Hamish Kerr withdraws from Glasgow 2026
- Jul 27
- 2 min read
Olympic high jump gold medalist Hamish Kerr will not compete at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
He said it was a difficult decision to reach, but ultimately, he is not ready to compete at the level he expects of himself.
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"After a successful, yet incredibly demanding few years, I came into 2026 feeling motivated and excited for the season ahead. Early in the year I felt a bit burnt out and needing to take a step back to reset both mentally and physically. Since then, I've been back training and feel I’m making encouraging progress," said Kerr.
"My team and I were working hard to be ready in time for Glasgow 2026 and while I’m pleased with the progress I’ve made, we’ve agreed I'm not quite ready to compete," he said.
"The Commonwealth Games means a great amount to me. I have fond memories growing up watching the Melbourne 2006 and Gold Coast 2018 Games with my family, as well as Birmingham 2022 when I won my first international gold medal.”
"I feel I’m moving in the right direction and I'm excited for what's ahead. I'm looking forward to supporting the rest of the New Zealand Team over the coming days and cheering them all on as they start their campaigns,” he said.
Kerr and his team believe he is close to a return to competition, possibly in the coming weeks.
New Zealand Team Chef de Mission, Nigel Avery, said the Team are fully supportive of Kerr’s decision.
"Hamish is an exceptional athlete and a valued leader within both the New Zealand Team and Athletics New Zealand,” said Avery.
“We fully support his decision and his process to get to this point.”
“Hamish has built his career on striving for excellence and performing at the highest level. While this was a hard decision, it speaks to the standards he holds himself to and the competitor he is. We look forward to seeing him back in action and wish him every success on the road to Los Angeles 2028," said Avery.
