The swimmer is heading to his third Commonwealth Games and will start by leading his country out at the Opening CeremonyJames Reid16:16, 22 Jul 2026Luke Greenbank knows only Commonwealth gold will outdo the honour of being selected as Team England’s baton bearer at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.‌The 28-year-old will carry his country’s baton at Thursday’s opening ceremony alongside flagbearer Sian Honnor. Greenbank heads to his third Games and after a disappointing showing at Birmingham 2022, where the Olympic bronze medallist missed out on individual honours, the Cockermouth swimmer is confident that his best is yet to come as one of the most experienced members of the swimming squad.‌He said: “At Gold Coast, I was the newcomer and didn't really know what to expect. In Birmingham, I probably put too much pressure on myself and didn't get the performances I wanted.‌“This time, I feel really confident coming into the Games. I don't put as much pressure on myself anymore and I'm a more experienced athlete. I'll be a bit calmer and hopefully that leads to some good results.“Compared with my first Games, I'm much more mature and experienced. I understand what a major sporting event looks like and how to handle myself. I've learned a lot from previous Commonwealth Games, Olympics and World Championships. Once you've experienced enough of them, it becomes second nature and you don't feel the same pressure because it's just another swim.“I've never won an individual Commonwealth medal, so that's a massive aim for me and a really big motivator. I don't want to put too much pressure on that. I just need to focus on what I have to do to produce the best performance possible.”‌Greenbank won 4x100m medley silver on the Gold Coast before upgrading to gold in Birmingham but before Greenbank takes to the pool, he will represent his country at the opening ceremony in the new baton-bearer role. It is particularly poignant for Greenbank, having been given the nod by his fellow athletes.He added: “To be nominated as flagbearer is really exciting. It's not something swimmers usually get to experience because we're competing from day one, but because my events are a little later in the programme, I'll be able to attend. It'll be a great experience and I'm really proud to represent the team. I knew I had been nominated by Swim England, but I wasn't really expecting anything.‌“Then at a team meeting I was told by the Team England staff. It was a really nice moment to be selected by the athletes and represent them at the opening ceremony.”With the Games taking place in Glasgow, the Cumbrian’s friends and family have a shorter journey than most other English supporters and he is relishing the extra support in his bid for individual glory.“It's probably closer for me here than Birmingham [2022] was, which is funny,” he said. “It'll be great to have friends and family in the crowd. My mum and dad are coming up, as is my fiancée, Anna. I'm really excited and hopefully I can put on a good show for them.Article continues below“The key is to keep a cool head, stick to the race plan and trust the training. Training has been going really well recently, so I can't let anything get into my head too much. The hard work is done now.”Thanks to National Lottery players, more than £33m is raised every week for good causes. It’s because of you that sport, arts, heritage and community projects, as well as our athletes competing at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, are supported across the UK.