Gold Coast Catch Up: Gymnasts sign off in style

Nile Wilson grabbed yet another Commonwealth gold for his collection on Monday as Team England rounded out the gymnastics on the Gold Coast in superb style.

They grabbed eight medals on Monday alone out of their total of 17, Alice Kinsella chipping in with a gold on the beam to cap an astonishing effort in Australia.

The final two men’s apparatus finals at the Coomera Indoor Sports centre saw Wilson take gold on the high bar – his favourite event that also saw him score Olympic bronze in Rio – and silver on the parallel bars.

That takes his tally for the week to three golds and two silvers, and the 22-year-old admitted he had to dig deep into his reserves to finish it off in style.

“It's been an incredible week and I think the one that stands out is still the all-around coming off the back of the injury,” he said.

“That is still my baby and the pinnacle of gymnastics, being consistent enough across the board to come out on top.

“I'm very exhausted right now and I hope it didn't show too much, but it's been amazing and a massive stepping stone for the future. Some of the scores we put out this week as a team as well is exciting in terms of world level gymnastics.

James Hall also scooped two medals on the final day, taking bronze in the parallel bars and silver in the high bar.

While in the vault it was Courtney Tulloch (silver) and Dominick Cunningham (bronze) who impressed, the latter scooping his first senior individual medal.

“I'm really happy. In this sport anything can happen and it's been a massive challenge for me having to wait,” said Cunningham.

“It's been a big task to keep my head down and stay happy and positive. To go at the end of the group was a challenge because I could hear the crowd and everyone else had landed their vaults.

Meanwhile the girls impressed on the beam, Kinsella producing a superb routine to top the podium while her teammate Kelly Simm took bronze.

There was good news for Wales as well as Latalia Bevan took silver on the floor  - the first gymnastics medal for her country at the Game - while Scotland’s Frank Baines got bronze in the parallel bars.

It means England top the gymnastics medal table, with 16 podium finishes – six gold, seven silver and three bronze.

Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland also picked up five medals between them.

England fought back from Sunday’s semi-final disappointment to secure a valiant bronze as the Commonwealth Games mixed team event drew to a close on the Gold Coast.

Victory over Singapore sealed the deal as the side backed up their silver from four years ago with another trip to the podium, following the loss to defending champions Malaysia.

It was not all straightforward though with Rajiv Ouseph saving four match points in the deciding game of his men’s singles tie before taking the win.

That left men’s doubles Olympic bronze medallists Chris Langridge and Marcus Ellis to wrap up the contest 3-0 by beating Terry Hee Yong Kai and Danny Bawa Chrisnanta after Ellis and Smith had opened up with a win in the mixed doubles.

“To be honest I was trying not to think about the points – which is obviously hard because the score was so tight,” said Ouseph of his 20-22 21-15 25-23 win over Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew.

“It was quite hard to get back up to speed after yesterday night’s game with not much rest.

“But I just tried to hang in for as long as possible and try and keep him on court for as long as possible so Marcus gets more rest – that was my thinking.”

Tesni Evans pushed aside any doubts to defeat eight-time world champion Nicol David and claim Wales’ first Commonwealth Games squash medal in 20 years.

The British champion held her nerve after two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist David levelled the match at 1-1, before eventually coming through 3-1 for bronze.

It was Wales’ first squash medal since Alex Gough’s bronze in 1998.

"I feel unbelievable and can't believe I won that match," said Evans.

"It was so tough after coming back from yesterday (losing a semi-final) but I am happy I put in a performance like that.

"This morning I was having so many doubts in my mind about how tired I was and I was just trying to block it out.

"This is the top of moment my career and I am very proud to represent Wales."

England’s Sarah-Jane Perry and James Willstrop bid for singles gold later on while Wales’ Joel Makin could add another medal in the men’s bronze medal match.

It took a Commonwealth Games record to deny Ben Llewellin gold in the men’s skeet.

The Welshman hit 56 of his 60 targets but that was narrowly beaten by Cypriot Georgios Achilleos who finished on 57.

Northern Ireland’s Gareth McAuley completed the podium after hitting 45 of his 50 targets, with English duo Karl Killander and Jack Fairclough fourth and fifth.

There was plenty of drama at the lawn bowls as Wales’ Marc Wyatt and Daniel Salmon upset Scottish favourites Alex Marshall and Paul Foster to win gold in the men’s pairs.

Had Scotland won, Marshall would have become the most successful Scottish athlete in Commonwealth Games history.

But instead it was Wales walking away with gold after triumphing 12-10.

Wyatt said: "We play home internationals and play against Scotland. They are two class players but you have to back yourself. That's why you are picked to play.

"My last bowl, I couldn't have played it better. It was probably one of the best bowls of my life."

It’s fair to say England have been enjoying themselves at the weightlifting – and the fifth medal of the Games went the way of Owen Boxall in the -105kg on Monday.

Top of the Commonwealth rankings coming into the Gold Coast, Boxall was tipped to feature and he delivered a medal, coming away with bronze.

He lifted a total of 351kg with Samoa’s Sanele Mao taking gold with 360kg and India’s Pardeep Singh the silver on 352kg.

That was an improvement on the fourth-place finish managed by Boxall four years ago in Glasgow.

"It wasn't great at the start, but I went for it in the clean and jerk. I'm very, very satisfied. I'm ecstatic,” he said.

"It's been hard training for it with the (left arm) injury. I'm chuffed."

Former hammer and shot putter-turned weightlifter Emily Campbell also picked up bronze after an enthralling battled in the women’s +90kg competition.

She lifted a total of 242kg, just one kilogram behind silver medallist Charisma Amoe-Tarrant.

At the athletics, England’s Andrew Pozzi qualified fastest for the men’s 110m hurdles but there was heartbreak for Dai Greene, with the Welsh 400m hurdler having to withdraw with injury, and England’s Adam Gemili also suffering the same fate and having to pull out of the 100m final.

At the beach volleyball, there was defeat for Scotland’s Robin Brodzki and Seain Cook against Pool B opponents Canada and Wales women’s hockey team lost 2-0 to South Africa.

England women beat Wales 85-31 in pool B of the netball, while England men will go for table tennis team bronze after losing to Nigeria in the semi-final.

And boxers Calum French of England and James McGivern of Northern Ireland came through their men’s 60kg last-16 clashes although Natasha Gale fell at the quarter-final stage.

Sportsbeat 2018