University swimmer and coach selected for Team Scotland’s Commonwealth Games mission

University of Stirling swimmer Angharad Evans and Head Swim Coach Ben Higson will represent Scotland at this year’s Commonwealth Games, it has been announced.  

Breaststroke specialist Angharad – an Olympian and a World Championship medallist – becomes Scotland’s second selection for the swim team, as she joins Stirling stablemate Duncan Scott. And with April’s Aquatics GB Swimming Championships serving as the trials for the Games, more athletes from the University of Stirling are expected to be announced by several nations in the coming months. 

Ben, who returned to Stirling – Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence – as Head Performance Swim Coach in 2024 – will lead Team Scotland’s swim team at the Games.  

Elinor Middlemiss MBE, Team Scotland Chef de Mission, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Angharad to Team Scotland for Glasgow 2026. She has enjoyed an outstanding breakthrough period on the international stage and has since gone on to underline her status as one of the world’s leading breaststrokers. 

“Having athletes like Angharad and Duncan confirmed at this early stage, alongside those announced across other sports, shows the strength and depth that’s starting to build across Team Scotland and I’m looking forward to watching them perform in front of a home crowd this summer.” 

Congratulations

David Bond, Director of Performance Sport at the University of Stirling, said: “On behalf of everyone at University of Stirling Sport, I send our warmest congratulations to both Ben and Angharad on their selection for Team Scotland. To represent your country is a proud moment and we wish them all the best in front of a home crowd in Glasgow later this year.” 

Angharad – known as Harri – has transformed her swim career after swapping a university training programme in the United States for a sports scholarship at the University of Stirling.  

In 2024, she became British champion and record holder in the 100m Breaststroke, placed sixth at her debut Olympic Games in Paris, and won silver with the Women’s 4x100m Medley Relay at the World Short Course Championships. Last year, she bettered her British record – setting a time of 1:05.37 – and won her first individual international medal, taking silver in the 200m Breaststroke at the European Aquatics Short Course Championships.

Harri’s selection comes on the back of meeting the phase one selection requirements set out in the selection policy and following nomination from Scottish Swimming and subsequent ratification by Commonwealth Games Scotland. 

Special moment 

She was informed of her selection by Ben Higson and Brad Hay, High-Performance Swim Coach at the University.

She said: “It’s amazing, quite surreal. I’ve never been to a Commonwealth Games before, and for it to be a home Games with home fans is a really special moment. 

“I was told by Ben and Brad which was special because, without them, I wouldn’t have been on the team, I wouldn’t be the swimmer that I am today, so to share that moment with them was really special to me.” 

Asked about her recent success and her ambitions for Glasgow 2026, she added: “I’m proud but I’m not satisfied, I keep wanting to grow that collection and build more medals on to it. The Commonwealth Games is the perfect chance to do that. I think there’s really good competition with the other countries so it’s going to be tough but I’m ready to step up to the plate and challenge myself and see if I can make Scotland proud.” 

Harri also credited the University with rekindling her love of swimming, following her spell in the United States, adding: “I didn’t really enjoy my sport, didn’t really enjoy my studies, so decided to move to Stirling – and that took a complete 180, and I’m now loving swimming and loving my studies. 

“My move to Stirling was just to enjoy the sport again and now, to be qualifying for my first Commonwealth Games alongside my teammates is a really special moment for me. Without Stirling, the coaches and the support staff here, I wouldn’t have made the Olympics or the Commonwealths.” 

Privilege

Ben Higson coached at Stirling between 2013 and 2017, before leaving to take on senior roles with Swim Ireland and later with the Western Australian Institute of Sport. He has coached at the Olympics on three occasions, with Australia in 2024, Ireland in 2021 and Great Britain in 2016, and was part of the Team Scotland coaching team at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. This will be his first Head Coach role with Scotland.  

Reflecting on his appointment, Ben said: “It’s a real privilege and pleasure to be selected to go to the Commonwealth Games. The last Commonwealth Games I went to was in Glasgow in 2014, so to come full circle and to be heading to Glasgow 2026 is a real pleasure.” 

Reflecting on University of Stirling swimmers’ preparations for the Games, he added: “It has been a good start to the season so far; all the athletes are in really heavy training and we have our trials for the Commonwealth Games and Europeans in April.”