Wales walk away with 28 medal haul!
After another successful year for Team Wales at the Commonwealth Games, here are some of the top highlights
Birmingham 2022 saw Wales finish 8th in the medal table, coming home with 28 medals; 8 Gold, 6 Silver, and 14 Bronze.
With 201 athletes across 15 sports, the 2022 games saw Team Wales feature more para athletes than ever before, including our first para triathlete. The team also consisted of more females than males, with the addition of female divers for the first time.
From the track to the pool, the lawn to the ring, Team Wales were a force to be reckoned with, truly embodying the Birmingham 2022 leggings designed by USW students tagline which read ‘small but mighty’.
2022 has been an incredible year for Team Wales’ para athletes, including Aled Sion Davies, Olivia Breen, James Ball, and Joshua Stacey who contributed to half of the total gold medals won.
For the first time in CGW history, a live TV highlights programme was broadcast every night of the games from Team Wales House on S4C, as well as the first Team Wales mascot, Mister Urdd.
Chef de Mission, Nicola Phillips, said: “What a Games! Thank you Birmingham 2022 for stepping in to host the Games, then planning it through the pandemic. The opportunity for all the athletes to be able to compete in front of packed stadia and arenas made it a spectacular celebration of sport.
“Our Team Wales athletes did an amazing job, some for the first time at a major games and others coming back to compete for our nation. We asked them for personal bests and they delivered- with lifetime bests, season’s bests, highest placings, as well as Welsh, British and Games records.
“After being part of Team Wales for 10 Commonwealth Games, it was my last and a great memory to leave on. I wish Commonwealth Games Wales every success as they prepare for Victoria 2026 and beyond.”
Despite a smaller medal haul than the previous Gold Coast games, Commonwealth games Wales are incredibly proud of the athletes’ performance, measuring success on the incredible number of personal bests, Welsh records and Games records achieved this year.
Identical twins Ioan and Garan Croft picked up Gold and Bronze medals respectively in the ring, while Rosie Eccles won Gold with Wales’ only female boxing medal.
The Croft brothers were one of four sets of siblings in Team Waes, alongside Joe and Hannah Brier (athletics), Emyr and Tesni Evans (Squash), and Megan and Elinor Barker (cycling).
James Ball and his pilot Matt Rotherham put on a phenomenal display on the track, earning themselves a maiden gold, after a superb qualifying lap clocking 9.851 in the Sprint.
Gemma Frizelle, a familiar face from Gold Coast 2018, became the first Welsh gymnast to win gold at the Commonwealth Games, with a sensational Hoop performance at Arena Birmingham.
Out on the lawn, Jarrad Breen and Daniel Salmon secured gold in a tight Men’s Pairs victory over England, while Wales’ oldest athlete Gordon Llewellyn, partner Julie Thomas and their directors Mark Adams and John Wilson won Silver in the Para Lawn Bowls.
Chris Jenkins, CEO of Commonwealth Games Wales, reflected: “Birmingham 2022 is my fourth games with Commonwealth Games Wales, and it will certainly be one to remember, not only with planning a games through pandemic and seeing the Team’s huge success, but this will be my final Games as CEO and I’ve savoured every moment.
“We have worked really closely over with the NGBs over the last four years to deliver an inclusive and exceptional team once again. It has been great to see familiar faces like Suzy Drane, Anwen Butten and Rhys Jones in the team, and it’s also been exciting to have big names like Geraint Thomas and Aled Sion Davies back in the Welsh kit.
“What has also been a positive step for the future of our team is all the youngsters we have competing and performing well at their first Commonwealth Games. These are the athletes inspiring the next generation. Diolch Birmingham.”
Helen Phillips MBE, Chair of Commonwealth Games Wales, commented: “It’s been a privilege to be Chair of Commonwealth Games Wals for Birmingham 2022. The commitment and dedication we have seen from the athletes, sports, and support staff in preparing Team Wales and delivering the calibre of athletes for the Games was outstanding. The team spirit across all sports has really cemented our ‘togetherness’ as a passionate Welsh team.
“We have led with our slogan ‘The summit of our aspirations’ and we have certainly reached exceptional standards – countless number of personal bests, season’s bests, games records. We can’t succeed without the army of volunteers and the continuous support from Welsh Government, Sport Wales and other key partners. I have to give special thanks to the Athletes Commission who have been an integral part in decision making, giving athletes a strong voice in our preparations into Birmingham. We have really valued their commitment, input and experience over the last four years. A great Games for Wales, now all eyes are on 2026 in Victoria.”
After reaching the summit of their aspirations, the athletes were celebrated at the Team Wales homecoming event at the Senedd Friday evening, where they were greeted by friends, family and supporters. The celebration featured speeches by the First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, and Chair of the Commonwealth Games Wales, Helen Phillips MBE.
See our full list of medallists below:
Aquatics
| Medi Harris | Bronze | Women’s 100m Backstroke |
| Lily Rice | Bronze | Women’s 100m Backstroke S8 |
Athletics
| Olivia Breen | Gold | Women’s T37/38 100m |
| Aled Davies | Gold | Discus Throw F42-44/61-64 |
| Harrison Walsh | Bronze | Discus Throw F42-44/61-64 |
Boxing
| Taylor Bevan | Silver | Men’s Over 75kg-80kg (Light Heavyweight) |
| Ioan Croft | Gold | Men’s Over 63.5kg-67kg (Welterweight) |
| Garan Croft | Bronze | Men’s Over 67kg-71kg (Light Middleweight) |
| Jake Dodd | Bronze | Men’s Over 48kg-51kg (Flyweight) |
| Rosie Eccles | Gold | Women’s Over 66kg-70kg (Light Middleweight) |
| Owain Harris-Allan | Bronze | Men’s Over 51kg-54kg (Bantamweight) |
Cycling – Road
| Geraint Thomas | Bronze | Men’s Individual Time Trial |
Cycling – Track
| James Ball | Silver | Men’s Tandem B – 1000m Time Trial |
| James Ball | Gold | Men’s Tandem B – Sprint |
| Rhian Edmunds | Bronze | Women’s Team Sprint |
| Emma Finucane | Bronze | Women’s Sprint |
| Emma Finucane | Bronze | Women’s Team Sprint |
| Eluned King | Bronze | Women’s 25km Points Race |
| William Roberts | Bronze | Men’s 15km Scratch Race |
| Lowri Thomas | Bronze | Women’s Team Sprint |
Gymnastics – Rhythmic
| Gemma Frizelle | Gold | Hoop |
Judo
| Jasmine Hacker-Jones | Bronze | Women-63kg |
| Natalie Powell | Silver | Women-78kg |
Lawn Bowls
| Mark Adams | Silver | Para Mixed Paris B2/B3 |
| Jarrad Breen | Gold | Men’s Pairs |
| Owain Dando | Bronze | Men’s Triples |
| Gordon Llewellyn | Silver | Para Mixed Paris B2/B3 |
| Ross Owen | Bronze | Men’s Triples |
| Daniel Salmon | Gold | Men’s Pairs |
| Julie Thomas | Silver | Para Mixed Paris B2/B3 |
| Jonathon Tomlinson | Bronze | Men’s Triples |
| John Wilson | Silver | Para Mixed Paris B2/B3 |
Squash
| Joel Makin | Silver | Men’s Singles |
Table Tennis
| Charlotte Carey | Bronze | Women’s Doubles |
| Anna Hursey | Bronze | Women’s Doubles |
| Joshua Stacey | Gold | Men’s Singles Classes 8-10 |
Triathlon
| Dominic Coy | Silver | Mixed Team Relay |
| Iestyn Harrett | Silver | Mixed Team Relay |
| Olivia Mathias | Silver | Mixed Team Relay |
| Non Stanford | Silver | Mixed Team Relay |