Commonwealth Games gymnastics: Purvis grabs gold

FORMER Prime Minister John Major may have been in attendance but there was nothing grey or dull about the final session of the gymnastics at Glasgow’s Hydro.

Daniel Purvis of Scotland wins parallel bars gold. Picture: John Devlin

Not for the home crowd, certainly, with Scotland’s Dan Purvis making the best Commonwealth Games become even better for the host nation by taking gold in the parallel bars.

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The 23-year-old admitted watching his team-mate Dan Keatings claim the big G in the previous evening’s pommel horse final had provided him with inspiration to exceed all his expectations and complete his medal set, after silver in the team event and bronze in the rings.

Purvis’s triumph was made all the more commendable because he came through in the face of the stiffest competition from three-times gold medal winner Max Whitlock, who earned bronze,and a faultless performance from Nile Wilson, who was forced to settle for a silver.

Wilson wasn’t to be denied a deserved individual gold, which he earned in the men’s horizontal bars at the expense of team-mate Kristian Thomas. By the merest whisker, Canadian Kevin Lytwyn edged out Scotland’s Frank Baines for bronze in the men’s horizontal bars final. Purvis could not complete a storybook double gold, a loss of grip that sent him thudding to the ground sending him out of medal contention. A five medal haul for Team Scotland in the gymnastics exceeded all expectations, and all previous Commonwealth Games.

In the other men’s event, Scott Morgan took gold in the men’s vault, edging out England’s Thomas.

In the women’s events, England’s Claudia Fragapane took gold in the women’s floor, while Elizabeth Black claimed gold in the women’s beam, with Canadian Georgina Hockenhull edged out her team-mate Elizabeth Beddoe for a bronze.

SEE ALSO

• Scotsman Commonwealth Games live discussions

• Medal table: What medals have Team Scotland won?