Reuben Ward made history by becoming the first Scottish man to win the Commonwealth all-around gymnastics title, scoring 79.650 to claim gold at a raucous Emirates Arena. He dedicated his victory to rival Gabriel Langton, who cheered from the sidelines less than 48 hours after a sickening fall put him in hospital.
Langton's fall and recovery
Langton slipped from the high bar during the team final on Friday, falling three metres and landing head first. He received treatment for 30 minutes before being stretchered off with his head and neck in a brace. After a night in hospital, he was cleared of serious injury and returned to support his English teammates Luke Whitehouse and Adam Tobin.
Ward's emotional win
Ward, who represents Scotland through his parents from East Kilbride but was born in Bury and trains in Manchester, said: 'I've known Gabe since he was about 15. Seeing him lying on the floor after his fall was really frightening. When the physio came over and said, "Do it for Gabe," I think three of us on Team Scotland started crying.' He added: 'To think that, within two days, he'd gone through something so traumatic and was already back supporting everyone was amazing.'
Ward held off Canada's Felix Dolci by just 0.2 points. Australia's Jesse Moore made a mistake in his floor routine and fell out of contention. Tobin finished fifth, while Whitehouse was seventh after mistakes in his first three apparatus.
Whitehouse's relief
Whitehouse, best friends with Langton, said: 'A lot of relief knowing there's no serious injuries, just bruising. The team welcomed him back into the hotel, so that was really special. He's my room-mate at these championships, so just a lot of relief and so happy for him.' Scotland finished fourth in the team event.
Targeting pommel horse final
Ward now faces Olympic champion Rhys McClenaghan in the pommel horse individual final on Monday. 'Rhys has achieved everything I want to achieve,' Ward said. 'He's a fantastic gymnast, but if I perform my routine to the best of my ability, I'm confident I can challenge.'
