Sarah Adlington and Alex Marshall to fly the flag and why it's like winning a gold medal

The pair have been chosen by their peers to perform the honour at the Hydro on Thursday evening as Glasgow 2026 officially gets underway.

Marshall and Adlington are two of the most experienced members of Team Scotland and have won seven Commonwealth Games gold medals between them. Both admitted emotions got the better of them when they were told they had been chosen to carry the flag.

“I got the phone call saying that you're going to be part of the opening ceremony, being the flag bearer, and I just stopped for 10, 20 seconds just to think about it and it actually brought a tear to my eye, to be honest,” said Marshall, 59, who is competing at a record-equalling eighth Commonwealth Games.

“I'm not really an emotional person but that hit me, that hit me big time. You just feel super proud of getting the opportunity to lead out all these fantastic athletes into the arena. It's a huge honour for me.”

Cat out the bag

Marshall, who has been bowling for 51 years, said it was up there with winning a gold medal.

“Absolutely,” he said. “To carry the flag means just so much. I just love putting on the gear for Team Scotland, it just gives you a thrill. It's exciting whether it be your first time or your third or your eighth time, I just love to compete for Scotland and I've always been like that and that's what makes this flag extra special.”

For Adlington, it was hard to keep the news under wraps prior to the official announcement.

“Obviously, being nominated by your peers just feels amazing,” she said. “For the cat to be out of the bag, and now to be able to enjoy it with family and friends, and for me to be able to go into the judo club, perhaps tonight, and see all the kids, and be able to tell them, it's such an honour.

“I think I've said to everyone, you only have to look at who's done the job before you, names like Chris Hoy [who carried the flag for Britain at the Olympics], to realise what an honour it is.

“I'm normally quite an open person with the media, but I felt like I had to be that little bit guarded so that I didn't let anything slip, so I think it's a relief that it's out today, and obviously what excitement, and to be able to stand there and do that with Alex is amazing.”

Both Adlington and Marshall are veterans of the Glasgow 2014, when the city last hosted the Commonwealth Games. Each won gold and, for Adlington, it was the first of two she secured for Scotland, with the judoka also triumphing in Birmingham four years ago. She is aiming to make it a hat-trick when she competes at the SEC on the final day of the Games, a week on Sunday, and then intends to retire from competition.

Remembering a special celebration

“It's really the only time you get to represent Scotland, and to have the privilege of being able now to do it three times is amazing,” said Adlington, who will turn 40 three days after the Games end. “And for judo players, there's not many multi-sport events, obviously the Olympics and then the Commonwealth Games, so I think they're such an important thing, and I'm so excited coming to Glasgow and seeing the buzz around.”

Marshall’s clenched fist celebration after Scotland’s win over England in the bowls pairs semi-final at Kelvingrove was one of the most iconic moments of Glasgow 2014 and Adlington has fond memories.

“Alex's celebration in 2014 was one of the big moments of the Games, obviously, along with him winning,” she said. “I've known Alex for a long time and I'm really excited to walk out with him tomorrow.”

She won’t be trying to replicate his celebration, however. “Nah, judo's got its moral code so it would be a more stifled celebration, I think,” she smiled.

Having also won gold in Birmingham in 2022, Adlington has her sights set on a treble but feels the honour of being selected as flag-bearer has already elevated her.

“Yes, it's a win, isn't it - to be able to say you've carried the flag for your country at a home Games. It doesn't take away from what I want to achieve on the mat, but what an achievement this already is, and I think it is recognition of the hard work and the results, and the career that I've had, and I think it's really special.”

She said she kept her selection a closely guarded secret, telling only the inner circle of her mum, brother, long-term coach Billy Cusack and best friend and fellow Glasgow 2014 judo gold medallist Sarah Clark.

“I had to tell my mum, ‘this is a secret, there's no going on Facebook or anything like that!’”

Bowls for the Olympics?

Marshall will turn 60 next year and has won five Games gold medals but his passion for bowls remains undimmed.

“I've been bowling for 51 years and I still feel young, I still feel fit,” he said. “I've been looking after myself the last couple of years, I've lost quite a few kilos. Age is just a number for me, I'm very competitive and as long as I'm still competitive I still want to compete.”

His first Commonwealth Games was 1994 and his ambition is for bowls to become an Olympic sport.

“At the end of the day, the Commonwealth Games is the biggest event on the calendar for us, and you've got opportunities to meet other people from different sports,” he said. “I'd love to see bowls in the Olympics. It's not going to be in my time unfortunately, but hopefully we'll eventually get bowls into the Olympics.”