It was a day to remember for Welsh gymnastics as Abigail and Emily Roper made history in the Commonwealth Games apparatus finals, bringing home two bronze medals and rewriting the record books in both the Women’s Vault and Uneven Bars finals.
Wales had the maximum number of qualifiers in both the Women’s Vault and Uneven Bars finals, with Abigail and Emily Roper contesting the vault final before Emily Roper and Jemima Taylor returned to the arena for the bars final later in the day.
Abigail Roper produced two outstanding vaults to secure the bronze medal with a score of 13.433, becoming the first Welsh gymnast to win a Commonwealth Games medal on vault in 32 years.
Delivering two confident, powerful vaults and landing both safely on her feet, Abigail held her nerve to claim a place on the podium and write her name into Welsh gymnastics history.
Reflecting on her achievement, Abigail said: “Honestly just lost for words, that is such a crazy fact and yeah, just over the moon.”
Just behind her was twin sister Emily, who finished fourth with a score of 13.283 after another impressive display. Having already competed in the Women’s Team Final and Women’s All-Around Final, Emily continued an incredibly demanding competition schedule with two clean vaults, narrowly missing out on a medal after a mistake on the landing of her second vault.
Although bronze escaped her in the vault final, there would be another opportunity later in the day.
Emily returned to competition in the Uneven Bars Final determined to leave everything on the competition floor—and she did exactly that.
Increasing the difficulty of her routine from qualification, Emily took a calculated risk in pursuit of a medal. The upgraded routine was performed with exceptional quality, featuring precise handstands, confident execution and a stuck dismount to finish. The gamble paid off as she earned a personal best score of 13.666 to claim the bronze medal.
In doing so, Emily became the first Welsh gymnast ever to win a Commonwealth Games medal on the uneven bars.
Speaking after her historic performance, Emily said: “It’s amazing, doing Wales proud and hopefully all the supporters proud… I took a risk and it paid off.”
She added: “I needed to deliver the best routine of my life, which I think I did.”
The achievement was made even more impressive given the strength of the field, with reigning Commonwealth All-Around Champion and four-time Olympian Ellie Black also competing in the final.
Joining Emily in the bars final was Commonwealth Games debutant Jemima Taylor, who finished seventh with a score of 11.766.
An unfortunate fall on her Gienger interrupted an otherwise promising routine, but Jemima showed resilience to compose herself and finish strongly, ending with a well-executed dismount.
Competing in her first Commonwealth Games and reaching an apparatus final is an achievement in itself, providing invaluable experience on one of the biggest stages in the sport.
Reflecting on her performance, Jemima said: “I’m super happy to have just been in the final in the Commonwealth Games, I’m so proud of myself.”
With two historic bronze medals already secured and multiple finalists showcasing the strength of Welsh gymnastics, attention now turns to the final day of competition.
Ruby Evans will represent Wales in both the Women’s Beam and Floor Finals, while Elliot Vernon returns for the Men’s Parallel Bars Final looking to put the disappointment of his all-around campaign behind him. Alexander Niscoveanu will also compete in the Men’s High Bar Final as Wales looks to finish an unforgettable Commonwealth Games on a high.