By James Reid, Sportsbeat
Charlotte Payne wants to continue to be an inspiration for deaf people by continually competing at the highest level.
Payne finished fourth in the women’s hammer throw at Glasgow 2026, agonisingly missing out on a first senior international medal.
Her final throw of 67.34m was just short of Australia’s Lara Roberts, who took bronze with 68.05m.
Canadian Olympic champion Camryn Rogers successfully defended her Commonwealth title with a Games record 74.91m, while Kiwi Lauren Bruce took silver.
Payne has openly spoken about her hearing loss after having cochlear implant surgery, which caused her to miss two years of competing.
The 24-year-old from Reading was diagnosed as deaf at the age of three and now wants to be the sporting role model she didn’t have as a child.
“Growing up, it would have meant the world to me to see somebody like myself competing at this level,” she said.
“Sometimes I forget that I can be that representation for others. You don't always realise how much it would have meant as a young person to see someone competing in sport and challenging perceptions.
“I remind myself of that often. I hold the deaf record, and I'm helping to set new standards and show what is possible.
“Throughout life you're often told what you can't do, and I want to continue proving people wrong.”
Payne will return to the international stage in August after selection for the European Championships in Birmingham.
Her performance in Glasgow has given her plenty of confidence ahead of a home championships, where she will look to put the disappointment of missing out on a Commonwealth medal behind her.
“Going into the competition, I genuinely believed I was capable of winning a medal, so finishing just outside the podium is difficult to take,” she said.
“At the same time, fourth place at the Commonwealth Championships wasn't even on my radar at the start of the year, so I am really pleased with how this season has gone.
“The fact that I'm slightly disappointed with fourth place shows how much progress I've made.
“That's a big step forward, and it's something I can take confidence from heading into future competitions. I'm still really proud of what I've achieved.
“It gives me a lot of confidence because opportunities like this don't always come around easily.
“Having a platform like this, and now having the European Championships coming up, feels like I'm getting those opportunities to compete on the big stage.
“This will actually be my third European Championships this year, and at 24 years old I'm very proud of that.
“It definitely feels like things are starting to build momentum, which is really exciting.
“I missed a couple of years due to surgery, so to be progressing again now makes me excited for the future because I can see the potential.”
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