Gymnastics is one of the most exhilarating sports to watch, and it has a storied history at the Commonwealth Games.

After appearing as a demonstration sport in 1974, gymnastics was first officially included in the Games in 1978.

Team England’s gymnastics success started early, as the nation won silver in both the men’s and women’s all-around finals at those 1978 Games.

While rhythmic gymnastics will not feature at Glasgow 2026, there are plenty of medals to be won in the artistic event.

Where is it taking place?

Gymnastics will take place at the Glasgow International Arena, where the cycling and para cycling are also due to be held.

The arena was purpose-built for the 2014 Games, when it hosted the badminton competition.
But in 2026, it is gymnastics that will descend on the East End of Glasgow.

This marks a change from 2014, when the competition was held at the The Hydro.

Dates at Glasgow 2026

With a multitude of events to look forward to, the gymnastics action spans five days and eight different sessions.

Kicking things off on 24 July is the men’s team final and individual qualification, beginning at 10am and finishing in the evening, while the women’s competition will follow the same format the next day. 

It doesn’t stop there, with 26 July set to be a bumper day of gymnastics in Glasgow.

The men’s individual all-around final will be followed by the women’s, as the best gymnasts battle it out for the coveted all-around title.

For athletes with specific strengths, 27 and 28 July will allow them to shine in their preferred apparatus.

The first of the two days is set to feature men’s finals in the floor exercise, pommel horse and rings, and women’s finals in the vault and uneven bars.

And five more individual events round out the gymnastics action - on 28 July, medals are up for grabs in the men’s vault, parallel bars, and horizontal bar, and the women’s balance beam and floor exercise. 

Team England’s history

Team England have a rich history in gymnastics. 

The sport has historically been one of England’s most successful at the Commonwealth Games, especially in recent years.

Birmingham 2022 was dominated by English gymnasts, who won both the men’s and women’s all-around team events.

Jake Jarman took home four gold medals, Joe Fraser won three, and Team England’s overall artistic gymnastics medal count totalled 16.

Since gymnastics was first contested at the Commonwealth Games in 1978, England has won 116 medals - 100 more than any of the other home nations.

What are the rules of gymnastics?

Gymnastics is one of the rare sports contested both individually and as a team.

Women compete across the vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise, while the men contest six apparatus: the pommel horse, floor exercise, still rings, vault, parallel bars, and horizontal bar.

In the individual all-around competition, the three gymnasts who obtain the highest combined scores earn medals.

The team all-around event follows a similar format, with at least two gymnasts from each nation competing on every apparatus, and those scores contributing to a team’s overall total.

Scores are determined by a panel of judges, who score each routine on difficulty and execution. The higher the difficulty, the higher the score if the routine is executed cleanly but penalties are in place for mistakes such as a stumble after landing.

Who is competing for Team England?

Team England boast a strong squad of gymnasts who will journey across the Scottish border to Glasgow.

Luke Whitehouse, a World Championship silver medallist and four-time European champion, headlines the team.

Joining Whitehouse are Adam Tobin and Josh Nathan, both of whom won European team bronze and will be making their Commonwealth debut.

And, after competing in the 2025 World Championships, 21-year-old Alex Yolshin-Cash has earned a Team England call-up.

The women’s team are just as exciting, with 17-year-old Shantae-Eve Amankwaah ready to make a name for herself at the senior international level.

Alia Leat, Ruby Stacey, and Abi Martin have also been selected to represent Team England in their debut Commonwealth Games.

And bringing vital experience to the squad is Taeja James, who won team silver with England at Gold Coast 2018.

After a five-year break from gymnastics, James is back and aiming to reach the podium again.