2011 - The run up to the Olympics!
2011 has been an exciting year for British Gymnastics. With the London 2012 Olympics in sight, selection and test events have been rife as well as many a successful major Championships in various disciplines. British Gymnastics thought what better time than the year before a home Olympics to begin a new campaign to get everybody behind our athletes and involved in our sport. Therefore, the campaign ‘I AM BG’ was launched in October 2011 for all members and fans of British Gymnastics. The campaign took off with a bang and looks to be even bigger and better in 2012. With record breaking achievements, major events in Britain and much more 2011 has been another outstanding year for all at BG.
Women’s Artistic
9/4/2011 European Championships in Berlin, Germany
Beth Tweddle - Champion on bars- her third title in a row!
8-10/7/11- Senior and Junior British Championships
The first event to be streamed LIVE by BGtv!
City of Liverpool’s Hannah Whelan has been crowned the women’s senior all-around British Champion for the second year in a row. She was followed by Heathrow’s Danusia Francis, who took the silver, with Whelan's teammate Jenni Pinches taking bronze. Hannah Whelan's teammate Rebecca Tunney took the junior all-around title with Gabby Jupp second and Abi Caig third. Beth Tweddle then went on to take both the floor and bars apparatus titles.
23-30/7/11- The European Youth Olympic Festival, Trabzon, Turkey
Gabrielle Jupp took silver on the beam.
9-11/9/11- IV Commonwealth Youth Games, Isle of Man
Angel Romaeo steeled the individual overall title for Wales, while the English girls won the team and three apparatus gold medals: Rebecca Tunney (vault), Charlie Fellow (bars) and Abi Caig (floor).
7-16/10/2011- World Championships Tokyo, Japan
The British female gymnasts made history as they not only qualified a full team to the Olympics but finished a record breaking 5th in the team final; the best ever result for a British team!
Men’s Artistic
9/4/2011 European Championships in Berlin, Germany
Dan Purvis opened his very successful 2011 account with bronze medal in the all-around!
Sam Oldham celebrated his debut in the senior ranks with 4th place in the high bar final.
29/7/11- European Youth Olympic Festival, Trabzon, Turkey
Courtney Tulloch won the all-around title adding to this gold on rings, with Frank Baines taking the p.bars gold and floor silver medals. Tulloch, Baines and Dominick Cunningham won the Team silver medal just behind Russia and ahead of Switzerland.
9-11/9/11- IV Commonwealth Youth Games, Isle of Man
With 3 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze medals in his tally, the 16-year old all-around winner Dominick Cunningham, from Earls GC England, was the most successful gymnast in the competition.
Both the Boys and the Girls teams of England won the gold medals.
17-18/9/11- British Championships
Dan Purvis was crowned the 2011 men's British Champion.
7-16/10/2011- World Championships, Tokyo, Japan
Louis Smith took bronze in the pommel horse final with Dan Purvis just missing out on the medals coming 4th in the all-around.
2011 World Cup events
Louis Smith won the pommel horse gold at the Paris World Cup, while Daniel Purvis took the men’s all-around title at the Glasgow “A” category World Cup event.
Purvis continued his sensational form by taking the bronze medal in the all-around in Stuttgart, Germany then won another bronze at the final event of the season, Tokyo World Cup, which secured him the final victory in the 2011 World Cup series!
Trampolining
23-24/7/11 British Championships
Katherine Driscoll and Luke Strong took the 2011 British senior trampoline titles.
17-20/11/11 World Championships, Birmingham, GBR
Great Britain secured women’s individual trampoline place in the 2012 Olympic Games after British Champion and World number one Katherine Driscoll claimed a Finals spot in the Championships at the NIA in Birmingham.
The British women’s trampoline team (Emma Smith, Laura Gallagher and Kat Driscoll) produced a sensational performance to win the silver medal, behind champions China and ahead of Canada in bronze.
British synchronized trampoline pair Kat Driscoll and Amanda Parker took the World Championship bronze medal.
2011 World Cup events
Kat Driscoll was the individual overall 2011 World Cup winner and together with Amanda Parker, also winner in the Synchro 2011 World Cup series:
- Wuxi City (CHN) - Kat and Amanda - with Synchro silver medal.
- Kawasaki (JPN)- Individual and Synchro silver medals for Kat and Kat/Amanda
- Salzgitter (GER) - Individual gold for Kat and silver in the Synchro finals for her and Amanda.
- Jablonec Nad Nisou (CZE) - silver in the Synchro for Kat and Amanda while Kat claimed individual bronze.
24-27/11/11 World Age Groups Competition, Birmingham (GBR)- Trampoline
• The 11-12 Synchro partnerships of Isobel Leigh-Warren and Corin Clark and James Robinson-Doyle and Robin Hartey, both took silver medals in the girls and the boys sections respectively.
• Pamela Clark - silver medal in the women’s 15-16 trampoline final.
• Jasmin Short - bronze medal in the women’s 17-18 trampoline final
• Kate Overman and Megan Pettit - bronze in the women’s 15-16 Synchro trampoline final.
DMT
23-24/07/11 British Championships
Robyn Osbourne and Peter Cracknell were crowned the senior British DMT Champions.
24-27/11/11 World Age Groups Competition, Birmingham (GBR)- DMT
• Sapphire Dallard - 13-14 age group DMT World Champion.
• Oliver Rowlands- bronze medallist in the 15-16 years old section.
Tumbling
24-27/11/11 World Age Groups Competition, Birmingham (GBR)- Tumbling
• Lucie Colebeck became World Age Group Champion in the 15-16 years old section.
• Isabel Deacon’s also took gold in the girls' 11-12 final.
• Lucy Elliman - silver in the girls 11-12 final
• Ashton Jenns - silver in the boys' 11-12 final.
• Jenna Barrett - bronze in the girls 13-14 final.
2011 World Cup events
Returning from injury Rachel Letsche showed excellent form at the FIG World Cup finals Odense (DEN) in taking the bronze medal.
Acrobatics
24-30/09/11 European Championships, Varna, Bulgaria
The British acrobatic team have produced a sensational performance in Varna to finish with a magnificent 13 medals, 6 gold, 4 silver and 3 bronze medals!
Britain’s acrobatic gymnasts dominated proceedings at the acrobatic gymnastics European Age Group Championships - claiming 3 gold and 2 silver medals in Varna.
2011 World Cup Events
A jubilant Adam McAssey and Edward Upcott continued their winning way with victory in the men’s pairs in Puurs, Begium ahead of Belarus and Russia 1. Alanna Baker and Poppy Spalding took the Bronze in the women’s pairs.
Great Britain achieved sensational results at the acrobatic World Cup event in Forli, Italy returning with gold, silver and bronze medals. Adam McAssey and Edward Upcott claimed the title, while the women’s pair Allana Baker and Poppy Spalding followed their European gold with World Cup silver and the men’s group, Richard Hurst, Dorian Walker, Matthew Evison & Jesse Heskett follow their European triumph with another podium place, this time World Cup bronze.
Aerobics
24-25/9/11 British Championships
Bulmershe gymnasts Chloe Farrance and Jaime Carter were crowned the 2011 British senior champions.
9-13/11/11 European Championships, Bucharest, Romania
British aerobic gymnast made it into two finals in Bucharest; the junior trio and junior group finishing in 6th and 8th places respectively.
GMPD
Special Olympics, Athens, Greece
The female gymnasts won 6 Gold and 10 Silver medals. The second main day of competition brought Special Olympics Great Britain 41 medals in one day for a total of 45, with an astounding 20 gold, 10 silver and 15 bronze medals.
Gymnastics for all
Gym Fusion
Regional GymFusion events have been run throughout the year as well the national GymFusion launch event in Nottingham in April.