Despair to delight for Wales’ golden girl Evans
Welsh gymnast Ruby Evans experienced a dramatic swing of emotions at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, going from tears of disappointment to becoming Wales' first gold medallist of the Games within the space of two days. The 19-year-old from Cardiff won the floor final, making history as the first Welsh woman to claim an artistic gymnastics Commonwealth gold, just days after finishing a disappointing sixth in the individual all-around competition.
Evans, a Paris 2024 Olympian and 2025 World Championships silver medallist on floor, had been tipped as one of Wales' star performers but admitted she felt the weight of expectation in camp. Her week included a near-miss team bronze, a faltering beam routine that dropped her out of individual all-around medal contention, and a withdrawal from the uneven bars due to a shoulder injury, before she recovered to deliver a winning floor routine under pressure.
- Ruby Evans wins Wales' first gold of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
- She is the first Welsh woman to win artistic gymnastics Commonwealth gold.
- Triumph came days after finishing sixth in the all-around event.
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Ruby Evans is a 19-year-old artistic gymnast from Cardiff representing Wales. She competed for Great Britain at the Paris 2024 Olympics and won silver on the floor exercise at the 2025 World Championships.
Heading into the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Evans was regarded as one of Wales' strongest medal prospects. The Commonwealth Games are a major international sporting event bringing together athletes from nations across the British Commonwealth.
For Welsh athletes like Evans, the Commonwealth Games represent one of the nation's most significant sporting opportunities. Her recent success at the Olympics and World Championships placed her among the athletes expected to perform strongly in Glasgow.