Sydney gymnast Ritam Malik has helped Australia claim bronze in the men’s artistic gymnastics team competition at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, ending a 16-year wait for a place on the podium.
Malik, Jesse Moore, Benjamin Foster, Tru Hagens and James Hardy finished third with a combined score of 235.650, behind gold medallists Canada on 241.400 and England on 238.250. Scotland placed fourth with 234.300.
It was Australia’s first Commonwealth Games medal in the men’s team event since winning gold at Delhi in 2010. Four members of the Glasgow team, including Malik, were making their Commonwealth Games debuts.
The Australians began the competition on rings and remained in medal contention through the six apparatuses before facing pommel horse in the final rotation with Scotland close behind.
Malik produced Australia’s highest pommel horse score of 13.500, ahead of Moore’s 13.300, helping the team hold on to third place.
The 19-year-old also recorded 13.450 on high bar, where he stuck his dismount and qualified for the apparatus final. He later competed in the men’s all-around and pommel horse finals during a busy programme in Glasgow.
Malik is from Blacktown and trained with Sydney Hills Gymnastics before moving to the United States to compete for Pennsylvania State University. He was named Australian junior national gymnast of the year in 2024 and represented Australia at the junior world championships in 2023 and 2025.
He also won the junior international all-around title at the Australian Gymnastics Championships before moving into the senior ranks.
Family member Prince Pahal said Malik’s parents, Rajesh and Nirja, had supported his gymnastics ambitions since he began the sport at the age of six.
“Their unconditional love, guidance and sacrifices have been instrumental in this incredible journey,” Pahal said.
He said Malik’s interest in gymnastics had been encouraged by his father, who remained closely involved in his development and training.
“Behind every champion is a family that never stops believing, and today that belief has been rewarded,” Pahal said.
Malik is the son of Rajesh and Nirja Malik and has a younger brother, Varchas. He is studying finance at Penn State while competing in collegiate gymnastics.
The bronze followed the disappointment of Birmingham 2022, where Australia missed the men’s team podium by 0.650 points after being overtaken by Cyprus late in the competition.
Moore, the only member of the Glasgow squad with previous Commonwealth Games experience, said the result reflected the team’s progress since Birmingham.
“The way we finished on pommel is pretty extraordinary,” he said. “It shows how well we’ve come over the past few years.”
Hagens said the medal carried added meaning because several members of the team had trained and competed together from a young age.
“We all grew up together, so we’re just one big bunch of friends,” he said. “It’s pretty amazing seeing all of us accomplish this together.”
For Malik, the Glasgow result marks his first senior Commonwealth Games medal and an early milestone in a career that has already taken him from western Sydney to international and American collegiate competition.
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