Eleiko Named Official Kit Provider for Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games

Swedish strength equipment manufacturer Eleiko has been named the Official Weightlifting and Para Powerlifting Equipment Provider for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow — a deal that puts its next-generation barbells centre stage as the Games count down to their 23 July opening.

The Glasgow Organising Company for the 2026 Commonwealth Games announced the appointment on 13 April 2026. Eleiko Group AB, headquartered in Halmstad, Sweden, and described by the organising company as a global leader in precision strength training equipment, will supply all competition, warm-up and training equipment across both Weightlifting and Para Powerlifting disciplines.

What Eleiko is delivering at the SEC Armadillo

Both sports will be contested at the SEC Armadillo in Glasgow. Under the terms of the partnership, Eleiko will deliver two fully equipped competition arenas alongside more than 50 warm-up and training stations — all with custom branding to create a unified competition environment. Equipment supplied includes benches for Para Powerlifting, platforms, competition and training plates, and competition bars.

The scale of the operation dwarfs what Eleiko provided at Birmingham 2022, where the company supplied 13 warm-up stations and 30 training stations for Weightlifting, plus one competition station and 12 warm-up and training stations for Para Powerlifting — a total of 43 stations compared to more than 50 at Glasgow.

Natalie Cunningham, Director of Sport at Glasgow 2026, said:

"We're expecting the Weightlifting and Para Powerlifting events to be some of the most exciting showcases of sport at Glasgow 2026, and it's fantastic to have Eleiko's support in bringing them to life, providing equipment that will be used to set world records. This partnership is important not only because of Eleiko's experience in delivering equipment for major sporting events, but also the confidence it brings to athletes through a trusted and proven brand."

Erik Blomberg, CEO of Eleiko Group AB, added:

"Eleiko is proud to be appointed the Official Weightlifting and Para Powerlifting Equipment Provider for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. The entire Eleiko team is dedicated to providing athletes with world-class equipment and support, helping them perform at their very best... This appointment builds on Eleiko's long-standing commitment to supporting weightlifting and strength sports globally."

A historic moment for Para Powerlifting

The Glasgow Games carry added significance for Para sport. For the first time in Commonwealth Games history, a Para sport will open the medal tally: on the opening day of the Games, the very first gold medal of Glasgow 2026 will be awarded in Para Powerlifting. Eleiko's equipment will be at the centre of that moment.

The next-generation barbell range

The timing of the Glasgow deal coincides with what Eleiko is calling one of the biggest product updates in its history. The company launched its next-generation barbell range in September 2025, and several models from that range will be in use at the Games.

The headline product is the IWF Weightlifting Competition Bar — the first IWF-certified competition bar to integrate built-in velocity tracking, delivering real-time lifting feedback without external attachments. The bar has since won both the iF Design Award 2026 and the Red Dot Design Award 2026, standing out among more than 10,000 submissions from 68 countries, judged by an independent jury of 129 design experts.

Other models in the range confirmed for competition and training use include the IPF Powerlifting Competition Bar, the WPPO Powerlifting Competition Bar for para powerlifting, and the Performance Bar for strength training.

Key technical features across the range include:

• A patent-pending Force Redistribution System to reduce stress during drops
• A dual lock system with dustproof seals to protect bar sleeves
• A DN3 Chrome finish to maintain knurling sharpness over time
• A colour-coded identification system (Bar ID Ring) so lifters can select the correct bar from any storage position
• Sensor-ready sleeves compatible with Enode's ecosystem for velocity-based training and AI-powered programming
• A lifetime warranty, with bars manufactured using 97% recycled steel forged with fossil-free energy — resulting in an 80% lower CO₂ footprint than the global average

Blomberg described the philosophy behind the update:

"The next generation of Eleiko bars isn't about doing something drastically different; it's about doing what we've always done, better. We're evolving one of the oldest tools in strength training for today with integrated sensor technology without ever compromising the Eleiko Feeling lifters' trust. We obsess over the details, so lifters don't have to. They lift — and feel the difference."

The new range's credentials were put to the test before Glasgow when, at the IWF World Championships in Førde, Norway, 40 world records were set using the new Eleiko barbells across a single 10-day event. More than 1,000 world records in total have been set using Eleiko equipment, across a competition history that includes six Olympic and Paralympic Games and more than 500 international championships.

What's next

The XXIII Commonwealth Games — Glasgow 2026 — open on 23 July 2026 and run until 2 August 2026. With nine days to go as of today, preparation at the SEC Armadillo will now be in its final stages. Eleiko's next-generation barbell range is available via eleiko.com; UK pricing was not confirmed at the time of publication.