Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games: Beth Tweddle on the gymnasts to watch, how scoring works and Max Whitlock's withdrawal
By Ben Snowball
Published 23/07/2026 at 08:49 GMT+1
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Beth Tweddle is one of Britain's most recognisable former gymnasts. She shot to national fame by winning uneven bars gold at the 2002 Commonwealth Games aged just 17, before claiming a string of world and European titles, and bowing out with a brilliant Olympic bronze on home soil at London 2012.
How the Commonwealth Games differs from the Olympics explained
Video credit: TNT Sports
Tweddle joins our team for the upcoming Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games - live on TNT Sports and HBO Max - where artistic gymnastics promises to be one of the highlights of the programme.
With October's World Gymnastics Championships keeping some big names away, Glasgow represents a golden opportunity for the next generation to announce themselves on the international stage.
Ahead of the Games, we caught up with Tweddle to pick out the gymnasts to watch, explain the scoring system, and get the latest on three-time Olympic champion Max Whitlock, who withdrew with a hand injury.
Who are the gymnasts to watch?
Tweddle: "It's really tough just to pick one gymnast because there's a lot of talent out there.
"Luke Whitehouse is definitely one to look out for on the men's side. He's a three-time European individual champion, world silver medallist and Olympic finalist on floor.
"Rhys McClenaghan is the Olympic champion on pommel horse, but has also won Commonwealth Games gold and silver already, and I'm sure he'll be looking to add another gold in Glasgow.
"On the women's side, Abi Martin for Team England and Ruby Evans for Team Wales are both very strong on floor, but they're also excellent all-around gymnasts. I think there's going to be a real battle between those two."
How big a blow is Max Whitlock's withdrawal?
Tweddle: "Max is a seasoned international and he knows his body. If something isn't quite right, he's always very good at looking at the bigger picture.
"I think any athlete is disappointed to have to withdraw from an event, especially the Commonwealth Games because they're such friendly Games and there's always a great atmosphere.
"I'm disappointed for him and I'm sure he's disappointed too, but LA 2028 is only two years away. He's got to make sure he looks after that injury, rather than training through it and potentially making it worse. So although it's disappointing, it's obviously the right decision for him."
How fierce is the rivalry between Home Nations?
Tweddle: "I think it's more of a friendly rivalry than anything else.
"It's a great opportunity because normally there are only a handful of places available when we compete as Great Britain. At the Commonwealth Games you've got opportunities across each Home Nation, so younger athletes get their first chance to compete at a multi-sport event.
"A multi-sport Games is completely different to a European Championships or a World Championships. You're part of a much bigger team and there are so many more distractions and experiences. I just think it's a fantastic opportunity for athletes to build that experience."
How does gymnastics scoring actually work?
Tweddle: "Historically, people remember the perfect 10, but now we have an open scoring system.
"A gymnast's top eight skills on each apparatus are graded, from A upwards, with A being the simplest skill. Every skill carries a value, and gymnasts can also earn bonus marks by linking skills together.
"Alongside that is the execution score, which starts at 10 and deductions are taken away for mistakes. For example, a fall costs a full mark. The difficulty and execution scores are then added together."
Can gymnasts hear the crowd?
Tweddle: "You hear the crowd before and afterwards, but during the routine you almost go into autopilot.
"Things like flash photography can be off-putting, which is why you'll often hear announcements asking people not to use it.
"Gymnasts use visualisation techniques to zone everything out. Once you salute the judges, you switch everything else off and your body just takes over because you've performed that routine thousands of times."
What is your favourite Commonwealth Games memory?
Tweddle: "It's actually not winning. I remember going to Manchester in 2002. It was my first senior multi-sport event and I thought it would probably be my only chance to compete on home soil. I had no idea the Olympics would come to London 10 years later.
"Suddenly people were asking for autographs and stopping us in the street. The whole gymnastics team was being pulled in every direction for media and different events. It all felt completely surreal.
"Even though London 2012 was obviously a huge moment in my career, the 2002 Commonwealth Games still sticks with me as one of my favourite memories.
"I was still at school, all my friends came to watch, and then a couple of weeks later I was back in the classroom. It was quite bizarre."
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