The men’s gymnastics team final at the Commonwealth Games was briefly suspended due to a serious injury to England athlete Gabriel Langton.
Langton had to leave the Glasgow International Arena on a stretcher after falling from the high bar and landing on his head and neck area.
The competition was paused for 30 minutes as Langton received medical treatment, following the horrible fall from 8.5ft.
The youngster was lying still on the ground initially following the injury, but after being stabilised there have been suggestions that his legs were seen moving.
The high bar was England’s final rotation in the team final, as they went on to take silver. They were already sitting second behind Canada prior to Langton’s injury.
The fans watching from the stands applauded as the gymnast was eventually taken away in a neck brace for more medical attention.
The men’s gymnastics team final at the Commonwealth Games was suspended after a serious head injury to Gabriel Langton
The gymnasts were allowed to complete another warm-up following the disruption, and the final continued.
Luke Whitehouse was the England gymnast who had to follow on from the incident, and he seemed downcast as he took to the high bar.
He put in a commendable display given the circumstances, but failed to land his dismount. Whitehouse was evidently distressed as he left the stage.
‘It was really tough,’ said Whitehouse. ‘We just had to reset, try to put it to one side mentally and focus on the job we had to do. I think everyone should be proud of the way we carried on after Gabe’s fall.
‘We all agreed we’d take another warm-up and bring our energy back into it. There was a delay after the first warm-up, but we regrouped. The coaches were fantastic, and the boys who had to go up on high bar were incredible.
‘The togetherness of the team really showed, and I couldn’t be prouder of everyone.’
Alexander Yolshin-Cash and Adam Tobin managed to hold their nerve following the distressing scene. Both nailed their routines to secure second place for England.
They were beaten out to gold by Canada, who won the event for the first time in 20 years, while Australia took the bronze.
It was the first time since the 2010 Games in Delhi, India, that England had failed to win the gold medal.
England still managed to secure silver despite the difficult circumstances but Langton was absent from the ceremony as he received treatment
Joshua Nathan, Tobin, Whitehouse and Yolshin-Cash collected their silver medals while Langton was away undergoing treatment.
Nathan said: ‘It’s such a beautiful medal, and after the competition we’ve had today, it’s something really special to take home. I’m over the moon.
‘It’s honestly hard to put into words. Today has been such a rollercoaster. First and foremost, our thoughts are with Gabriel after what happened on high bar. But the way this team came together was incredible. I couldn’t be prouder of the boys.’
Tobin added: ‘We all hope Gabe is okay, but at the end of the day we had to pull together, keep our heads down and do our jobs. I’m really proud of all the guys.’
