Sarah Adlington believes Glasgow 2026 is the perfect way to bring the curtain down on her remarkable career, with the double Commonwealth champion targeting one final gold medal where her multi-sport journey began.Tom Harle and Joseph Saunders21:30, 20 Jul 2026Sarah Adlington is hoping to embrace her full circle moment as she prepares for a ‘bonus’ Commonwealth Games. As the first judoka to win two Commonwealth Games gold medals, Adlington remains an enduring presence at the heart of Scottish sport and will leave an astonishing legacy in combat sports north of the border upon her retirement.‌This will be the 39-year-old’s last hurrah on the world stage, 12 years after debuting at another home Games in Glasgow.‌She said: “Glasgow was my first multi-sport event, so I was like a kid at Disneyland. Everything about Glasgow in 2014 was just so exciting.‌“It feels ages ago. This is really a bonus Games, because if the Commonwealths were going to be in Australia, then judo wouldn't have been in.“I wasn't 100% sure if I would end my career before, then this seemed like the fitting end. It's a full circle moment.”Shrewsbury-born Adlington endured near-misses for London 2012 and Rio 2016 but made her Olympic bow at the third attempt at Tokyo 2020.‌Adlington had been weighing up her future in the sport ahead of the 2028 Olympic cycle, but after Glasgow replaced the bid from Victoria in Australia, the target of a home Games was irresistible.Among the 13 Scottish judokas heading to the Games is 30-year-old Scott Cusack, son of Billy and Loretta, both of whom competed at the Commonwealth Games in their career.Adlington said: “Billy's been my coach my whole senior career, for 22 years, and his son fights the day before me, so that’ll be exciting.‌“You’ve got to aim for the top. That would be the fairytale end of my career. I'm doing everything I can to be in the best possible shape when I step on the mat and then give the best performance I can on that day. Hopefully that ends up to the top of the podium - that's the dream.”At Glasgow 2026, Adlington is among 43 Team Scotland athletes across eight sports benefiting from the sportscotland Athlete Personal Award programme (SAPA).The programme, which has been funded by a £210,000 grant from The National Lottery, is designed to ease financial pressures and allow athletes to dedicate more time to training, recovery and competitions as they build towards representing Team Scotland on home soil.‌“Balancing other commitments with training and competitions is always difficult,” Adlington said."In a Commonwealth Games year, we know we have to do everything we possibly can in terms of our preparation. The SAPA funding from sportscotland and The National Lottery is a huge help with that and has allowed me to attend more international competitions and camps leading up to the Games."Adlington competes in the +78kg weight division and earned Commonwealth golds in 2014 and 2022.‌But after the last Games in Birmingham, she had a more unusual problem when moths in her loft ate her official Team Scotland kilt, rendering it unwearable.She has keenly followed Scotland’s first men’s FIFA World Cup campaign in 28 yeara and believes there are still positives to be taken despite a disappointing group stage exit.She said: “I've had a long career, and I've learned there's no ‘shoulda woulda coulda’, because sometimes it just doesn't go your way.Article continues below“There are a few big teams in the World Cup for whom it’s not gone their way and you realise it's sport. Anything can happen and that's what makes it so exciting. That's why people want to watch it, and that's why people will watch the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.“It's hopefully the start of the buzz of people getting back behind Scotland and it's great that they'll get plenty of Scottish people in here in a few weeks’ time.”Thanks to National Lottery players, more than £33million is raised every week for good causes. It’s because of you sport, arts, heritage and community projects, as well as our athletes competing at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, are supported across the UK.