Rush switches allegiance to represent Gibraltar

Gibraltar could see its first genuine contender for a gold medal in athletics at the next Commonwealth Games following the eligibility switch of multi-event athlete Ella Rush from Great Britain to Gibraltar.

The Gibraltar athletics community was informed last month of Rush’s registration as a member of the Gibraltar Amateur Athletics Association (GAAA), when the Association’s President is understood to have confirmed that she had been cleared to represent Gibraltar during a GAAA executive meeting.

Ella Rush, whose brother already plays for Gibraltar’s national youth teams, officially changed her eligibility from Great Britain to Gibraltar in March.

Her registration has been confirmed on the World Athletics website, making her eligible to compete for Gibraltar in national representative competitions from March 6, having represented Great Britain up to and including March 5, 2026.

The 22-year-old is a pentathlon specialist who has also competed in the heptathlon. Ranked 141st in the world in the heptathlon, she has previously placed among the top eight at the World U20 Championships and is considered one of the sport’s emerging talents.

Her performances across multiple disciplines highlight her all-round ability. Her 2026 season’s best includes a 6.19m long jump, close to her personal best of 6.34m recorded in 2022. In the 60m hurdles, she has posted a time of 8.65 this season, while her 100m hurdles time stands at 14.60. She has also recorded 25.09 in the 200m and 2:18.18 in the 800m, alongside a 1.66m high jump.

Her marks would place her among Gibraltar’s top performers across several events. This year alone, she has broken three national records while competing at the Hurricane Collegiate Invitational at the UMiami Cobb Stadium.

Based in the United States, Rush qualifies to represent Gibraltar through family links. Her eligibility falls under World Athletics regulations governing the transfer of allegiance between member federations.

Her addition provides a significant boost to Gibraltar’s athletics squad ahead of upcoming international competitions, including the Commonwealth Games, where multi-event athletes can play a key role across several disciplines.

Rush had previously been linked to Gibraltar, having been named a Gibraltar Institute of Sport (GIS) ambassador in 2025. With her brother also representing Gibraltar in football at youth level, the Rush family is continuing to build a presence in Gibraltar’s sporting landscape.

Since registering for Gibraltar, Rush is understood to have already broken a total of eight national records and achieved the qualifying points required for participation in the Commonwealth Games.

Her latest performances have included a 6.26m Long Jump record, breaking her previous record, a 100m hurdles in 13.97 which would also be considered a national record in Gibraltar if officially accepted.
Notably it would also see the 200m record brought down to 24.50s and the 800m national record also brought down to a 2:14.75 breaking long held records for both distances.
The 200m record has been held by Sharron Mifsud Celecia since June 1991, whilst the 800m record is currently listed to have been held by Kim Baglietto since June 2009.

Current Gibraltar National Records as listed on the official GAAA website