--- title: "Young SA gymnast has turned self-doubt into a winning routine" description: "Daniel Mclean placed fifth in his debut Commonwealth Games and is now heading for his first senior World Championships." type: "NewsArticle" publisher: "Daily Maverick" site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za" section: "DEFYING GRAVITY" author: "Annemieke Thomaidis" author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/annemieke-thomaidis/" canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-09-23-young-sa-gymnast-has-turned-self-doubt-into-a-winning-routine/" published: "2026-09-23T11:46:43" lang: "en-ZA" word_count: 1289 --- # Young SA gymnast has turned self-doubt into a winning routine > Daniel Mclean placed fifth in his debut Commonwealth Games and is now heading for his first senior World Championships. By Annemieke Thomaidis · Published 23 September 2026, 13:46 SAST ## Key points - Against the odds — with SA given just one men’s spot at the 2026 Commonwealth Games — 20‑year‑old Daniel Mclean fought off rivals to claim Team SA’s final berth. - Fresh off an African Championships gold that sealed his place at the senior World Championships, Mclean topped his Commonwealth qualifying subdivision and finished a standout fifth on floor in his Games debut. - Grooved at Vision Gymnastics since the age of five under coach Kevin Basson, he juggles a BCom, endured bullying and became “obsessed” with the sport that defines him. - Having turned anxiety and setbacks into fuel, Mclean is headed to Rotterdam in October — and has his sights on Los Angeles 2028. Read how he got here and what drives him. ## Content For the 2026 Commonwealth Games, only six spots were allocated to South Africa in gymnastics. Because the women’s team had been so successful in 2022, finishing fourth, the decision was to send a full women’s team again this year. That left just one place open for the men. Determined to claim this spot was 20-year-old Daniel Mclean. After an impressive showing at the 2026 African Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Cameroon earlier this year, where he won his first continental title, Mclean had an inkling the spot might be his. But with several talented young gymnasts vying for the same opportunity, he was careful not to get ahead of himself. Nevertheless, he continued to prepare as he awaited the decision of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc). A month before the Commonwealth Games, Mclean was informed that he had secured the final place on Team South Africa. A wave of relief washed over him. It would be his Commonwealth Games debut and, heading into the competition, all he wanted to do was absorb the experience. “It was exciting,” he said. “I just wanted to soak up the experience and enjoy it. I didn’t really set high expectations in terms of placings.” But then he delivered an outstanding qualification floor routine, topping his subdivision and qualifying fourth for the final. Competing against Olympic and World Championship athletes such as England’s Luke Whitehouse and Canada’s René Cournoyer, Mclean held his own on one of the biggest stages of his career so far. Executing a clean, high-pressure routine, he announced himself on the international stage by finishing fifth overall on the floor. “I was not stressed, just nervous. But it was a different type of nervous for me compared with African champs or nationals,” Mclean said. “It was just the environment. The crowd was huge; they were loud and encouraging, and it was different. But it was a good different.” Although his Commonwealth Games performance announced his arrival internationally, it was his African Championship gold that secured qualification for his debut World Championships coming up in October in Rotterdam. ![Artistic Gymnastics - Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/t8r8evYrCudw7_myKf2rnd0R3W0=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/P46GymnastMclean3_299504.jpg) *Daniel Mclean of Team South Africa competes in Parallel Bars during the Men's Team Final and Individual Qualification on day one of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games at Glasgow International Arena on 24 July 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo: Naomi Baker / Getty Images)* ![Artistic Gymnastics - Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/nOYARGBPTOXWK_fcSP0VqjAgXFs=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/P46GymnastMclean2_720001.jpg) *Daniel Mclean of Team South Africa competes in Parallel Bars during the Men's Team Final and Individual Qualification on day one of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games at Glasgow International Arena on 24 July 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo: Naomi Baker / Getty Images)* ### ‘Obsessed with gymnastics’ Mclean has been training at the same club in Roodepoort, Vision Gymnastics, since he was five-years-old. His older sister, Phoebe, was the one who initially received a free ­trial lesson at the gym. “Everything she wanted to do, I wanted to do,” he said. “My mom claims that I was crying and said that I also wanted to do it.” Eventually, Mclean got his own trial lesson and promptly joined the gym. It was not long before he was selected to join the high-performance programme, said his longtime coach Kevin Basson. “He was quite flexible and just performed above the rest in his class,” Basson said. “It was only around 11 or 12-years-old that we could see this kid can truly make a difference.” Mclean attended Cliffview Primary and later Reddford House Northcliff, all the while juggling the demands of elite gymnastics. At times, he faced bullying for pursuing a sport that did not fit traditional perceptions of masculinity, he said. According to Basson, however, Mclean’s love for gymnastics is what sets him apart. “He is obsessed with gymnastics. We have gymnastics trivia days, and he can name all the ­athletes, men or women, what year they performed and where. He is just so engaged and involved in gymnastics that it is a part of him and who he is. “That, and the morals and values he has, are what truly make him great at this sport. He is hard-working and diligent, and takes pride in performing with clean lines,” added Basson. Mclean is completing a BCom degree in transport and logistics management at the University of Johannesburg. “My parents have been the most supportive people in my life, emotionally and financially,” he said. “They’ve just been there for me through everything, and I can’t thank them enough for the support they constantly gave me.” His biggest influence, though, has been Basson, with whom he has worked for more than a decade. “It’s just his way of looking at things and his positivity and his way of pushing always,” said Mclean. Basson said he was “proud and honoured” that Mclean chose him as his coach. “We work as a team and truly trust each other. We often talk about what works and what doesn’t, and essentially work alongside each other to achieve the goals, and it’s not just me telling him what to do. It’s a partnership.” ![Artistic Gymnastics - Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/q3r4OIlW81dVdEzpeClaHLfULMs=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/P46GymnastMclean5_362459.jpg) *Daniel Mclean of Team South Africa interacts with a coach after his routine in the Men's Floor Exercise Final on day four of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games at The Arena on 27 July 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo: Naomi Baker / Getty Images)* ![Artistic Gymnastics - Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/n_WA6xGm0rNTE2uj2_JWJgxEoqo=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/P46GymnastMclean6_284988.jpg) *Daniel Mclean of Team South Africa interacts with a coach after his routine in the Men's Floor Exercise Final on day four of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games at The Arena on 27 July 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo: Naomi Baker / Getty Images)* ### Life’s little lessons As with anything in life, Mclean’s gymnastics journey has not been without its obstacles. There were moments when he felt uncertain about his abilities and his future in the sport. In 2019, when he was about 14-years-old, Mclean was set to compete in the Olympic Hopes Cup in the Czech Republic. It was his debut on the junior international stage. At the time, however, the pressure was so overwhelming that he did not want to continue. “I was just going through a stage where I felt too much stress and I just... I didn’t know what to do,” he said. It was during moments like those that Basson reminded him of how far he had come and what more he still could do. “If it wasn’t for him, I don’t think I would have continued,” said Mclean. There have also been periods of instability and self-doubt, particularly when trying to balance academics and gymnastics. “In first year \[of university\], I struggled a bit mentally with balancing university work and gym because I am a perfectionist, so I like to do well in both. But I reminded myself why I’m here in gymnastics and when I adopted a more positive attitude, I was able to get that balance back again.” Although he did not do as well as expected at the Olympic Hopes Cup, the setback taught him about perspective. “I learnt that we’re all human, that it’s okay to not have a good day. It’s part of the sport,” he said. “Also, watching top gymnasts make mistakes and still enjoy what they’re doing helped me realise this.” The Commonwealth Games further reinforced Mclean’s belief that, despite the self-doubt and uncertainty, he is capable and belongs among the world’s top athletes. “And it’s just a fraction of what I can accomplish, and I can reach those other goals,” he said. As a result of all his hard work, one of his goals, to compete at a senior World Championships, will be coming true in October. Beyond that, Mclean has his eyes set on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. **DM** *This story first appeared in our weekly DM168 newspaper, available countrywide for R39.* ![Image](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/T7yGLsNjPQ89niSq1you0ddJTkU=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/2997/DM-180926_438658.jpg)