For Jordan Carroll, walking away with two gold medals from the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games is still hard to believe.
“How much can you really sink it in? It still feels like a dream,” Carroll said.
The 20-year-old gymnast from Saskatoon helped Canada win gold in the team event last month before claiming another gold on the pommel horse event — his specialty — with a personal-best score of 15.000.
The success of the team competition offered Carroll a boost in confidence, saying that while he does not remember much about competing in the solo event, he knows he felt good immediately afterward.
“When I landed, I remember presenting. I showed a heart to my dad. I remember that; that was a special moment,” Carroll said, adding that his father even shed a few tears.
“He doesn’t like to admit it, but he cried,” Carroll said. “It was such a nice moment.”
Although he was born in St. John’s, N.L., Carroll has called Saskatoon home since he was one and has remained closely connected to his home club, where he has trained with coach Markos Baikas since the beginning of his gymnastics career.
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“I’ve never been more proud to represent my country, my club and my province. It’s just like, it’s so fulfilling and I feel so proud,” said Carroll, adding that his club celebrated his win immediately upon his return.
“When I came back, they got balloons for me. They had this whole thing. They shook my hand. I got a little sash that said ‘champion,’” he said.
For Baikas, watching Carroll compete at the Commonwealth Games was anything but easy.
“I was here,” said Baikas, referencing being at the gym at the time of the competition. “I wasn’t watching the routine, I was very nervous.”
Baikas says Carroll has always had a natural ability for the sport, recalling a time when the young athlete stepped away from gymnastics for a few years before returning to the gym, quickly showing his potential once again.
“A year within the sport again, I said, ‘Jordan, maybe you look as you always have been there and look more natural. I think you might have the potential to compete at this high level and excel very well, maybe at the Olympic Games too,’” Baikas said.
The Commonwealth Games represent the biggest accomplishment of Carroll’s career so far, but he is not stopping there.
His next goal is to qualify and compete at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands, this fall, with an even bigger dream of competing at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles on the horizon.
Carroll says his latest wins are only adding fuel to his drive, giving him more confidence for his next competitions.
“Each time I get another gold medal, I can see the Olympics getting closer and closer,” he said.
That confidence is shared by his coach.
“I know if he hits the routine, he’ll be among the best in the world,” he said.
Away from the gym, Carroll is studying electrical engineering at the University of Saskatchewan while he lends a hand at the club every so often.
It’s a balance, Carroll says, that comes down to having the right mindset and support around him.
“Life’s about balancing things, so I make it work,” he said.
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