Ward secures historic gold medal
Reuben Ward, competing for Scotland, achieved an individual all-around gold medal in gymnastics at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. This victory marked a significant moment, as Ward became the first Scotsman to win the all-around title. His performance at the Emirates Arena saw him maintain a lead for much of the event, ultimately securing the win over Canada’s Felix Dolci by a narrow margin of 0.2 points following a high bar routine.
Ward’s gold medal is Scotland’s third at the Games, following earlier successes in swimming. He expressed immense pride in his achievement, highlighting the rising profile of Scottish gymnastics. Ward, who was born in Bury but competes for Scotland through his parents from East Kilbride, delivered strong performances across multiple apparatus, including the pommel horse, vault, and uneven bars. His total score across the six apparatus was 79.650.
Following his success, Ward is now looking towards securing another gold medal in the pommel horse individual final, where he is set to compete against Olympic champion Rhys McClenaghan. He acknowledged McClenaghan’s achievements in the sport and expressed confidence in his own ability to challenge for the title.
Langton’s return inspires teammates
The gymnastics event also featured the return of Gabriel Langton, a young English gymnast, who attended the competition just 36 hours after a severe fall from the high bars. Langton had spent 24 hours in hospital and, despite visible bruising, was present to support his teammates. His presence was a source of inspiration, particularly for Ward, who recalled the team’s physiotherapists encouraging them to “Do it for Gabe” after Langton’s accident.
Ward shared that he had been with Langton at the Junior Europeans in 2022 and had seen him upon his return from the hospital to the Leonardo hotel where Team England was staying. He expressed relief that Langton was recovering well. The incident had deeply affected the gymnasts, with Ward noting that several members of Team Scotland, including himself, had been emotional after Langton’s fall.
Adam Tobin, another English teammate, also heard Langton’s shouts of encouragement during the competition. Tobin described Langton’s return to the hotel, fit and healthy, as a great relief. He praised the England coaches for maintaining calm and focus among the team during the challenging period following Langton’s fall, emphasizing that the competition became about more than just medals.
The event also saw another gymnast, Jovi Loh of Singapore, stretchered off with a knee injury after a dismount on the bars. Despite this, the spirit of the competition remained, with teammates drawing strength from each other’s resilience.
Teammates reflect on challenging competition
Luke Whitehouse, who was considered a favourite for gold, finished seventh after experiencing three falls during his routines, including one on his signature triple backflip on the floor. Whitehouse expressed disappointment with his performance, noting that the falls, particularly a mistake on the pommel horse dismount, were uncharacteristic.
However, Whitehouse also put his personal disappointment into perspective, expressing significant relief that Langton had not sustained serious injuries beyond bruising. He was proud to welcome Langton back to the hotel and present him with his medal, highlighting the camaraderie within the team. Whitehouse acknowledged the difficulty of competing after witnessing Langton’s fall, stating that he had to try and put the horrific incident aside to focus on his performance.
Tobin also reflected on the rollercoaster of emotions during the first day of competition, which concluded with a team medal for England. He described the process of calming himself and rebuilding his focus for the individual competition. The collective experience underscored the challenges and emotional demands of high-level gymnastics.
Source: theguardian.com
Freya Donnelly is the Sports Reporter at News-UK, covering tennis, cricket and athletics with seven years of reporting experience. She reported on Team GB through an Olympic cycle. She holds a degree in Sport and Media from the University of Brighton and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Brighton, she plays club cricket in the summer. “Listening is the most underrated skill in sports reporting.”
