From Glasgow dreamer to gold medallist: Reuben Ward wins Commonwealth all-around title

Twelve years ago, a nine-year-old Reuben Ward watched wide-eyed as Dan Keatings won gymnastics gold for Scotland in Glasgow. That day, a dream was born. Not of winning gold or standing on a podium, but simply of pulling on the vest and competing for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games.

On Sunday, the 21-year-old Ward achieved far more, becoming the host nation's third gold medallist of day three as he took the all-around title at the Emirates Arena. "I remember seeing him win and thinking 'I want to do that'," Ward told BBC Sport Scotland. "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."

Ward's team-mates had seen his form in training and believed gold was possible if everything aligned. After lying seventh after the floor exercise, he surged into the lead with a superb pommel horse routine – his strongest event. He maintained that advantage through rings, and despite a vault compromised in the team event by a run-up issue, he nailed a three-twist vault this time to stay top with two rotations left.

A strong parallel bars routine, plus a successful appeal for an extra 0.100, gave him a 0.550 lead going into the horizontal bar. He stuck his landing, and his coach Jake Seager fell to his knees before they embraced. "I like to imagine the best scenario possible and that was winning," Ward said. "It kept me awake a little bit, but this beat the expectations by a mile. Falling short on Friday was heart-breaking and I'm just so overwhelmed."

Ward returns on Monday for finals on floor, rings and pommel horse, and is a medal contender. Celebrations will wait until Tuesday. "Tonight looks like eating hotel food and probably a pretty bad night's sleep," he said. "Then I'll try to relax and hit my routines. On Tuesday, I'll celebrate big time with my team, with my boys."