Commonwealth Games: a gymnast’s tale

Day 6 – Training

We were up quite early for podium training despite a late training session the night before. We warmed up gently enough and as usual spent a little extra time on any slightly iffy moves. Walking into the arena was fantastic, the cameras, judges…everything is there for a dress rehearsal of the competition.

We start on floor in the comp and so do the same in podium training. Our physio Ruth was with us the whole time, taping and treating niggles. The kit felt really good. The floor was very different from the training floor which will make our start tricky but it is a nice floor. The chalk comes off the high bar quickly but we can deal with that. For the second day running I did 6 clean routines with no errors and I now feel I can relax a bit.

Day 7 – Training

Now podium training is over, the next big focus is the competition and I have started feeling my first minor nerves. Nothing could be more ready however which is a great feeling so no matter what happens I could not have done more. We trained once today and it was not very heavy. We played a little pool in the evening but were in bed early after physio because we have to be up for the bus to tomorrow’s training at 6am.

Day 8 – Opening ceremony

I struggled to sleep for the first time last night because we had to go to bed so early. The training was earlier today because of the opening ceremony in the evening. Training was very minimal, mostly stretching and physio work, few real moves as we now save our energy.

We sat around by the stadium under huge canopies and everyone was running round trading pin badges which are basically a currency at the Games. I stayed sat still because we have to compete so soon but it was still very hot and one of our team – Clem – actually passed out. Team doctor Frank earned himself a pin badge by getting her re-hydrated and back on her feet. Later, waiting to march on in a tunnel was even hotter and Clem had to be wheelchaired on in the end.

Read these earlier blogs from Alex
Commonwealth Games: the athlete's story 
Commonwealth Games: training camp trauma

Marching into the arena was worth it all. When your country is announced and you all scream and cheer and wave in front of over 60,000 people there is nothing like it. I tried to call my girlfriend, Thao, and my parents from the arena but they jam mobiles for security so I talked to them later instead. We were taken straight out before seeing any of the show (which I hear was immense) and rushed home in a heavily-secured convoy.

Day 9 – Competition

I slept great and felt fine in the morning. A few nerves at breakfast but nothing too bad. I had a slightly sore stomach in the warm up gym but it wasn’t enough to affect me and I soon forgot about it as it’s hard to think about anything but the comp at that point and everything happens very quickly.

Warm up went great and marching into the arena I felt as ready as I would every be, although very full of nervous adrenalin.

We started on floor already with cameras in our faces. Mukunda was the brave man who started us off on floor and did a perfect routine, then Adam hit as well and I was up. I was nervous but it was easy enough to focus on the routine. I was a bit jittery on my first and third tumbles but I landed them. It was a good routine and the Isle of Man had completed its first apparatus as a team at the games with no major errors. I generally avoid looking at scores but I saw the board and the judging was very harsh. It didn’t bother me at all though, as I had just hit my first routine so who cares what judges think of it.

The comp went on around us and we could hear the support of Joe and Olivia in the crowd as well as our parents’ cries and other gymnasts around the arena. We are friends with everyone in the other teams and called for them during their routines too. Our pommel routines all hit and we were starting to feel more settled. Rings were a great piece for us. Mukunda and Adam both did their best routines since arriving in Delhi just at the right time. The adrenalin does tend to help on rings and vault and my strength positions on rings felt easy, another clean routine done. Mukunda did a great vault despite knee issues, getting us off to a great start on that apparatus. Adam is pushing a very high level new vault which he had been struggling to land in training on the unforgiving mats. He flew well but fell on the landing. It didn’t matter, we could afford a fall with a vault of that standard. My vault went perfectly, unlikely to be enough for the vault final but you never know.

Parallel bars are a tough piece for me. The start of my routine is one of my newest and more unstable elements and my dismount is tough too. Mukunda nailed his routine, then Adam and then me too! The score was a pb. One piece to go and high bar is not a big worry for me these days so by now we were feeling pretty excited about it finishing well. Adam’s nemesis has been high bar for some time, but he managed to battle through the routine with only one fall which he was happy with. Ruth – the physio – and I were biting our nails for him but he managed his most difficult move.

Mukunda put in his 6th perfect routine of the day – an amazing performance – and then it was just up to me to close our comp. Gennady, our coach, gave me a few wise words, put me up on the bar and left me to it. My first release was a little scrappy but then the middle section of my routine was perfect and my dismount was pretty much nailed. It was the perfect comp and we were all hugging and cheering, surrounded by cameras and shouting to our parents and team mates in the crowd.

We were rushed to talk to the press then Mukunda was taken for a random doping test (always a nightmare when de-hydrated after a comp), accompanied by our team manager, Haresh.

We watched some of the second round with our parents and the rest with the other teams, supporting all our friends from our clubs back home and all of the friends we have made since arriving in Delhi. Australia pipped England for gold and Canada managed third. In the final results I was through to the all-around final in 21st and the first ever Isle of Man team placed 9th with a score of 213.5, exceeding our target by 3.5 marks and almost hitting our target for before we lost Joe. I managed 13th on vault, which is my highest finish at the Games and just missing a reserve spot for the final. The Welsh boys finished 5th, which is their highest-ever team result and they are hoping to achieve even more. Many of our friends from the other newer gymnastic nations are also through to the all-around final including the first gymnast from Trinadad and Tobago – our friend Will, who is an honourary member of our training group. We were sorry to see a couple of the Indian team get injured during the second round but amazed to see them still compete bravely through their injuries.

We all got the bus home really elated and had dinner while being congratulated by many of the Isle of Man team athletes and officials. I had my physio and then said goodbye to Joe, who flies home tonight for surgery. It was a tough goodbye over a few games of pool in the village but, having made the final I have to re-focus as soon as possible so I couldn’t stay up with the others for the festivities. Mukunda and Adam are 3rd and 4th reserve for the all around final so they had to take it easy too but they stayed up to see him off.

Day 10 – Rest day

I am really tired today, I didn’t sleep great but got enough in, I think. Training was fine and my body feels ok. I still have a slightly sore stomach but team doctor Frank has given me the green light so it’s nothing bad.

We played some pool and some Mario Karts in our apartment and the nearby buildings, watched some of the sports on the TV, as well as some TV series from back home and prepared our kit for tomorrow. Early night now ready to do it all again and hope it goes the same way as last time.