Liendo, Allen, Mount Royal Named Sport Award Winners
Commonwealth Sport Canada has announced three recipients of the 2026 Canadian Commonwealth Sport Awards, to be celebrated at a gala on November 27, 2026.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Swimming
Commonwealth Sport Canada named swimmer Josh Liendo the Sport Excellence Athlete Award recipient, coach Charles Allen the Sport Excellence Coach Award recipient and Mount Royal University the Partnership Excellence Outstanding Partner Award recipient. The three will be celebrated at the Canadian Commonwealth Sport Awards Gala on November 27, 2026.
Why it matters
The awards recognize athletes, coaches and partners whose work strengthens Canadian sport at home and abroad, including Team Canada's performance at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Recognition of a university's long-running partnership highlights how community and education institutions contribute to national sport development.
Liendo set a Commonwealth Games record of 50.42 seconds in the men's 100-metre butterfly at Glasgow 2026, successfully defending his gold. Allen has been part of Athletics Canada's high-performance coaching program since 2016.
The players
Josh Liendo
Canadian swimmer who won silver at the Paris 2024 Olympics and four medals at Birmingham 2022.
Charles Allen
Athletics Canada East Hub Sprints and Hurdles Coach, active in the national high-performance program since 2016.
Commonwealth Sport Canada
National organization that administers Canada's participation in Commonwealth sport and presents the annual awards.
The details
Recipients were selected through a formal nomination and review process overseen by Commonwealth Sport Canada's Awards and Recognition Committee, whose members come from across Canada. Mount Royal University has partnered with the organization through the SportWORKS program for almost a decade, supporting community sport in Botswana, Rwanda, Trinidad and Tobago and Kenya.
Timeline
July 23 to August 2, 2026: Team Canada competed at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
2016: Charles Allen joined Athletics Canada's high-performance coaching program.
November 27, 2026: Recipients will be celebrated at the awards gala in Ottawa.
Season Trajectory
The awards arrive after Team Canada's record-setting showing at Glasgow 2026, when its 62 medals and 35 Para athletes marked a strong national result across multiple disciplines. Recognition of coaching and partnership work alongside athlete performance reflects how Canadian Commonwealth sport is built beyond the podium.
Liendo's defence of his 100-metre butterfly title and Allen's coaching role place both among the names to watch in Canadian swimming and athletics coverage. Fans following Commonwealth or Olympic events can track these athletes' results ahead of the November 27 gala.
The takeaway
Recognition across athletes, coaches and institutional partners reflects how Canadian sport depends on many roles working together. Readers following Canadian sport can watch how these honourees shape future competition.
Further reading
Explore more in Swimming coverage on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Sport Information Resource Centre.
