Ethan Nairne triumphed over compatriot Benjamin Levy in an all-English men's -73kg final, securing the judo gold medal at the Commonwealth Games 2026. Nairne's path to victory included wins against Daniel Pacitti of Scotland, Ben Moore from Wales, and Faye Njie of the Gambia, all at the SEC Centre.

The final against Levy was a test of patience for Nairne, who ultimately clinched the gold with a one-armed shoulder throw that scored Yuko.

On the podium, Nairne celebrated alongside Levy and Josh Green from Northern Ireland, who took bronze after a golden score victory over Welshman Moore. This victory marked a significant achievement for the Nairne family, as Ethan's sister Lele Nairne also earned a medal earlier in the week, winning bronze against Frema Agyei of Ghana in just 28 seconds.

Nairne expressed his pride, stating, "What a weekend it's been for the Nairne family. Her getting bronze spurred me on even more. It motivated me to go out there and do my best."

In women's competition, Kelly Petersen-Pollard claimed gold in the -70kg category, overcoming Australia's Aoife Coughlan, who was disqualified after receiving a third penalty during the final's golden score period. Petersen-Pollard, a bronze medallist in 2022, reflected on her journey, saying, "Literally four weeks ago she beat me on penalties and now, it's me! It's so nice."

Jemima Yeats-Brown also joined Petersen-Pollard on the podium, defeating New Zealand's Moira de Villiers with an ippon in her final match before retirement. Yeats-Brown expressed her desire to finish strong, saying, "I needed to make a good run of it."

In the men's -90kg event, Jamal Petgrave secured bronze after a Waza-Ari victory over Noah Wallis from New Zealand, though he was unable to defend his title from four years ago.