Team Wales gymnasts for Birmingham 2022

 

WOMEN’S ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS

MIA EVANS

ABOUT

Born: 21 April, 2006 in Wrexham
Lives: Chirk (in school holidays and weekends); Wrekin College (boarding school term time)
School: Wrekin College, Wellington, Telford

GYMNASTICS BACKGROUND

First Started: Aged three at the Border Counties Gymnastics Club
Current Club: Park Wrekin Gymnastics Club

Achievements: Welsh Espoir champion 2019; British Championships Espoir AA silver medallist 2019; British Espoir floor champion 2019; British Espoir vault silver medallist 2019; Pre-Olympic Hopes AA silver medallist 2019; Northern European team gold 2019; Olympic Hopes Cup floor champion 2019; Olympic Hopes team silver 2019; Olympic Hopes AA 4th 2019.

International Representation (Wales): Pre-Olympic Hopes Cup, Germany; Northern Europeans, Iceland; Olympic Hopes Cup, Czech Republic.

International Representation (GB): Elite Gym Massilia, France.

Favourite Gymnastics Moment: I’ve loved being able to compete for my country. My favourite has to be competing in the Olympic Hopes Cup. It was such an amazing experience.

DID YOU KNOW . . .
Mia followed her mother, Angela, into gymnastics. Her father had played football for the county and Wrexham schoolboys. As well as progressing in gymnastics to win representative honours for both Wales and Great Britain, she also reached Grade 3 in ballet. Since the age of eight she has wanted to go to the Commonwealth and Olympic Games.

JEA MARACHA

ABOUT

Born: 14 January, 2006 in Cardiff
Lives: Cardiff
School: Corpus Christi High School

GYMNASTICS BACKGROUND

First Started: Age five and a half at Phoenix Gym Club, Cardiff
Current Club: Phoenix GC / Clwb Cymru Caerdydd

Achievements: Welsh and British Championship age grade medals 2018 and 2019; Espoir AA British Champion 2019; British Championships 2021 (junior) gold on uneven bars and silver AA; Welsh senior all-around champion 2022, plus gold on uneven bars and beam and masters gold on uneven bars.

International Representation (Wales): South African Safari International 2018; Pre-Olympic Youth Festival 2019; Olympic Hopes 2019; Northern European Championships 2019.

International Representation (GB): Elite Gym Massilia in France 2019.

Favourite Gymnastics Moment: Competing internationally for Great Britain.

DID YOU KNOW . . .
Jea was first taken into the British Performance Pathway Development Squad in 2016 following her 10^th place finish at the 2015 British Championships when she was still only 10.

SOFIA MICALLEF

ABOUT

Born: 5 August, 2006 in Cardiff
Lives: Penarth
School: Stanwell Comprehensive, Penarth

GYMNASTICS BACKGROUND

First Started: Aged five at Cardiff Central Youth Club, Cardiff
Current Club: Clwb Cymru Caerdydd

Achievements: AA bronze medallist, gold on bars and bronze in vault at Pre-Olympic Youth Cup in Germany 2019; 2022 Welsh Championships senior gold on vault plus masters bronze on vault and floor; 2022 British Championships bronze (vault).

International Representation (Wales): Pre-Olympic Youth Cup in Germany 2019.

Favourite Gymnastics Moment: Competing at the British Championships at the Echo Arena, Liverpool.

DID YOU KNOW . . .
Her uncle, Tarki, played more than 120 games for Cardiff City and was capped as a schoolboy and at U21 level by Wales. She has two dogs, Louis and Ted.

MALI MORGAN

ABOUT

Born: 11 October, 2006 in Bridgend
Lives: Llantwit Major
School: Llantwit Major Comprehensive

GYMNASTICS BACKGROUND

First Started: Aged three at Bridgend YMCA
Current Club: Capital Academy / Clwb Cymru Caerdydd

Achievements: Wales Voluntary AA / beam / vault champion (Level 4) 2015; Espoirs silver medal on beam at British Championships and 5^th AA 2018; British Championships 2021 (junior) gold on beam; 2022 Welsh Championships senior bronze AA, plus masters gold on beam. 

International Representation (Wales): Welsh junior international

Favourite Gymnastics Moment: Winning a silver medal on beam at Espoir British Championships.

DID YOU KNOW . . .
She was Welsh champion for beach flags and sprint in lifeguards. Her father is the four-time Olympic and five-time Commonwealth Games representative, Bob Morgan. One of Britain’s greatest divers, he is included on the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame’s ‘Roll of Honour’ and won gold, silver and bronze at the Commonwealth Games and silver and bronze at the European Championships.

POPPY STICKLER

ABOUT

Born: 12 June, 2006 in Cardiff
Lives: Cardiff
School: Whitchurch High School

GYMNASTICS BACKGROUND

First Started: Aged six in the Capital Academy in Cardiff
Current Club: Capital Academy / Clwb Cymru Caerdydd

Achievements: Team gold with Wales at Northern European Championships 2019; Espoirs AA British bronze medallist 2019; British Junior Squad 2019; British Championships 2021 (junior) gold on vault and floor, 3rd AA; 2022 Welsh Championships senior gold on floor, 2nd AA plus masters silver on floor and masters bronze on beam; 2022 British Championships bronze (floor).

International Representation (Wales): Northern European Championships 2019.

International Representation (GB): Elite Gym Massilia in France 2019.

Favourite Gymnastics Moment: Competing in America.

DID YOU KNOW . . .
Her sister, Isobel, used to be a gymnast and is now a coach. Another sister, Indie, is also a gymnast.

RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS

LAURYN CARPENTER

ABOUT

Born: 2 January, 2005 in Newport
Lives: Treowen
School: Newbridge School

GYMNASTICS BACKGROUND

First Started: Started in rhythmic aged 10 at Valleys Gymnastics Academy.
Current Club: Llanelli RGA

Achievements: 2019 Welsh Championships – 2 bronze, 2 silvers on individual apparatus and silver AA; 2019 Grade 9 – 1^st in age category. 7^th overall at 2019 British Individual Championships; multi-title winner with Llanelli junior rhythmic group in 2017, 2019.

International Representation (Wales): Various Welsh internationals

Favourite Gymnastics Moment: Keeping calm at my first British Individual Championships and achieving a PB for my ball routine with one of my best and cleanest routines.

DID YOU KNOW . . .
Her mum played netball to county level as a teenager and her dad was a county standard rugby player in his teens. She was a good netball player, but chose gymnastics instead, and competed internationally in cheerleading.

GEMMA FRIZELLE

ABOUT

Born: 2 May, 1998 in Carmarthen
Lives: Cardiff
School: Llandaff Cathedral School
Higher Education: Cardiff Met University (BA Sport & Exercise Science; Masters in Psychology)

GYMNASTICS BACKGROUND

First Started: Started in rhythmic aged 12 at Llanelli Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy
Current Club: Llanelli RGA

Achievements: British Championship silver AA 2016, 2017; British Championship bronze AA 2019

International Representation (Wales): Commonwealth Games 2018

International Representation (GB): 5 x World Cup appearances; World Championships, Bulgaria 2018; European Rhythmic Championships, Bulgaria 2021

Favourite Gymnastics Moment: Getting selected for Team Wales for 2018 Commonwealth Games

DID YOU KNOW . . .
She is part of a sporting family with one sister having swum for Wales and another run for Wales and Great Britain at junior level

ELIZABETH POPOVA

ABOUT

Born: 30 November, 2006 in Carmarthen
Lives: Widnes
School: Wade Deacon High School

GYMNASTICS BACKGROUND

First Started: Aged 4 at Llanelli RGA
Current Club: Llanelli RGA

Achievements: 9 British age grade titles; Welsh titles at all ages

International Representation (Wales): Aeon Cup in Japan and other internationals around Europe

International Representation (GB): 2019 World Junior Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Russia (ball & ribbon); 2019 FIG World Challenge Cup event in Portimao, Portugal, won team silver and individual silver (ball); 2019 Irini Cup, Greece, won individual gold (ball)

Favourite Gymnastics Moment: Going to the Aeon Cup in Japan and the Junior World Championships in Russia. I love savouring the atmosphere of big occasions and performing in front of big crowds.

DID YOU KNOW . . .
Her father was a professional basketball player in Bulgaria, while her mother, Ioana, has been her coach and used to work for Welsh Gymnastics. Ioana also worked with two Welsh Commonwealth Games teams (1998, 2002) and used to be the Welsh Gymnastics’ choreographer.

MEN’S ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS

EMIL BARBER

ABOUT

Born: 7 May, 2000 in Bournemouth
Lives: Swansea
School: Cwmtawe Comprehensive / Llandarcy Academy of Sport

GYMNASTICS BACKGROUND

First Started: Aged nine at Swansea GC
Current Club: Swansea GC

Achievements: Gold medal on vault at Northern Europeans and team silver 2019. Team gold at Northern Europeans 2021; 2022 Welsh Championships bronze AA; Welsh champion on floor and vault 2019 and 2022. Welsh bronze on parallel bars and pommel horse 2022.

International Representation (Wales): Northern Europeans 2019, 2021.

International Representation (GB): N/A

Favourite Gymnastics Moment: Coming 2^nd on vault at the 2018 U18 British Championships

DID YOU KNOW . . .
He travelled to Australia in 2018 as a Team Wales reserve for the Commonwealth Games.

BRINN BEVAN

ABOUT

Born: 16 June, 1997 in Southend
Lives: Basildon
School: The Deanes Sports College

GYMNASTICS BACKGROUND

First Started: Aged three
Current Club: South Essex Gym Club

Achievements: First boy to win levels 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 at Elite Grades from ages 8-13; 5 time British Junior champion; European Junior team gold 2012, 2014; European Youth Olympic Festival team gold 2013; English AA champion 2015; member of first GB team to win medal (silver) at World Championships 2015; 4^th place at Olympic Games (team) 2016; British AA champion 2018; British champion on parallel bars 2021; Parallel bars and team gold medals at Northern Europeans 2021, Welsh Championships silver on parallel bars 2022; British Championships 2022 bronze on parallel bars.

International Representation (Wales): Northern Europeans 2019, 2021.

International Representation (GB): European Junior Championships 2012, 2014; World Championships 2015, 2018, 2021; Olympic Games 2016

Favourite Gymnastics Moment: Winning a silver medal at the World Championships and coming back from my broken leg in six months to make Team GB for the Rio Olympic Games

DID YOU KNOW . . .
His father, Glynn, played rugby for London Welsh.

JOE CEMLYN-JONES

ABOUT

Born: 7 August, 1999 in Bristol
Lives: Clevedon
School: Gordano School

GYMNASTICS BACKGROUND

First Started: At City of Bristol club
Current Club: City of Birmingham

Achievements: Austria Cup AA title 2013; Italian Autumn Cup AA title 2014; Gold on parallel bars and high bar and team silver at Northern Europeans 2019; Silver for AA, parallel bars, rings as well as bronze on the floor, Men’s British Championships 2021. Individual all-around, team, pommel horse and floor gold medals, plus bronze on parallel bars, at Northern Europeans 2021.

International Representation (Wales): Austria Future Cup 2013; Italian Autumn Cup 2014; Northern Europeans 2019, 2021.

International Representation (GB): British Junior Vests; FIG World Challenge Cup, Bulgaria and Croatia 2021; World Championships 2021.

Favourite Gymnastics Moment: Winning first GB vest in 2013,

DID YOU KNOW . . .
Joe qualifies to represent Wales through his grandfather. In his spare time he sells Lego on e-bay via a shop called jcj-bricks.

JOSH COOK

ABOUT

Born: 19 October, 2000 in Penarth
Lives: Penarth and University of Illinois
School: Stanwell Comprehensive, Penarth

GYMNASTICS BACKGROUND

First Started: Aged four at Somersault Gymnastics Club before moving to YMCA Barry at 10
Current Club: YMCA Barry / University of Illinois – Fighting Illini Men’s Gymnastics Team

Achievements: Welsh AA, PBars and High Bar champion 2018; Northern European rings champion, team silver medalist, bronze medal on PBars 2019; 10^th AA British Championships 2019.

International Representation (Wales): Commonwealth Games 2018; Northern Europeans 2019.

International Representation (GB): N/A

Favourite Gymnastics Moment: The 2018 Commonwealth Games team final, the 2019 Northern Europeans team final and ‘senior night’ at the 2020 Fighting Illini.

DID YOU KNOW . . .
He was the youngest Welsh male gymnast at the 2018 Commonwealth Games at just 17. Competitive sailing runs in his family and he was a keen sailor himself when he was younger, but instead decided to fully concentrate on gymnastics.

JACOB EDWARDS

ABOUT

Born: 16 April, 2003 in Wrexham
Lives: Wrexham
School: Darland High School; Coleg Cambria

GYMNASTICS BACKGROUND

First Started: At age of five at Newcastle Gymnastics Academy
Current Club: Olympus Gymnastics Club, Wrexham

Achievements: British Under 16 AA champion in 2019; Multi Welsh age grade titles; Northern Europeans team silver 2019, team gold 2021; Welsh Championships 2022 gold on pommel and parallel bars, silver on floor and high bar and bronze on rings.

International Representation (Wales): 3 Celtic Cups; 2 UK School Games; 3 Porto Cups; Home Nations International 2019; Northern Europeans 2019, 2021; Mallorca Cup.

International Representation (GB): Under 16 International v Switzerland, France, Germany

Favourite Gymnastics Moment: Landing my Parallel Bar dismount at 2019 British Championships. It was the last skill I did to win the Under 16 title. I had fallen at the Welsh championships doing the same dismount, so it was a big moment for me.

DID YOU KNOW . . .
Jacob trains under the watchful eyes of his mother, Julie, and father, Paul, at the Olympus Gymnastics Club in Wrexham where they are the head coaches and directors. Paul is also a Brevet judge who has officiated at four Commonwealth Games. Jacob’s older brother Matthew Hennessey represented Wales at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010 and was in the British team at the World Student Games in 2011.