Mel Woods has been awarded the David Dixon Award after an extraordinary Commonwealth Games in which she won the women’s T54 1500m twice before adding gold in the T54 400m.

The award recognises the athlete judged  by her peers to have best combined sporting performance, fair play and contribution to their team.

Woods initially won the 1500m in a Commonwealth Games record of 3:33.39. However, a collision on the opening lap brought down several athletes and the subsequent appeals led to the result being voided and the entire race being held again. 

Despite losing a gold medal she believed she had already secured, Woods accepted the decision and remained respectful towards her competitors, officials and the appeals process.

Less than 40 hours later, she returned to the track and won again. Woods took the lead after 100 metres, was never headed and finished in 3:32.20, lowering the Games record she had set in the original race. 

Ninety minutes later, she returned for the 400m heats and qualified fastest for the final. Woods then won the title the following evening to claim her second gold medal of the Games and complete a remarkable double on home soil. 

Her nomination for the award recognised both those performances and the way she responded when her first victory was cancelled. Rather than allowing the controversy to overshadow the event, Woods returned to the start-line and produced an even faster race.

The David Dixon Award has never been decided by medal totals alone. It recognises what an athlete achieves, how they conduct themselves and what they contribute to their team. At Glasgow 2026, Woods delivered all three.