McClenaghan strikes glorious gold for Northern Ireland at Whitlock’s expense

The Home Nations won 10 gold medals on Sunday’s fourth day of the Commonwealth Games.

Rhys McClenaghan won Northern Ireland’s first medal of the Commonwealth Games with pommel horse gold ahead of England’s Olympic champion Max Whitlock.

A stunning routine from McClenaghan saw him relegate Whitlock to silver; their scores matched, but the 18-year-old from Antrim took the title because his routine had a greater execution level.

Rhys McClenaghan beat Olympic champion Max Whitlock to Commonwealth Games pommel horse gold (Danny Lawson/PA Images)

Whitlock said: “This will push me a bit more and give me a bit more fire that I need and I’m looking forward to getting back.”

McClenaghan added: “This is a new chapter in my career as we build towards the next Olympics. It gives me new found confidence.”

Georgia-Mae Fenton took gold in the women's uneven bars at the Commonwealth Games — Georgia-Mae Fenton took gold in the women’s uneven bars at the Commonwealth Games (Danny Lawson/PA Images)

There were 10 gold medals for the Home Nations on a day which also saw an engagement for basketball players Jamell Anderson and Georgia Jones after England’s men beat Cameroon.

Scotland’s Duncan Scott won the men’s 100 metres freestyle for his fourth medal of the Games – and added a fifth with bronze in the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay.

The 20-year-old surged to victory in 48.02 seconds to beat a star-studded field, while England’s Siobhan O’Connor was dominant in retaining the women’s 200m individual medley title.

Paralympic medallist Alice Tai finished with silver in the women’s S9 100m freestyle.

And Adam Peaty’s bid for 50m breaststroke glory remains on track as he qualified quickest for Monday’s final in a Games record of 26.49.

Australia’s relay win rounded off the night as James Guy anchored England to silver ahead of Scotland in third.

Scotland's Mark Stewart won the points race at the Commonwealth Games on Sunday — Scotland’s Mark Stewart won the points race at the Commonwealth Games on Sunday (Martin Rickett/PA Images)

Stewart lapped the field three times to cap victory and England’s Ethan Hayter took bronze.

Callum Skinner took one-kilometre time-trial bronze and Neah Evans scratch race silver as Scotland claimed two more medals at the Anna Meares Velodrome in Brisbane. England’s Emily Kay took bronze in the scratch race.

Race walker Tom Bosworth and hammer thrower Nick Miller won England’s first medals of the athletics programme.

Miller won gold with a best of 80.26 metres, as Scotland’s Mark Dry took bronze.

Bosworth earlier had to settle for 20km silver, while Wales’ Bethan Davies took bronze in the women’s event.

Para-athletics world champion Olivia Breen added Commonwealth T38 long jump gold.

Asha Philip progressed from the women’s 100m heats and semi-finals to Monday’s final, while her England team-mate Adam Gemili advanced to the corresponding men’s final behind favourite Yohan Blake of Jamaica.

Scotland’s first of three gold medals from the day came in bowls, when Ronald Duncan, Derek Oliver and Darren Burnett won the men’s triples ahead of Australia.

Wales’ Laura Daniels took silver in the women’s singles.

English pair James Willstrop and Sarah-Jane Perry reached their respective squash singles finals.

Emily Godley of England won the women’s 75kg weightlifting, Laura Hughes of Wales took bronze and England’s Sarah Davies took silver in the 69kg event.

More English medals came when shooter Amber Hill was second in the women’s skeet final and with bronze in the women’s team table tennis.