Is 2026 the Commonwealth Games' last dance or a future-proofing revamp? - Published It is an event that has been going for 96 years. The Commonwealth Games have provided iconic sporting moments – from Roger Bannister's win in the 'Miracle Mile' of 1954 and Eilish McColgan breaking her mum's record in 2022 to England's netball victory four years earlier in Australia.

But the 2026 Games, which open in Glasgow on Thursday, come at an intriguing time for the event. Many doubted whether they would even happen - and when they do go ahead, they will do so in a stripped-back form. So how did we get here?

And do athletes and fans still care and what could the future hold? At risk or future-proofed? The 2026 Commonwealth Games were thrown into doubt when its original hosts, the Australian state of Victoria, pulled out in 2023 citing spiraling costs.

That decision took even the leaders of Commonwealth Sport by surprise. After more than a year of uncertainty, Glasgow stepped in to host the Games for the second time, following on from the highly successful event in the Scottish city in 2014. But, with limited preparation time a significant factor, the Games' return to Glasgow a much smaller event.

There was competition across 18 sports in 2014 – a number that rose to 20 for Birmingham 2022 - but only 10 sports will feature this year. There are expected to be around 2,000 fewer athletes and no new stadiums have been built, with the athletics events having moved from the 46,000-seater Hampden Park to the Scotstoun Stadium, which will hold just over 10,000 people. Costs of running the event have been cut from between £700m and £800m for Birmingham 2022 and the Gold Coast Games in 2018 to £160m for Glasgow.

Whether by accident or design, organisers insist the situation has created a template for the future. They believe a smaller, cheaper, more sustainable Commonwealth Games can last. "I don't think we have ever been stronger," Katie Sadleir, chief executive of Commonwealth Sport, told BBC Sport.

"We took a hard look at ourselves and realised we needed to reset and reimagine this Games so it is an attractive proposition for our members." Crucially, the Commonwealth Games have already secured the Indian city of Ahmedabad as host for 2030, when the number of sports is expected rise to between 15 and 18. Several countries have also expressed interest in hosting in 2034. New Zealand has done so publicly while Nigeria remains interested after challenging Ahmedabad's bid for 2030.

- Is Glasgow ready for the Commonwealth Games - and does the city care? - Published6 days ago - All you need to know about Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games - Published6 July Do athletes still care? Having begun in 1930 as the British Empire Games, the Commonwealth Games face questions about their place and relevance in the modern world.

England weightlifter Emily Campbell told the BBC the Games are "one of the best things that came out of colonisation" while three-time Olympic swimming gold medallist Tom Dean insists they can be a "force for good" despite the difficult past. "It is even more reason to push the Commonwealths into the spotlight because it shows the best side of sport," he told BBC Sport.