Swimmer Stephen Clegg hailed the Commonwealth Games as a unique showcase for disability sport and is desperate for his event to be included on the 2026 programme.
Clegg struck double gold at the Paralympics but is yet to capture a Commonwealth equivalent, taking silver in an unfamiliar event at Birmingham 2022.
Subject to the inclusion of a visually impaired discipline in the Tollcross programme, the 28-year-old is spoiling to take to the big stage on home soil.
“It’s unbelievably exciting,” said Clegg, speaking to promote The University of Edinburgh Celebration of Sport event which took place at The Playfair Library on Tuesday evening.
“If there is an event, it’s an opportunity for me to represent Team Scotland and that would be massive for me. That is where my support has come from since day one.
“Birmingham was a way for me to experiment with the play of sport and it was an incredible event on the back of Tokyo. The 50m freestyle wasn’t a strong event for me and I came away with a great result.”
The Commonwealth Games is the first multi-sport event to integrate disabled and non-disabled events with six of the 10 sports included on the slimmed-down 2026 programme including para equivalents.
“For me, moving forward, I really want to leave a legacy of accessibility and support for people with visual impairments and other disabilities also,” said Clegg.
“I think the Commonwealth Games are huge platforms to be able to establish.
“From the Paralympic Games point of view, I think it’s right for it to be separate because it is such a huge event. It wouldn’t be right to put the Paralympics and Olympics together but the Commonwealth Games is a scaled-back event and it’s a really nice opportunity for the world to see both side-by-side.”
Clegg is only able to contemplate what he might achieve in two years’ time thanks to a mentality shift that came after disappointment in Tokyo.
“Without making a change, I think I would have quit, to be honest,” admitted Clegg. “I don’t think I would have made it through another cycle without a mental shift.
“I was ready to hang it all up after Tokyo and the reason why I didn’t was because I felt like I had unfinished business and I was able to do it because of a change in my emotional approach to the sport.”
Fundamental to that process were Clegg’s coach Mathew Trodden and sports psychologist Matilda Mayne, who helped him reshape his relationship with swimming.
It was all part of a world-class environment at the University of Edinburgh that helped nurture the next stage of his career.
“I can’t overstate how huge the university’s support has been for the last five years,” said Clegg. “Paris was obviously very successful and for me, the biggest support comes from the individual support staff.
“The support I get from the university is world-class and a big part of the success is the relationships I’ve built at Edinburgh, they’ve all been a big believer in my journey on a personal level.
“The University of Edinburgh is the biggest secret sauce I’ve had to succeed at the Games.”
Stephen Clegg was speaking to promote The University of Edinburgh Celebration of Sport event which took place at The Playfair Library on Tuesday evening. For more information on University of Edinburgh Sport visit www.uoesport.ed.ac.uk
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