Glasgow 2026 – Artistic Gymnasts have eyes on Glasgow
Women’s Artistic Gymnastics includes four disciplines (vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise) and Men’s Artistic Gymnastics includes six (floor exercise, pommel horse, still rings, vault, parallel bars and horizontal high bar).
A mainstay on the Commonwealth Games sports programme since its debut as a demonstration sport in 1974, Gymnastics has a strong record with New Zealand gymnasts achieving 11 Commonwealth Games medals since 1978. Artistic Gymnasts has brought home one gold and five bronze medals over that period.
Head of Gymnastics at Gymnastics NZ, David Phillips, himself a Commonwealth Games Artistic Gymnastics bronze medallist, says the Commonwealth Games are important for the sport for two key reasons.
“The Commonwealth Games are an important stepping stone towards World Championships and the Olympics,” says David.
“We recognise that Olympic selection is achievable for only a very small number of gymnasts, so it is important we recognise and celebrate our athletes making World Champs, World Cups and Commonwealth Games.
“Equally importantly, the Games provide a fantastic opportunity to raise the profile of our sport. While gymnastics is a high participation sport for young people in New Zealand it doesn’t have a high profile and very rarely gets broadcast media exposure except at Olympics and Commonwealth Games.
“It’s a great chance for young gymnasts to see their heroes in action.”
New Zealand is hoping to have qualifiers in both Women’s and Men’s Artistic Gymnastics (WAG and MAG) in Glasgow. Georgia Rose Brown, a Paris 2024 Olympian, is a realistic medal chance in the uneven bars and Misha Koudinov, an Olympian in Rio and Tokyo and five times Commonwealth Games athlete, is a strong contender on parallel bars and horizontal bar.
“Both Georgia Rose and Mischa are very mature and experienced gymnasts. They have been competing for a long time and they 100 percent understand the multi-sport environment and what is needed to be competitive and win medals.”
David Phillips. Photo: Dean Treml/PHOTOSPORT
David says there are several other artistic gymnasts in the hunt for selection including Alisa Wada who made the finals on balance beam at the recent World University Games held in July.
The journey from now until July 2026 will see gymnasts competing and aiming to qualify through a series of qualification competition key events in Europe during March and April next year.
“Following nomination and selection, we will have a lead in event, most likely a training camp in the UK to acclimatise the athletes ahead of the games.”
In the meantime, artistic gymnasts are still in competition mode with the XP Gymnastics Nationals happening 23-27 September in Auckland and the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 19-25 October in Jakarta.
Gymnastics NZ chief executive, Andrea Nelson, says she is very excited about Glasgow 2026 for the gymnasts and the sport but also has an eye to the future.
“We have worked with HPSNZ Coaching Consultant Tristan Collins to develop a Performance Pathways Strategy with a key goal of increasing the number of New Zealand gymnasts hitting scores that will make them qualification prospects for LA28 and Brisbane 2032.”