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Games haul underlines Aus gym quality

Anna HarringtonAAP
Kate McDonald of Australia celebrates winning gold in the women's balance beam. (Darren England/AAP PHOTOS)
Camera IconKate McDonald of Australia celebrates winning gold in the women's balance beam. (Darren England/AAP PHOTOS) Credit: AAP

Artistics gymnastics star Georgia Godwin hopes Australia's big Commonwealth Games medal haul shows they can take it up to the best.

On Tuesday, young gun Kate McDonald pulled off the performance of her life to win Commonwealth Games beam gold as Australia's artistic gymnasts claimed five medals.

McDonald edged superstar teammate Godwin, who won her fifth medal in Birmingham, for her breakthrough gold, while Emily Whitehead won bronze in the floor.

Tyson Bull claimed silver in the high bar after initially failing to qualify for the final, while James Bacueti claimed bronze in the vault.

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"Hopefully it shows that Australia can get on the podium,' Godwin said.

"For a little bit it was like 'oh Australia, like we're lagging behind a bit'.

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"But no, we're doing some good stuff.

"As shown by Kate, we've got some incredible athletes on the team who are very new to the senior scene.

"So give them a couple of years and they going to shine. Watch out."

Godwin concluded her campaign with gold in the all-around and vault, while she collected silver in the uneven bars, beam and team event.

Her five medals in Birmingham and three on the Gold Coast make her Australia's equal-most decorated women's artistic gymnast, alongside Allana Slater.

"It's an actual honour. Allana is an incredible gymnast. She's been messaging me congratulations," Godwin said.

"So to be up there with her, it's going to take some time to sink in."

The 24-year-old will take a break and take time to decide whether she will eye a world championships and Olympics, and stressed she needed to work hard to compete with the USA, Japan and China.

Godwin looked poised to claim her third gold in Birmingham when she laid down 13.433 first-up.

But five competitors later, McDonald recorded 13.466, leapfrogging her "ecstatic" teammate.

"She put up the performance of a lifetime when it counted, so she deserves the gold," Godwin said.

"I'm happy for her."

It was McDonald's first gold medal after earlier winning team silver.

"I just tried to put everything on the table and wow, what a result," McDonald said.

Bull's high bar routine scored 14.233, which was only surpassed by the final competitor, Cyprus' Ilias Georgiou (14.466).

Cyprus' Marios Georgiou (14.133) claimed bronze ahead of Australian Mitchell Morgans (14.100).

Bull, who finished fifth at the Tokyo Olympics, bombed out in his pet discipline in Birmingham, finishing 13th in the team event and individual qualifying due to a poor landing.

He earned a reprieve when Jesse Moore withdrew with a shoulder injury and Clay Mason Stephens opted out to open up a spot.

Bacueti claimed the men's first medal in Birmingham by sealing vault bronze with a score of 14.283 behind England's Jake Jarman (14.916) and Giarnni Regini-Moran (14.633).

Whitehead was the final women's floor competitor and claimed bronze on 13.000, behind England's Alice Kinsella (13.366) and Ondine Achampong (13.033).

She was penalised for stepping outside the line, a 0.100 deduction that ultimately proved the difference between silver and bronze.

Teammate Romi Brown finished eighth.

Morgans and Bull finished fifth and eighth respectively in the parallel bars.

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