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Artistic gymnast Kate McDonald’s quest for Commonwealth Games redemption is complete after she won uneven bars gold for Australia on Monday.
McDonald banished haunting memories of her sub-par finish at the 2022 Birmingham Games with a near-flawless performance at Glasgow International Stadium, scoring 14.333 points.
So dominant was the 25-year-old that she was the only gymnast to hit the 14.000-point mark and blitzed next-best, Canadian great Ellie Black, by 0.433 points, with Wales’ Emily Roper following for bronze.
Finishing seventh on the uneven bars in 2022, McDonald has now made it two from two events in Glasgow after winning the team gold medal.
It was Australia’s second artistic gymnastics medal on day four of competition, with James Hardy claiming bronze in the floor exercise routine.
Hardy outdid his qualifying score with 13.433 points, winning his first individual medal and second bronze medal on debut at the Games.
Just as the team bronze was Australia’s first since the 2010 Delhi Games, Hardy’s floor medal ended the nation’s 16-year drought on the apparatus in the men’s field.
Jesse Moore also added to Australia’s medal haul the day prior, winning individual all-around bronze.
Hardy competed with a pink ribbon painted on the nail of his right hand ring finger in tribute to mum Sally, who was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year.
Sally is in remission after undergoing surgery, but she and the Hardy family were unable to travel to Glasgow.
The 23-year-old did enjoy ample support from the rest of the Australian squad in the crowd, with teammates Moore, Ritam Malik, Ben Foster and Tru Hagens also painting their nails.
Malik missed out on pommel horse bronze by 0.500 points, while Moore finished second-last in seventh after falling off the apparatus.
A sore Georgia Godwin fell short in her vault title defence, finishing fifth.
McDonald’s teammate Ruby Pass, aged 19, finished last in eighth after a fall during her uneven bars routine.
