For much of the past decade, Zac Stubblety-Cook has been one of Australia’s leading swimmers, consistently representing the green and gold on the sport’s biggest stages. The Brisbane-born Olympic, world and Commonwealth champion will continue that journey after being selected in the Dolphins squad for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
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Now 27, Stubblety-Cook heads to Scotland as one of the experienced members of a 60-strong Australian swimming team that blends established champions with emerging talent. The squad will compete from 23 July to 2 August, with the swimming program taking place at Tollcross International Swimming Centre.
His latest selection adds another chapter to a career that has already delivered Olympic, world and Commonwealth titles in the 200m breaststroke. Between 2021 and 2022, Stubblety-Cook became Olympic champion, world champion and Commonwealth Games champion in his signature event, while also setting a world record.
For the Wellers Hill Water Ratz community in Tarragindi, where Stubblety-Cook first learned to swim, his continued presence on the Australian team is a reminder that international success can grow from local beginnings.
A Career Almost Cut Short
Long before becoming one of Australia’s most decorated breaststrokers, Stubblety-Cook faced a significant obstacle that cast doubt over whether he would continue in the sport.
In 2015, after being selected for the Junior Olympic Cup in Tokyo, doctors discovered a golf ball-sized tumour in his left shoulder. The diagnosis required surgery followed by about six months of rehabilitation, interrupting his development at a critical stage of his career.
The uncertainty surrounding his recovery left Stubblety-Cook unsure whether he would swim competitively again. After completing his rehabilitation, he returned to competition and earned selection for the 2017 World Junior Championships.
His comeback gathered momentum over the following years. He made his Commonwealth Games debut on the Gold Coast in 2018 before also representing Australia at the Pan Pacific Championships and the 2019 World Championships. His progress continued over the following years, culminating in Olympic, world and Commonwealth titles in the 200m breaststroke.
At the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, Stubblety-Cook won gold in the 200m breaststroke and added a silver medal in the medley relay, further cementing his place among Australia’s elite swimmers.
Dolphins Set for Glasgow
Commonwealth Games Australia has named 42 swimmers alongside the nation’s Para swimmers to form the Dolphins squad for Glasgow.
The Australian team includes some of the country’s biggest names, including Kaylee McKeown, Kyle Chalmers, Cameron McEvoy, Mollie O’Callaghan, Sam Short, Lani Pallister, Tim Hodge and Lakeisha Patterson. The squad also features a strong group of debutants, reflecting the balance of experienced performers and emerging athletes selected for the Games.
Among the selections is Sam Williamson, who returns after recovering from a ruptured patella tendon that required surgery, while 14-year-old Para swimmer Mia Hogan will become the youngest member of Australia’s Glasgow swimming team.
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Australia will be aiming to improve on the Dolphins’ haul of 25 gold medals from the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. Glasgow 2026 will also feature the largest swimming program in Commonwealth Games history, with the addition of the women’s 1500m freestyle and men’s 800m freestyle events.
Published 6-July-2026
