Liverpool’s Exhibition Centre is hosting the The British Gymnastics Championships.
Here are five of the top gymnasts worth keeping an eye on.
- Max Whitlock
Team GB’s most successful Olympic gymnast needs no introduction. With three Olympic gold medals and three Olympic bronze medals to his name, Whitlock is someone who draws attention everywhere he goes.
Whitlock won two gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 Tokyo 2021 adding to the gold and bronze he had already won at the Rio Games in 2016 and the two bronzes he clinched at London 2012. Whitlock’s other honours include four European Championship golds, four Commonwealth Games golds and three World Championship golds.
Despite winning gold in Tokyo, Whitlock decided took a break from the sport and even contemplated stepping away altogether. Talking to the BBC last year, Whitlock stated that his accolades “didn’t matter” because he could not see a clear path for his future.
However, Whitlock is now back and is now targeting the Paris games in 2024 where he will be looking for more success.
2. Courtney Tulloch
Courtney Tulloch is a specialist in rings and vault and is the double Commonwealth Games champion on rings, winning in 2018 and 2022 also gaining a silver medal on vault. Tulloch was also in the gold medal winning team at the Commonwealth Games of 2018 and 2022.
Tulloch became the first ever British gymnast to ever win a global medal on rings in November 2022 having helped Great Britain to bronze and Olympic qualification in the team event just a few days earlier.
The night before the men’s team final at the 2022 European Championships in Munich, Tulloch had an allergic reaction after eating noodles believed to have contained nuts. He required treatment from the team doctor after his face swelled up and he started experiencing breathing difficulties. Unbelievably, he then went on to win a gold medal in the men’s team event.
- Alice Kinsella
Despite being just 22 years old, Alice Kinsella already has already built up her reputation significantly, becoming one of the stars of the British gymnastics scene.
Kinsella represented Team GB at the 2020 Olympic games, helping her team to a bronze medal and she was part of the Great Britain team that achieved their highest ever position, gaining a silver medal at the 2022 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
Kinsella has already claimed numerous personal accolades in her young career. She is the 2018 Commonwealth Games and 2019 European champion on the balance beam, and the 2022 Commonwealth Games champion on floor. Kinsella also added a third Commonwealth Games title to her growing medal collection as part of England’s gold medal winning team of 2022.
4. Ondine Achampong
At just 19 years old, Ondine Achampong is already putting down the building blocks for what could be an exciting career. Achampong was a part of the impressive women’s team that won silver at the 2022 World Championships alongside Alice Kinsella. She was also a part of the team that won gold at the 2022 Commonwealth games.
Although still in the very early stages of her career, Achampong already has individual success. Specialising on the balance beam, she is the 2022 European silver medalist. In the Commonwealth games in 2022 she managed to add to her team medal with silver medals in the all-around and on floor exercise.
She is also the 2021 British all-around champion and the 2022 British all-around silver medalist and will be looking to re-gain her champion status this weekend.
5. Georgia-Mae Fenton
The 22 year old specialities lie at the uneven bars. Domestically she has thrived as a four-time English champion and a two-time British champion and will be looking to add to that in Liverpool this weekend.
Beating Fenton on the uneven bars will take some doing, she is the 2018 and 2022 Commonwealth champion and a member of the gold-medal winning England team in the 2022 Commonwealth games.
Fenton has also claimed medals alongside her fellow Great Britain team-mates Kinsella and Achampong, winning silver at both the 2022 European Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Championships and 2022 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
