England’s Langton feared for gymnastics future after fall
England gymnast Gabriel Langton has said he feared he might never do gymnastics again after suffering a serious fall at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The 19-year-old fell roughly three metres, landing directly on his head during Friday's horizontal bar routine, and was taken from the arena on a stretcher before spending 20 hours in a neck brace in hospital. The incident matters both for Langton personally and for the wider competition, coming during a tense final rotation for the England team.
Scans showed swelling and bruising rather than more serious damage, allowing Langton to be discharged on Saturday night, and he says he intends to return to training soon. He said he lost his grip attempting a handstand move he had performed "1,000 times", and that his main concern in hospital was whether he would be able to do gymnastics again, a fear only resolved once his MRI results came back. England went on to win silver behind Canada, with Langton receiving his medal from team-mates at the hotel after leaving hospital, and he returned to the arena on Sunday to support colleagues in the men's all-around final.
- Langton fell head-first from the high bar at the Commonwealth Games
- Spent 20 hours in a neck brace, feared his gymnastics career was over
- Discharged with swelling/bruising; England won silver, he plans to return