Baines Individual Bronze at Commonwelath Games

Frank Baines has won a bronze medal on the final day of artistic gymnastics at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

His individual medal on the parallel bars follows his success as part of the men’s team who won bronze on the opening day. With Dan Purvis winning bronze on the floor, Scotland’s gymnasts have brought their Games to an end with three well-deserved medals.

The 22 year old from Southport Gymnastics Club put in the best executed routine of the parallel bars final to record his top score on this apparatus in the Coomera Indoor Sports Centre and his 14.400 secured his podium place. The men’s all-around champion Niles Wilson pipped him for the silver, and with the same score of 14.533, Marios Georgiou took gold.

Frank had to regroup for the horizontal bar final in which Hamish Carter also featured. Again, he put in his best display of the Games on the horizontal bar and came agonisingly close to a second apparatus medal. He was denied a place on the podium as Wilson took gold, with James Hall and Cory Paterson sharing the silver, putting him into fourth. A gutsy performance saw young gun Carter finish in eighth place.

Speaking after the final action of the Games, Frank said:

“I felt pretty good going into the p-bar final. I knew if I could hit my routine I would have a good chance of a medal so it was just about going out there and delivering. I managed to do it so I’m really happy with that.

“I stuck my dismount at the end in qualification and in the all-around so that was a big aim for me today and I got the hat-trick which was really good! Three out of three p-bars is a massive confidence boost.

“Winning an individual medal at the Commonwealth Games is a massive achievement. I’ve missed out a couple of times and come fourth three times before that routine and once since as well so to get onto the podium is really good and I’m really happy.”

Congratulations Frank on winning a hard-earned individual bronze, and on fourth place in the horizontal bar, to add to team bronze and fourth place in the all-around. And get Carter, what a great first Games for him!

How the final day’s men’s artistic gymnastics medals were won:

Men’s Parallel Bars

Frank was sixth in the start list, and Illias Georgious set the rotation in action but an overbalance forced him to restart his routine and he scored 13.083. Cory Paterson from Canada went next, went clean and earned 14.000.

All-around champion Nile Wilson was next and put in a strong performance only a slight step back on landing, but he went straight to the top with 14.533. He was followed by Canadian Rene Cournoyer whose less difficult routine was best executed to this point earning 8.800, and his total 14.300 put him right behind Wilson, followed by English gymnast who posted 14.100 immediately after that.

Up comes Frank. He was smooth and locked out on each handstand, each movement was clean as he moved elegantly through his routine and nailed his landing. We waited anxiously for his score while Alice Kinsella was putting in what was the winning performance on the beam. Frank's best parallel bars of the championship so far was 14.150 in the all-around final, but he looked more polished this time round.

It is the judges who decide, however, and they awarded an impressive execution score of 8.900, and his total of 14.300 put him into second place with two gymnasts to come.

Marios Georgiou was next, the Cypriot who has impressed thorughout winning bronze in the all-around, gold on the floor, and qualifying for three other apparatus finals. He did it again, to post the joint highest score. His 6.000 routine difficulty was just slightly less than Wilson's but he executed his routine better to earn his second apparatus gold medal of the Games. Iwan Mepham started and finished the event in eighth, meaning Frank was bringing home the bronze.

Men’s Horizonal Bar

Not the best start to the final with Canadian Rene Cournoyer coming unstuck and his score suffered accordingly, only raising a 12.666. 

Hamish Carter was waiting, looking composed, as we watched a simpler routine from Australia’s Michael Tone who went clean for 12.733 and the Scot was on. 

Hamish was swinging well and went for the huge release but at full stretch, he just couldn’t catch the bar and came off. He was unnerved and came down as second time. He looked disappointed but coach Paul Hall helped him back up and he went on to complete his catch and release and continued into a perfect dismount. We saw a glimpse of his infectious smile again, mixed with a little relief and perhaps thoughts of what could have been. His mistakes punished by the judges, earning 11.033, but he looked resigned to that when it flashed up. If only they awarded extra points for guts.

It was not the way the 19 year-old wanted to finish his first Commonwealth Games, but he has impressed many who are looking forward to seeing him in future major championships.

Nile Wilson followed his disappointment of missing out on gold in the parallel bars with a full-on performance and put himself back into contention of the ultimate reward with a 14.533.

Ilias Georgiou from Cyprus was next, but he was not going to emulate his teammate’s success after losing grip early in his routine, but he recovered to complete an otherwise clean routine for 12.533. Meanwhile, we say 

Cory Paterson followed, to equal his impressive qualification score of 14.000 to slot into second behind Wilson how looked to have an unassailable lead, and his England team mate James Hall could only match Paterson’s score, and he shared the potential silver position.

Frank was about to bring the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games men’s artistic gymnastics to a close. And he did it with style. A clean routine, but with only a slight leg split at one point, he landed well and finished to a hug from lead coach, Marius Gherman at the edge of the floor. Smiles and hugs too from Hamish, as we waited for the score. 

It came in at 13.333, for his best score of the Games on this apparatus, and although the third best, with two gymnasts joint second, he was relegated to another agonising fourth place and just missed out on his second medal of the day.

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