--- title: "Archie Goodburn, Scottish swimmer, reaches the men's 50m breaststroke final at Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games; two years after incurable brain cancer diagnosis." sdDatePublished: "2026-07-28T16:09:00Z" source: "https://www.olympics.com/en/news/commonwealth-games-2026-archie-goodburn-racing-against-an-incurable-inoperable-brain-cancer-i-want-to-swim-for-the-future-archies" topics: - name: "sport" identifier: "medtop:15000000" - name: "health" identifier: "medtop:07000000" - name: "human interest" identifier: "medtop:08000000" locations: - "Scotland" - "United Kingdom" - "Île-de-France" - "Glasgow" --- Archie Goodburn, Scottish swimmer, reaches the men's 50m breaststroke final at Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games; two years after incurable brain cancer diagnosis. Commonwealth Games 2026: Archie Goodburn racing against an incurable, inoperable brain cancer: "I want to swim for the future Archies" Commonwealth Games 2026: Archie Goodburn racing against an incurable, inoperable brain cancer: "I want to swim for the future Archies" Scottish swimmer Archie Goodburn reached the men's 50m breaststroke final of the 2026 Commonwealth Games just two years after an incurable brain cancer diagnosis. Now, he's swimming faster than ever. When Scottish swimmer Archie Goodburn stepped onto the blocks for the Paris 2024 Olympic trials in April 2024, he knew something wasn't quite right. The 22-year-old had been experiencing a series of alarming symptoms, including unexpected seizures, nausea, numbness, deja vu, and, as he later described on Instagram , an overwhelming "deep feeling of fear." Without knowing what was causing them, Goodburn kept training through the seizures. As one of Scotland's fastest swimmers, he was determined to chase the Olympic dream he had spent his entire life working towards. Despite competing under the weight of debilitating symptoms, growing uncertainty, and preparing for his childhood dream, Goodburn finished third at the trials, missing out on an Olympic place by just a few tenths of a second. Only afterwards did he allow himself to seek answers. In May, an MRI revealed he had three brain tumours, and a biopsy soon confirmed his worst fear: Goodburn had an "extremely rare", incurable and inoperable form of brain cancer that might even end his life by age 40, he was told. Fast forward two years, and Goodburn is swimming on the world stage in none other than his very own home nation, Scotland, at the 2026 Commonwealth Games . The now 25-year-old reached the final of the men's 50m breaststroke, finishing seventh on Monday (27 July). As he emerged from the pool, the home crowd rose to its feet as a deafening roar swept through the arena, and perhaps across Scotland itself. Blue and white flags waved proudly in the stands in an ovation that rivalled those typically reserved for medal winners. Among those cheering loudest was his family. "My dream was to make the final" he told reporters, including Olympics.com, in Glasgow, tears streaming. But outside the pool, I dream of a future where brain cancer isn't the biggest killer of those under 40 . I swim for future Archies who want to succeed on the international stage." "I advocate to try and extend my own life, but also for the other young patients and adults going through what I'm going through. "I wonder how I'm going to feel off the back of this. But I know that I'm going to have memories to last a lifetime." Goodburn: swimming is the ultimate "screw you" to brain cancer "A lot of people, when they get diagnosed with cancer, say, 'Cancer has taught me to enjoy life more.' I did that before my diagnosis. I didn't need cancer to tell me to enjoy life," Goodburn said in an interview with the University of Edinburgh Sport, from where he recently graduated with a degree in chemical engineering. "What it has taught me is, don't be afraid to take on challenges and put yourself in uncomfortable positions, because you're capable of more than you know." Even so, his diagnosis forced him to confront a difficult question. He wondered whether dedicating nearly 20,000 hours of his life to swimming was still how he wanted to spend his future. But the answer came in the water after a training session left him feeling healthy, happy and satisfied. "Doing something that I love so much, something that means a lot to me, something that I genuinely enjoy," he said, "that feeling was only reinforced by breaking the British university record at the BUCS Short Course Championships and the Scottish record again." Remarkably, Goodburn is now swimming faster than at any other point in his career. In February, he lowered his own Scottish record in the men's 50m breaststroke, clocking a personal best of 27.12 seconds. Every training session, every ounce of strength regained, and every personal best has become, as he later told Aquatics GB , the ultimate "screw you" to the tumour. "I'm extremely proud to say that I've PB'd since diagnosis," he said. "Hopefully there are many more PBs to come." "I now see swimming as a real privilege," he said. "Being able to push your body to its limit and better yourself isn't something everyone has the opportunity to do." That perspective, he says, has also given him an unexpected advantage. "I've been to places that most people in a 50m breaststroke final haven't," he said. "I have that in my back pocket. I wish I didn't. But I'm very proud of what I have achieved." Picture by 2023 Getty Images 23 July - 2 August Commonwealth Games 2026 | Glasgow | United Kingdom