Glasgow: Duncan Scott secures swimming gold as gymnastics sees alarming fall

By Oliver Harrington — 24 July 2026 — 4 min read

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Scott claims individual medley gold

Scotland’s Duncan Scott delivered a gold medal performance in the men’s 200m individual medley at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Competing against a field that included New Zealand’s Lewis Clareburt and England’s Tom Dean, Scott secured victory with a time of 1min 56.38sec. This win also established a new Commonwealth record.

Scott, a highly decorated athlete, added this gold to his collection of eight Olympic medals, 10 world medals, and 14 Commonwealth Games medals. His performance in the 200m individual medley saw him apply pressure during the backstroke and breaststroke segments, ultimately sealing the win in the freestyle leg, finishing nearly half a second ahead of Clareburt, who took silver. Dean earned the bronze medal.

Following his win, Scott expressed some initial nerves, acknowledging the responsibility as a senior member of the team. Dean, who has competed against Scott throughout his adult career, shared his appreciation for the experience, calling Scott both a training partner and a friend.

Elsewhere in the swimming events, Adam Ramsay-Peaty advanced to the 100m breaststroke final after winning his semi-final. He faced a challenge from Jersey’s Filip Nowacki, an 18-year-old who pushed him closely. Ramsay-Peaty finished in 59.19, holding off Nowacki by less than half a second. Australia’s Sam Williamson recorded the fastest time in the other semi-final with 59.27.

Ramsay-Peaty stated his intention to win the final, while Nowacki, who is awaiting A-Level results, expressed confidence in his ability to surprise. Nowacki noted the special experience of racing against a highly regarded breaststroker and believes his training has been progressing well.

Australia had a successful night in the pool, securing four gold medals. This began with Lani Pallister’s victory in the 400m freestyle, where she outpaced New Zealander Erika Fairweather in 3:59.56, with fellow Australian Hannah Fredericks taking bronze. Fredericks then went on to win the 200m backstroke shortly after, narrowly beating Scotland’s Katie Shanahan. Australia also claimed gold in both the women’s and men’s 4x100m freestyle relays, with England earning silver in both races.

Gymnastics final marred by injury

The men’s team gymnastics final was overshadowed by a serious injury to England’s Gabriel Langton. The 19-year-old, representing the City of Birmingham Gymnastics Club, required extensive medical attention after a fall during the final rotation at The Arena in Glasgow.

Langton fell head first from the horizontal metal bar, approximately three metres high, after missing his catch. The incident led to a significant delay in the competition as medical staff attended to him. He was eventually transported from the arena on a stretcher with his head and neck braced, receiving applause from the crowd who had observed the scene in silence.

Reports indicated that Langton was conscious and able to move his legs and arms before leaving the venue, and team officials later confirmed he was moving and speaking with doctors. Team England issued a statement expressing gratitude to the medical teams and confirmed Langton had been taken to hospital, promising further updates.

Langton, who was a late addition to Team England following an injury to Max Whitlock, was unable to join his teammates on the podium to collect their silver medals. After the competition resumed, England’s gymnasts were unable to overcome the deficit against Canada, who secured their first gold medal in the event in 20 years. Canada had previously finished second to England in the past two games.

Luke Whitehouse, a teammate of Langton’s, described the challenge of refocusing after such an event, stating he had to “forget about it and reset” and concentrate on his routine. Whitehouse also mentioned that, from what they had heard, Langton was “doing OK,” and highlighted the inherent dangers of gymnastics. Felix Dolci, a member of the gold-winning Canadian team, acknowledged the difficulty and danger of gymnastics, extending thoughts to Langton and the English team for their continued focus. Hamish Carter from Team Scotland, who narrowly missed a bronze medal, expressed relief that Langton was alright, noting that “anything could have happened.”