Olympic champion Rhys McClenaghan is almost certain to reach the Commonwealth Games pommel horse final after recording the highest qualifying score so far. His flawless performance with a new routine underlines his strong return to competition following shoulder surgery and puts him in contention for a third Commonwealth Games medal.

The 27-year-old scored 14.500, comprising a 5.500 difficulty mark and 9.000 for execution, both leading figures after two qualifying subdivisions. Final confirmation depends on the third subdivision later on Saturday, but he holds a clear advantage; Northern Ireland’s Ewan McAteer also moved second in vault qualifying with 13.650.