proud Of

Having two athletes with strong ties to Sutherland District Athletics Club selected for the Australian Commonwealth Games team is a source of enormous pride for our club and the wider Sutherland Shire athletics community. Their achievements demonstrate that dedication, resilience and hard work can open the door to representing Australia on the international stage.

Everyone at Sutherland District Athletics Club wishes Oliver and Layla every success as they prepare to compete in Glasgow. We look forward to cheering them on as they proudly represent Australia and our club at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

July is shaping up to be an incredibly exciting month for Sutherland District Athletics Club. Between Ivy Broyhood and Tammin Lampret representing Australia at the World Under 20 Championships in Eugene, and Oliver Hoare and Layla Sharp preparing to compete at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, our club is incredibly proud to have athletes representing Australia on both the junior and senior international stage. We wish all four athletes every success as they compete against the world's best.