Lawn bowls legend Alex Marshall to carry Scotland's flag at Commonwealth Games

Marshall and Adlington to carry Scotland's flag into Thursday's opening ceremony

Alex Marshall and Sarah Adlington will jointly lead the Scottish delegation into the opening ceremony as flagbearers on Thursday, placing lawn bowls and judo at the front of the country's campaign. Marshall holds five Commonwealth gold medals, the most by any lawn bowls player in history. Adlington, a judoka, joins him in recognition of two athletes from sports that sit outside the mainstream spotlight.

Marshall's selection rewards a career built on precision and timing. A single bowl landing inches from the jack can swing a match, and Marshall built his reputation on making those deliveries under pressure, reading conditions that shift with weather, surface, and opponent. He won his first Commonwealth gold in Manchester 2002, then added pairs at Melbourne 2006, triples at Delhi 2010, and two more at Glasgow 2014. Scotland, England, and Australia regularly take the majority of medals in the sport at these Games.

Carrying the flag alongside Adlington adds another line to a career already stocked with Commonwealth milestones, and puts two familiar faces at the head of a delegation whose contributions extend well beyond the sports that dominate headlines.

Updated: 2026-07-22 - Sarah Adlington added as joint flagbearer alongside Alex Marshall