Keatings Takes Gold in Commonwealth Pommel Horse Final
DANIEL KEATINGS SECURES TEAM SCOTLANDS FIRST GYMNASTICS COMMONWEALTH GOLD MEDAL FOR 12 YEARS
Men's Artistic gymnast Daniel Keatings joins Steve Frew as a Scottish gymnast who has won gold at a Commonwealth Games, after being crowned pommel horse champion at Glasgow 2014.
Dan could not contain his delight at winning gold, making him Scotland's most decorated Commonwealth Games gymnast. His pride at standing on top of the podium with the gold medal round his neck was clear to see.
"Wow, wow I am really proud to be that. The crowd! Everyone was singing, I was just smiling and laughing. I was just so happy! I felt so proud on top of that podium, it was awesome."
Team Scotland & Daniels personal coach Paul Hall said,
"That was just incredible. That was a final that wouldn't have looked out of place in two years' time in Rio, it's fantastic. They are three of the world's best performers on the pommel horse but it's such big risk, all of them are doing routines with immense difficulty and the pressure was on.
"Daniel was first to kick it off,. He did his most difficult routine, managed to get through one of the best routines he's ever done. Then Louis came through, he had to take a risk and do his most difficult routine. He had a wobble on the end, so that was pretty tense. Then the pressure was piled on Max Whitlock at the end and he managed to hold it together. It's one of the best finals I've ever seen on pommel horse!"
Scott Harper Chairman Scottish Gymnastics added,
"We are delighted that Daniel Keatings has won an individual apparatus gold medal on pommel horse. He delivered a first-rate routine and deserves the success, on behalf of everyone at Scottish Gymnastics I would like to congratulate him on this achievement."
HOW THE GOLD WAS WON
The third individual apparatus final of the day was the much anticipated pommel final, which included the 2013 European Champion Daniel Keatings, the 2014 European Champion Max Whitlock and Olympic silver medallist Louis Smith. With three main contenders in the final battling it out for gold, Daniel Keatings was first to go, producing a routine with a difficulty value of 7.2 including a Busnari which he delivered magnificantly well, scoring a massive 16.058. The strength of this performance delivered by Keatings put pressure on his rivals Smith and Whitlock, who still had to compete. Olympic medallist Louis Smith was next to go and he delivered well on a difficult routine, until his final handstand on dismount, where a slight delay left him with a score of 14.966. The pressure was now on Max Whitlock on the final performance of the pommel final, knowing it would take an incredible performance to win gold, however it was not to be for the ever consistent Whitlock. Just like teammate Louis Smit he had trouble with a handstand scoring 15.966, ensuring the gold medal went to Daniel Keatings of Scotland. Daniel Purvis placed 5th with a score of 14.516.
For a round up of the rest of the gymnastics action click here: Daily Round Up