Kate McDonald thought she’d just be making up the numbers in the women’s beam final.
And injured Tyson Bull wasn’t even supposed to be competing in the men’s horizontal bar final.
But both have pulled off exceptional performances to win gold and silver medals respectively on the final day of artistic gymnastics competition in Birmingham.
McDonald usurps Godwin for gold
Australia’s Kate McDonald saved her best for last in the women’s balance beam final.(Reuters)
McDonald hadn’t performed as well as she’d hoped in her main event, the uneven bars.
So she had low expectations for her final event, the beam.
The 22-year-old was the penultimate competitor, with her teammate, Georgia Godwin in the gold medal position.
McDonald was flawless and when her score came up, 13.466, she was absolutely floored.
The final gymnast, Canada’s Emma Spence, couldn’t beat the score, so McDonald claimed gold, and Godwin silver.
“I definitely was not expecting a score like that. And then I looked at my score and I was shocked that I was in first place,” McDonald said.
Godwin, who’s the team captain in Birmingham, was ecstatic to see McDonald overtake her.
“It’s just amazing, she put up the performance of a lifetime when it counted so she deserves the gold,” Godwin said.
McDonald admitted she put herself under too much pressure in the uneven bars, where she finished seventh.
That helped her let loose on the beam.
“I just I had nothing to lose, I was like I’m just going to enjoy myself. And there’s ice cream at the end so there is a no-lose situation,” she said.
Four tubs of salted caramel ice cream are now waiting as her reward.
Godwin’s glorious Games
Georgia Godwin (left) and Kate McDonald (centre) enjoyed a successful Commonwealth Games campaign.(Reuters: Stoyan Nenov )
While Emma McKeon will leave Birmingham as Australia’s most successful Commonwealth Games athlete of all time, Godwin might be the breakout star.
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