GYMNASTDECEMBER 2014/ British Gymnastics Digital Magazine JANUARY 2015 A DAY AT THE 2014 BRITISH VETS A YEAR TO REMEMBER CONTENTS WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE... TWEET WALL BRITISH VETS 2014 This month’s tweets from our gymnasts Stories by Ben Lee, Anthony Beviss, Duncan Cousens and Alan Britten 4 2210 8 2014 A YEAR TO REMEMBER We look back at some of the standout medal winning moments from our senior heroes SUBSCRIBE TO Copyright © 2014 THE MAGAZINE Published by British Gymnastics. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, RIGHT HERE electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without written permission LET’S GET SOCIAL, FOLLOW US HERE of British Gymnastics. Identification and naming of individual gymnasts on printed photographs is determined by the information received and therefore cannot be guaranteed for accuracy. The views expressed by the individual contributors are not necessarily those of British Gymnastics. Equally the inclusion of advertisements in this magazine does not constitute endorsement by British Gymnastics of the products or services concerned. British Gymnastics is unable to recommend any product, guarantee that it is free of any banned substance or take any responsibility for any claims of effectiveness. Cover photo - Max Whitlock Tweet Wall Nathan Bailey Welcome to our Georgie Hockenhull @NathanBailey93 Laur ord Dan K tings twitter wall. a Half ea Early Christmas with the @Ghockenhull Check out this awesome foursome, Before @Laura_Halford Rory McIlroy :) @DanKeatings issue’s tweets and Lewis is off to Japan to compete Might be on my own but I’m #sportsPersonality Me #gordonstrachan instagram’s from ! Good luck buddy… sat in the very front row!!! #SPOTY @samhodgkins #kennydalglish at our top stars... #bbcspotty2014 amazing evening FOLLOW US Kelly Simm instagram.com/ Nicole Short Claudia Fragapane britishgymnastics Nile Wilson Brinn Bevan @Kelly_Simm official @jasminnicole94 @claudiafrag @brinnbevan Such an amazing night last @NileMW Such an amazing experience night at BBC SPOTY, and got Such an honour to be Young #nationalchristmasjumperday It’s beginning to look thankyou @nickhopebbc & a #spotyselfie with foggy Sports Personality of the Year a lot like Christmas @britgymnastics for the rubyharrold 2014 Thank you everyone for FOLLOW US invitation rachy.l #bbc your support @BritGymnastics GYMNAST 4 GYMNAST 5 ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS Senior British all-around champions were 2014 MAX WHITLOCK Max Whitlock and Rebecca Tunney. At the European Championships our senior men (Max Whitlock, Dan Purvis, Sam Oldham, Kristian Thomas, Daniel Keatings) took team silver with Max Whitlock taking the pommel horse title, Dan Purvis the floor bronze, Sam Oldham high bar silver and Kristian Thomas the high bar bronze. The women’s team (Ruby Harrold, Hannah Whelan, Rebecca Downie, Rebecca Tunney, Claudia Fragapane) also took silver with Becky Downie being crowned the European uneven bars champion. A YEAR TO REBECCA TUNNEY REMEMBER 2014 HAS ONCE AGAIN BEEN A SENSATIONAL YEAR FOR BRITISH GYMNASTICS WITH OUR GYMNASTS MAKING THEIR MARK ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE. WE LOOK BACK AT SOME OF THE STANDOUT MEDAL WINNING MOMENTS FROM OUR SENIOR HEROES… GYMNAST 8 DAN KEATINGS DISCOVER ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS GET INVOLVED ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS #DISCOVERGYMNASTICS The Commonwealth Games saw a remarkable Team England men’s team won the gold medal five days of medal winning performances with with Team Scotland in the silver. In the all- British gymnasts having winning 11 of the 14 around event, Max Whitlock took the gold, Dan artistic gymnastics gold’s on offer. Team England Keatings the silver and Nile Wilson the bronze. (Claudia Fragapane, Rebecca Downie, Ruby On the floor, Max Whitlock took the gold medal. Harrold, Hannah Whelan, Kelly Simm) took the The pommel title went to Dan Keatings with women’s team title with Team Wales (Georgina Max Whitlock taking silver and Louis Smith the Hockenhull, Raer Theaker, Lizzie Beddoe, Angel bronze. Daniel Purvis took the rings bronze and Romaeo, Jessica Hogg) taking the bronze. Claudia Kristian Thomas the vault silver. Dan Purvis took Fragapane took the all-around title followed by the parallel bars gold, Nile Wilson the silver and teammates Ruby Harrold and Hannah Whelan. Max Whitlock the bronze. Nile Wilson took the Claudia then went on to take the floor and vault high bar gold and Kristian Thomas the silver. titles with Rebecca Downie taking bars gold and Ruby Harrold the bronze. Georgina Hockenhull At the 2014 World Championships Max Whitlock took the bronze on the beam. completed a memorable year by taking a sensational silver medal in the all-around event. CLAUDIA NILE WILSON FRAGAPANE “SOMETIMES YOU WONDER IF IT WILL EVER COME AND TODAY IT HAS, IT’S WORTH VERY MOMENT TO HAVE THIS MEDAL.” BECKY DOWNIE BECKY DOWNIE DON’T FORGET IF YOU ARE STAYING OVER YOU CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A SPECIAL BRITISH GYMNASTICS DISCOUNT RATE AT IHG® HOTELS. FIND OUT MORE AT IHG.COM/GYMNASTICS. TUMBLING GYMNASTICS GYMNASTICS AEROBIC The senior British champions were Kristof FOR ALL GYMNASTICS Willerton and Lucie Colebeck. During 2014 we had our 11 GymFusion events in The Senior women’s British Champion was At the European Championships, Kristof Hemel Hempstead, Manchester, London, Bristol, Kayleigh Silva. Bulmershe’s Ella Augier, Chloe Farrance Willerton took the gold medal in the men’s KRISTOF WILLERTON KRISTOF York, Guildford, Coventry, Derry/Londonderry and and Sophie Groves taking the senior trio title. event with Greg Townley taking silver. Lucie Newcastle. We had 5 teams/86 participants go Colebeck matched Kristof to win gold in the out to Sweden for the 9th EuroGym in July and women’s individual event with the team we had the 2nd Aspire to Shine event at Lilleshall (Rachael Letsche, Heather Cowell, Yasmin in August. We also had a team of 16 delegates Taite, Lucie Colebeck) also taking the top go out to Toulouse, France for 4th Golden Age spot. Festival in September and October. Rachael Letsche became the World Champion to end a superb year for our tumbling team. DISCOVER AEROBIC KAYLEIGH SILVA GYMNASTICS GET INVOLVED #DISCOVERGYMNASTICS TRAMPOLINE GYMNASTICS The senior British champions were Lewis Bartlett and Bryony Page. At the European Championships, Luke Strong took an incredible bronze medal DISCOVER in the men’s event with Kat Driscoll taking silver in the women’s individual TRAMPOLINE GYMNASTICS competition and the women’s team (Kat Driscoll, Pamela Clark, Bryony Page, Laura Gallagher) also being crowned European Champions. GET INVOLVED #DISCOVERGYMNASTICS “IT’S AN OVERWHELMING FEELING, I JUST CAN’T STOP CRYING!” RACHAEL LETSCHE DISCOVER TUMBLING GYMNASTICS GET INVOLVED #DISCOVERGYMNASTICS RACHAEL LUKE STRONG LUKE PAGE BRYONY LETSCHE LAURA HALFORD RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS The senior British all-around champion was Laura Halford. At the Commonwealth Games, Team Wales (Nikara Jenkines, Francesca Jones, Laura Halford) took the silver medal. Frankie Jones also had a sensational Games individually, taking the silver in the all-around, ball, hoop, clubs and became the ribbon Commonwealth Champion. Laura Halford took all-around bronze and ball bronze. FRANCESCA JONES “IT’S HARD TO PUT INTO WORDS HOW AMAZING THIS EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN, I’VE DISCOVER RHYTHMIC EXCEEDED ALL MY GYMNASTICS EXPECTATIONS” GET INVOLVED LAURA HALFORD #DISCOVERGYMNASTICS DISCOVER ACROBATIC GYMNASTICS GET INVOLVED DISABILITY #DISCOVERGYMNASTICS TEAMGYM Lilleshall National Sports Centre, the home of The Senior British Champions across all British Gymnastics, hosted the 2014 Disability apparatus, Men’s team – 1066, Women’s team – Artistic Gymnastics British Championships. Portsmouth and Mixed team - Basingstoke The Championships were a huge success with 44 gymnasts from 10 clubs across the UK taking part. ACROBATIC DISCOVER TEAMGYM GYMNASTICS GYMNASTICS Senior British Combined Champions, Men’s Pair GET INVOLVED Kieran Whittle and Farai Bright- Garamukanwa, Women’s Pair Wigan Seagulls’ Tanya Johnson and #DISCOVERGYMNASTICS Shonagh Leatherbarrow. Mixed Pair Dominic Smith and Alice Upcott, Women’s Group Cicely Irwin, Jenifer Bailey and Josie Russell, Men’s Group Connor Bartlett, Gareth Wood, Daniel Cook and George Wood DOUBLE-MINI At the World Championships, the women’s group of Elise Matthews, Georgia Lancaster and Millie TRAMPOLINE Spalding were crowned World Champions with The senior British champions were Nathaniel mixed pair Alice Upcott and Dominic Smith, men’s Scott and Nicole Short. group Connor Bartlett, Gareth Wood, Daniel Cook, George Wood taking silver and men’s pair Kieran At the European Championships the men’s team Whittle and Farai Bright- Garamukanwa the bronze. (Nathaniel Scott, Andrew Houston, Michael The GBR team which included the men’s and McNabb) and women’s team bronze (Georgia women’s groups and mixed pair also took the silver Downing, Nicole Short and Sapphire Dallard). medal. DISCOVER ELISE MATTHEWS, GEORGIA Georgia Downing also took the individual silver. DISABIITY LANCASTER & MILLIE SPALDING GYMNASTICS At the World Championships Nicole Short took the silver medal in the women’s final. GET INVOLVED #DISCOVERGYMNASTICS “ALL I THOUGHT ABOUT BEFORE WE WENT ON WAS DOING OURSELVES AND OUR COACHES PROUD.” ELISE MATTHEWS DISCOVER DOUBLE-MINI TRAMPOLINE GYMNASTICS GET INVOLVED #DISCOVERGYMNASTICS ALICE UPCOTT & DOMINIC SMITH NATHANIEL SCOTT NICOLE SHORT WIGAN SEAGULLS ADULT GYMNASTICS The British Vets brought together a great range gymnasts