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Red Beach gymnast Daniel Stoddart and five Coast Swim Club athletes will represent New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, giving the Hibiscus Coast a strong presence on the international stage.
Stoddart has been selected for New Zealand’s artistic gymnastics team, qualifying in both the floor and rings disciplines. After recovering from an injury last year, he said he is focused on delivering a personal best performance at the Games. He will depart for Scotland on July 13.
Joining him in the New Zealand team are Coast Swim Club members Amber George (50m backstroke), Savannah-Eve Martin (50m backstroke), Eve Thomas (4x200m women’s freestyle relay), Zoe Pedersen (50m butterfly), and para swimmer Josh Willmer (100m breaststroke). George, Martin, Thomas and Pedersen have also been granted permission to compete in additional events.
George made her Aquablacks debut at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, competing in the 50m and 100m backstroke. She later claimed her first national titles in both events at the 2025 Apollo Projects New Zealand Swimming Championships.
Martin also made her Aquablacks debut in Singapore, competing alongside George in the 50m backstroke.
Thomas brings significant international experience to the squad, having represented New Zealand at both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The youngest member of the Coast contingent is 19-year-old Zoe Pedersen, who won gold at the 2025 World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships in Romania. Pedersen said selection for the Commonwealth Games completes a goal she set after last year’s success. She was also a finalist in this year’s ISPS Handa Halberg Awards
“After the announcement was made I had heaps of messages from family and friends come in. There were some from primary school friends I hadn’t spoken to in so long,” she said.
Willmer is representing New Zealand in the paraswimming heats and is planning to defend his title in the Men’s 100m Breaststroke SB8 after winning gold at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
The Aquablacks team heads to Stirling, Scotland, on July 1 for training camps and final preparations ahead of competition.
The Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow from July 23 to August 2. Swimming events will run from July 24 to 29, while artistic gymnastics takes place from July 24 to 28. Sky Sport will broadcast all events, with selected free-to-air coverage available on Sky Open (Channel 8).
