Welcome back: Chris on his Scotland vest joy and return to throwing

Friday 15th May 2026

Photos by Bobby Gavin

Selected for Scotland: Our team for Loughborough International

Chris Bennett has spoken candidly about his recent return to track and field after a spell away from the sport.

The hammer thrower is among those athletes selected to compete for Scotland this weekend at the Loughborough International.

Triple Commonwealth Games competitor Chris has reversed his ‘unofficial retirement’ from 2023 with Glasgow 2026 firmly in mind.

Talking to him and a couple of other selected athletes underlined again that there isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ approach and that there are opportunities for those in their late 20s or late 30s depending on the chance to commit to training as life issues allow.

There have been examples of this in recent weeks in endurance, too, as Cambuslang Harriers duo Fraser Stewart and Kev Campbell have won Scottish titles – both aged 38.

Bennett’s return to throwing has featured Glasgow 2026 standards and his clear target is Commonwealth selection for the fourth time.

‘I think the last time I competed for Scotland was Commonwealth Games in 2022; last time I did Loughborough would have been 2022 as well,’ he said.

‘It’s nice, and it’s my last year, so it felt right to do it.

‘People ask me: ‘Why are you coming back?’ I say it just feels right. The Commonwealths are in Scotland and at Scotstoun. My first one was Glasgow in 2014.

‘My first ever athletics comp was at Scotstoun. I think it was a sprint race with VP-Glasgow in 2002 !

‘So it just feels right to kind of finish the story there and go out on my terms. There are not many people in sport who have the chance to dictate their own retirement. Usually people retire because of injury or other commitments.

‘This way, hopefully, I may get to go out in my terms. Which is nice.

Chris at Hampden in Glasgow 2014 (photo by Bobby Gavin)

‘Family and friends can watch me – if I am selected. I am still speaking hypothetically. But Glasgow is my home city and Scotstoun is just a couple of miles from where I was born.

‘I’ve thrown over 70m a couple of times but I am still not happy with it. But I am learning to be more forgiving as an athlete now, as I get older that I’m not the same person as I was when I was 26 / 27.

‘But I’m in good shape. So it’s just about doing it on the day now and just doing it within that selection period of throwing further to get to a Commonwealth Games.

‘And then we see what happens in the summer.’