The Commonwealth Games Association of the Isle of Man is delighted to announce that swimmer Laura Kinley and Para Powerlifter Alfie Bezance have been selected as Team Isle of Man’s baton bearer and flag bearer at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony.
Alfie will lead out the team carrying the Manx flag as the team enters The OVO Hydro arena.
At only 17 years of age, Alfie will be Team Isle of Man’s youngest ever flag bearer. He is already ranked 11th in the Commonwealth in the Para Powerlifting discipline, and in 2025 he won the British Under 23 Championships against able-bodied athletes, breaking the unofficial World Record for a Junior athlete in doing so. His success resulted in him being selected on the Team GB pathway for the 2028 Paralympics in Los Angeles.
Glasgow 2026 will be Laura’s fourth appearance at a Commonwealth Games, a remarkable achievement, and she is competing in the pool in the 50m and 100m breaststroke classes.
With Laura’s first Games appearance being Glasgow 2014, her role representing the Isle of Man as baton bearer and as a key member of the swimming squad means that her Commonwealth Games journey has come full circle, taking her back to the city where it all began 12 years ago.
