Inclusive ethos a big pull of the Games - Simmonds

ELLIE Simmonds knew she had made the right decision in hanging up her goggles before the last Commonwealth Games and now cannot wait for the next edition in Glasgow this summer.

- By PAUL EDDISON

Now 31, Simmonds, from Walsall, is one of the greatest and most popular para swimmers Great Britain has ever produced, winning the first of her five Paralympic gold medals at just 13 in Beijing before announcing her retirement in 2021.

The following summer she was on the ground at Birmingham 2022 as part of the organising committee for the event while also working with the BBC on their coverage.

And it was on the sofa with Clare Balding, Rebecca Adlington and Mark Foster that she was vindicated in her decision to call it a day.

While Simmonds no longer swims competitively, she remains a huge sports fan, and was in Loughborough this week as part of the King’s Baton Relay, supported by Team England’s official automotive partner, Geely, with every Commonwealth nation receiving their own baton for the celebrations.