England held their nerve to claim bronze in the women’s artistic gymnastics team final after a tense final rotation enabled them to edge Wales by less than a point in Glasgow. The defending champions finished with 154.300 points, just enough to snatch third place from Wales, while Australia delivered a dominant display to win gold ahead of Canada.
Australia set the tone from the opening rotation, with Kate McDonald posting the highest uneven bars score of the day at 14.200 as the silver medallists from Birmingham 2022 established an early lead they would never relinquish. England made a solid start on vault through Shantae-Eve Amankwaah, Ruby Stacey, Alia Leat and Abi Martin. However, the uneven bars proved costly. Amankwaah’s excellent 13.500 boosted England’s challenge, but Stacey fell during her routine and her score did not count, leaving England trailing Australia at the halfway stage.
Heading into the final floor rotation, England trailed Canada by just 0.350 points in the battle for silver but also faced the threat of Wales, who watched on after they had set an impressive total earlier in the day.
Amankwaah opened with a stylish routine before a music delay briefly interrupted Shanna-Kae Grant’s Commonwealth Games debut, though that failed to unsettle her as she produced a superb routine, highlighted by a huge double Arabian, to keep England in medal contention. Leat’s 12.150 left England needing at least 12.350 from the final routine to overhaul Wales. Martin delivered under pressure, scoring 13.250 to spark celebrations as England secured bronze by just 0.900 points.
Australia finished five points clear of Wales’ earlier total to reclaim Commonwealth gold, while Canada’s strong final vault rotation, led by Ellie Black’s impressive 13.950, secured silver. Wales were left agonisingly short of a first team medal since Glasgow 2014.
Meanwhile, England’s Gabriel Langton has been discharged from hospital after scans determined no lasting damage from his fall during the men’s team final on Friday. The 19-year-old landed head first off the high bar in the final apparatus. The competition was held up for 20 minutes as he was carried away from the arena on a stretcher.
“Gabriel was transferred to the hospital as a precautionary measure overnight and underwent multiple scans today, with very positive results,” Team England said in a statement. “Thankfully, he has been cleared of any serious injury complications and will be discharged to return to the team hotel this evening.
“He is in good spirits and hugely grateful for the many messages of support and the excellent care provided by the medical teams. He is looking forward to being reunited with the team to celebrate his silver medal.”
Earlier in the day, before the medals were decided, one of the loudest cheers inside the Glasgow International Arena was reserved for a gymnast who would compete for less than two minutes. Two years ago, Tiana Sumanasekera was a United States Olympic alternate, training at the famed World Champions Centre in Houston alongside Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles. Now she is representing Sri Lanka – the country of her parents’ birth – with the aim of making the finals at Los Angeles in 2028.
Sri Lanka achieved a milestone at the Tokyo Olympics when Milka Gehani became their first gymnast to compete at the Games. Sumanasekera’s arrival represents another significant step forward with the 18-year-old boasting the talent to challenge for world championship and Olympic finals on balance beam and floor exercise.
Sumanasekera is a multiple Pan American Games medallist who finished third on balance beam at the 2024 US Olympic Trials; she has long been regarded as one of the sport’s most promising gymnasts.
“I started competing at the elite level when I was 13 years old when I was with Team USA,” she said. “I had been with them for about five years and in 2024 I became an Olympic alternate. It really shifted my perspective on my capabilities.
“From when I was a little girl, I’ve always wanted to compete at the Olympics, so I thought the best decision was to represent my parents’ home country of Sri Lanka. I’m so proud and honoured to be here and doing so.”
But the Commonwealth Games arrived at the wrong time. A shoulder injury forced her to abandon plans to compete in the all-around event. Instead, she entered women’s qualification on one apparatus – balance beam – hoping to make the final despite limited preparation.
Her routine opened with a back dive to chest stand mount, displaying the originality that has made her a fan favourite, but her trademark back handspring layout series came up just short. She lost her balance, the one-point fall deduction ending her hopes.
Rather than unravel, Sumanasekera reeled off a beautifully connected front aerial into a split jump before finishing with perhaps the best moment of the routine – a stuck layout full-twisting dismount that drew applause from the crowd.
It was not enough to secure a place in the final, but Sumanasekera hopes she can build on this before LA 2028. “It was absolutely amazing being out here representing Sri Lanka on one of the biggest stages in the world. I was so grateful to compete.
“It didn’t go my way, but things happen. You live and you learn and you move on, so I’m excited for what’s to come next.”
