Dame Flora Duffy has said it is “a shock and upsetting” that triathlon has been selected as one of the sports to be removed from the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The decision to take out triathlon and road cycling, among other sports, comes after a report from Glasgow City Council last week revealed no public highways would be used, with confirmation coming when the Commonwealth Games Federation revealed the ten sports selected for Glasgow in a press statement this morning.

Duffy, who won gold on the Gold Coast in Australia in 2018 and in Birmingham in 2022 and has competed in four Commonwealth Games, says the decision came out of the blue.

“It’s a huge surprise that triathlon will not be at the next Commonwealth Games and I think it’s a huge blow for the Games, the spectators, the fans and the city,” Duffy said.

“To have the sport removed, and road cycling as well, is upsetting and a bit of a shock as I have really fond memories of all of my four Commonwealth Games experiences racing in triathlon and winning in Birmingham and Gold Coast.”

Duffy feels triathlon brings exciting outdoor entertainment to the Games with crowds surrounding the course and fans flocking to get a glimpse of some of the best athletes in the world.

“They have always been well-supported and really competitive races,” she said.

“It’s a free event to watch and Commonwealth countries are really strong in the event, so they are always prestigious races to win, and obviously my two medals mean a lot for the entire country.

“There is so much to be said for that and all the positives that come along after winning medals at major Games from small countries.”

Duffy shared the podium in Birmingham with Scottish triathlete Beth Potter, who won bronze, and feels that the absence of her sport will prevent passionate home fans from seeing their hero compete on home soil.

“Given the strength of English and Scottish triathletes — Beth Potter is a reigning medallist — it’s very sad for the local community who I’m sure would have loved to come out and supported her,” Duffy said.

While Duffy may not have been in action in Glasgow in two years’ time after leaving short-course racing behind her, the news of triathlon and road cycling’s removal means some of Bermuda’s elite athletes will miss out on the chance to compete at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

In Birmingham in 2022, Duffy competed alongside Erica Hawley, Tyler Smith and Tyler Butterfield in triathlon, with Conor White, Kaden Hopkins, Nic Narraway and Caitlin Conyers taking part in road cycling.

Squash, which had Bermuda representation in Emma Keane, is another sport to have been removed.

Bermuda had 17 athletes at the last Games but that number would have been more than halved if the Glasgow sporting programme had been used, with a number of the island’s leading stars not getting the chance to attend a major international Games until the 2027 Pan American Games in Peru.

The ten sports to survive the Glasgow cull are athletics and swimming, which were made compulsory by the Commonwealth Games Federation in 2021, artistic gymnastics, track cycling, netball, weightlifting, boxing, judo, bowls and 3x3 basketball. Six of those sports will also have para components.

Badminton, hockey, volleyball, rugby sevens, table tennis and wrestling, which all featured at the Games in Birmingham, are the other sports to have been removed, with only four venues — the Emirates Arena, Tollcross International Swimming Centre, the Scottish Events Campus and Scotstoun Stadium — being used.

There will also be no new athletes’ village built, with competitors and officials staying in existing accommodation across the city. The new-look Games will begin on July 26, 2026.