Bethany Firth won bronze in the women's S14 200m freestyle at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, finishing in 2:07.63 behind England's Georgia Sheffield and Poppy Maskill. The 30-year-old's medal is her first major podium since giving birth to daughter Charlotte in August 2024.

Charlotte's presence in the crowd proved pivotal. Firth admitted struggling with the freestyle event since her comeback and nearly skipped the final, but seeing her daughter cheering spurred her on. "I kept thinking what would I say to Charlotte," Firth told BBC Sport NI. "I'm so glad I went out there and did it when it was hard."

The bronze adds to Firth's impressive haul of six Paralympic golds. She recently broke her own world record in the S14 100m backstroke at the Dutch National Championships. While the LA Olympics in two years is a realistic target, Firth says raising Charlotte takes priority: "I'm just taking every year as it comes."