Ruby Evans secured Wales' first gold medal of the 2026 Commonwealth Games by delivering a superb high-risk floor routine in Glasgow. The 19-year-old scored 13.500 to finish ahead of England's Abigail Martin (13.333) and Shantae-Eve Amankwaah (13.300).
Remarkable turnaround after disappointment
Evans had endured a frustrating start to the Games, falling from the beam during the all-around competition and finishing sixth. Wales also narrowly missed a podium place in the team event. Determined to end on a high, she withdrew from the uneven bars final to focus on the floor.
Using anger as motivation
Speaking after her victory, Evans admitted she used earlier disappointment as fuel. "I feel like coming out angry kind of helps," she said. "It gives you that fire and motivation to go out there and do well. But this morning I was actually quite chilled. I was surprised at my own emotions because I thought I'd be really nervous."
Earlier in the session, Evans finished seventh in the beam final, which she believed helped settle her nerves. "I knew I wanted to make the beam final because it would help get the nerves out, and I could come out feeling confident on the floor," she added.
Team success and other medals
Evans' gold capped a successful gymnastics campaign for Wales, with teammates Abigail and Emily Roper each claiming bronze in their apparatus finals on Monday. Great Britain's Luke Whitehouse added a silver in the men's vault final, having won gold in the men's floor a day earlier. Canada's Felix Dolci won the vault title.
