Nervous, emotional, speechless… Reuben Ward was all of that and more at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow where he became Scotland’s first men’s all-around gymnastics champion.
Roared on by a capacity crowd at the Emirates Arena, the 21-year-old did just enough in a pressure-packed contest to claim a historic gold medal and fulfil his dreams in the process.
With a score of 79.650 across his six apparatus, Ward became Scotland’s third gold medallist of these Games, holding off a surge by the Canadian, Felix Dolci, who recovered from two falls on the pommel to take silver. Australia’s Jesse Moore won bronze.
‘It’s an unbelievable feeling,’ said Ward. ‘I only found out recently that no Scottish man had ever won the Commonwealth all-around title, so to make that bit of history is incredibly special.
‘There were moments after I landed a dismount where I was just relieved to have got through it, and then I’d hear the crowd roaring. It felt like they were doing it with me. I wasn’t out there on my own.’
Pipped to a podium place in the team event on Friday, Ward was seventh after the floor exercise, but he moved ahead after the pommel – his strongest discipline – and retained that advantage after the rings.
Reuben Ward celebrates making history for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow
Ward is the first Scot to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal in the all-around gymnastics
Ward held his nerve to fulfil a dream he has had since watching the 2014 Games in Glasgow
He was still top after the vault and a strong showing in the parallel bars, which left him needing only to keep his shape on the horizontal bar, which he did with a score of 12.7.
Dolci’s 14.5 prompted some anxious glances at the scoreboard, but a famous triumph was confirmed, and the Manchester-based Scot could get the party started.
‘Everyone around me was jumping, screaming and celebrating – I’ve never experienced emotions like that before,’ said Ward. ‘Then standing in front of the crowd with the Scottish flag over my shoulders, just taking it all in, was incredible. Running around afterwards, giving people high-fives – it was completely surreal.’
For over a decade, this has been the goal for Ward, whose parents, Brendan and Lisa, left East Kilbride for Bury before he was born. He first set his sights on the Commonwealth Games 12 years ago, when he watched Dan Keatings taking gold at Glasgow 2014.
‘I remember seeing him win and seeing how it was a big deal to people and I thought “I want to do that”. So to be here now, having done it myself, is spectacular. It’s such a full-circle moment. Glasgow and East Kilbride have been like second homes to me my entire life so to do it here is incredibly special.’
After his near miss in the team event, it was a lot for Ward to take in. ‘Falling short on Friday was heartbreaking and I’m just so overwhelmed, man. I can barely put words together.’
Nor is that the end of it for Ward, who will compete in the floor and pommel tomorrow, with the latter offering a real chance of another medal.
‘I’ve got big ambitions in both,’ added Ward. ‘I’ll try to keep my head screwed on, perform the routines I know I’m capable of, and hopefully bring home another gold medal for Scotland.’
