- The parents of Schlosshan sisters Ciara and Leah will likely have a dilemma as to whether they don the blue and white of Scotland, or the red and white of England this summer, with their two daughters chosen to represent different Commonwealth Games Associations at Glasgow 2026.
"VAN" (Sports Desk - 09.06.2026) :: Ciara will line-up for Team Scotland, while younger sibling Leah is part of the Team England's squad for the next edition of the multi-sport Games, which run from 23 July until 2 August.
“I've asked my parents,” says Leah with a smile. “I'm not sure where they're going to sit, if it's going to be with Team England or Team Scotland, so I'll leave that up to them, but you know, I'm so happy for Ciara.
“I posted on my Instagram story, that there was like a little bit of rivalry, of course, but we're with each other's biggest supporters and I hope she swims amazing there.”
Ciara adds; “Yes, she’ll be representing Team England, but it's just amazing to think that we’ll be able to do something that we love so much and have shared together since we were very little, now on this stage at the Commonwealth Games.”
Although born in Leeds, Ciara moved north of the border to study Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Edinburgh University in 2022 and committed herself to Scotland two years later.
“I've studied here now for the past five year and I would regard Edinburgh and Scotland as my home,” Ciara Schlosshan tells Glasgow 2026.
“I've been fully immersed into Team Scotland and everything that's great about Scotland, and I'm really, really proud to say, ‘yeah, I'm Scottish and I absolutely love Scotland’.”
Leah Schlosshan made her senior international debut for Great Britain at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, where she was part of the Women’s 4x200m Freestyle relay team which placed fifth.
She is now relishing the opportunity to make her debut in a multi-sport event.
“I've never represented England as a country, always Great Britain, so I'm excited,” she says. “It's in Glasgow as well, so it’s close to home, I'll have a lot of family there and hopefully loads of friends watching.
“Every year you want to try and aim to get the (main) summer meet. Last year it was Worlds, now it’s the Commonwealth Games and it’s about gaining more experience against really strong countries like Australia and Canada, so I think it’ll be really exciting.”
Both swimmers won European Junior medals in the 200m Individual Medley event earlier in their careers while representing Great Britain. Ciara claimed silver in 2017, with Leah securing gold in 2022 and 2023.
Leah still focuses on that discipline, as well as the 200m Freestyle, but with Ciara now only contesting Butterfly events, their best chance of going head-to-head would likely be in the women’s 4x100m medley relay.
“I’m hoping to swim in all of the Butterfly events (50m, 100m and 200m) and some relays,” states Ciara. “If I'm head-to-head against Leah, then so be it, but we'll just have to wait and see.”
Leah herself says she hopes her sister “swims really well” but has big ambitions of herself and Team England come the Glasgow 2026 pool programme.
“I just want to put on my absolute best show and I think it's going to be a big relay focus, with the 4x200m Freestyle and I would absolutely love to get a medal with the girls,” she says.
“It will be an exciting new opportunity, but then also my individuals, I'm going to do the 200 Freestyle and I really want to get up there and see if I can get close to a medal.”
Cr-Glasgow2026
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