Defining success at a Commonwealth Games can be complex. Is it solely about the number of medals or their color? Or does it encompass athletes achieving personal milestones and creating lasting memories?

For Team Scotland, the statistics from Glasgow 2026 indicate a successful outing, marking their third best performance in terms of medals won. They secured a total of 39 medals, including 13 golds, trailing only behind the 19 golds at Glasgow 2014. Team Scotland finished fifth in the overall medal table, one position higher than in Birmingham 2022, while matching their gold count.

However, the numbers tell only part of the story. Key factors include:

• Home Advantage: Competing in their second home Games in 12 years played a significant role.
• Athlete Participation: In 2014, Scotland had 313 athletes, while this year they fielded 177, which skews the comparison.
• Available Medals: The total number of golds available decreased from 261 in 2014 and 283 in Birmingham to 215 in Glasgow.

This translates to a medal for every 4.54 competitors, an improvement from 5.30 in Birmingham.

Despite the overall haul, some performances were just shy of medal-winning. Duncan Scott, Scotland's most decorated athlete, added two medals but also faced several fourth and fifth-place finishes.

Chef de mission Elinor Middlemiss expressed pride in the team's achievements, emphasizing the historic milestones and records set. "This has been a fantastic Games for Team Scotland," she stated, highlighting the myriad of medals won and memories created.