Commonwealth Games Australia has announced an 11-athlete judo team for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, with the squad bringing together reigning Commonwealth champions, returning medallists, and a strong group of debutants.
The team is headlined by Birmingham 2022 gold medallists Aoife Coughlan and Tinka Easton, who will both return to the Commonwealth Games stage looking to build on their outstanding performances from the last edition of the Games. Coughlan will compete in the Women’s Under 70kg division, while Easton has been selected in the Women’s Under 52kg division.
The Australian team also features Birmingham 2022 bronze medallist Josh Katz, alongside returning Commonwealth Games representative Kayhan Ozcicek-Takagi. They will be joined by debutants Pedro Antun Neto, Maeve Coughlan, Vas Middleton, Saya Middleton, Keishin Ochi, Maria Swan, and Danny Vojnikovich.
A unique feature of the team is its strong family connection. Aoife Coughlan will compete alongside her sister Maeve, while Western Australian siblings Vas and Saya Middleton will both make their Commonwealth Games debuts in Glasgow.
For Aoife Coughlan, Glasgow represents an opportunity to defend the title she won in Birmingham, while also sharing the experience with her sister. Maeve Coughlan said being selected after watching Aoife win gold in 2022 was something she was incredibly proud of, while Vas Middleton described the opportunity to compete alongside Saya as “something really special.”
Judo Australia’s General Manager – Performance & Pathways, Maria Pekli, said the selection reflected the depth and continued growth of Australian judo, with the team combining experienced champions and emerging athletes stepping onto the Commonwealth Games stage for the first time.
The selected Australian athletes are:
Women
- Tinka Easton — Women’s Under 52kg
- Maeve Coughlan — Women’s Under 63kg
- Saya Middleton — Women’s Under 63kg
- Aoife Coughlan — Women’s Under 70kg
- Maria Swan — Women’s Under 78kg
Men
- Pedro Antun Neto — Men’s Under 60kg
- Josh Katz — Men’s Under 60kg
- Vas Middleton — Men’s Under 66kg
- Keishin Ochi — Men’s Under 81kg
- Danny Vojnikovich — Men’s Under 90kg
- Kayhan Ozcicek-Takagi — Men’s Over 100kg
Australia will head to Glasgow aiming to continue its strong Commonwealth Games judo record, following its most successful Games in Birmingham 2022, where Australian judoka won two gold and eight bronze medals.
The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games will run from 23 July to 2 August 2026, with judo to be contested at the SEC Centre from 31 July to 2 August.
The Oceania Judo Union congratulates all selected athletes, their coaches, clubs, families, and support teams, and looks forward to seeing Australia represented alongside other Oceania nations on the Commonwealth Games stage in Glasgow.
Source: Commonwealth Games Australia – Family affair in Glasgow as Australian Judo Team named