Sibling rivalry is as old as the concept of time but Astrid and Ursula Carroll have taken it to a whole new level at the Commonwealth Games.
The teenagers are both competing at Glasgow 2026 but for different nations, with Astrid lining up in Scotland blue and Ursula representing Team England.
Seventeen-year-old Astrid is the older of the two, while Ursula, 14, is the youngest Team England athlete at the Games.
The sisters have Stargardt disease, a rare, inherited eye condition that results in a progressive loss of central vision.
They train together at Stockport Metro Swimming Club, but Friday marked the first time they raced against each other in competition.
Lining up next to one another in the women’s 100m freestyle S13 final, Ursula earned the bragging rights by finishing sixth with a time of 1:05.24 – 0.14s ahead of her sister in seventh.
“The time didn’t reflect the swim I felt, but it was my first Commonwealth final and one of my first big meets,” Ursula said.
“But it’s been a really amazing experience and something that I wouldn’t usually do, especially at such a high level, so it’s been amazing.
“We’ve raced next to each other before but never in direct competition, so it was definitely a bit bizarre being in direct competition based on time.
“It was a bit surreal but ultimately quite good!
“It definitely pushes us on and helps us get the best out of each other – there are a lot of mini competitions with each other which definitely helps.”
Carroll earned selection with a strong performance at the Swim England Winter Nationals in December 2025, when she set a new European record in the S13 200m individual medley.
Astrid normally competes in the S12 category, while Ursula competes in S13.
“It was quite close on that one, but it’s such a good environment and rivalry – it’s such a funny one and I love it so much,” Astrid added.
“I think she pushes me on more than I push her on, but she’s such an amazing training partner, to always catch up to. It’s such a nice benchmark to have.”
Charlie Bennett/Sportsbeat 2026
