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‘I want to be back competing on this stage’ – Sofia Micallef targets 2026 after impressive Commonwealth Games bow in Birmingham
Carl Field
Sofia Micallef is already targeting the next Commonwealth Games in four years’ time after an impressive performance for Team Wales at Birmingham 2022.
Sofia, who at 15 was the youngest competitor in the women’s balance beam final, delivered a fantastic routine – scoring 12.500 to finish seventh.
It was one place behind teammate Jea Maracha, who also did superbly to score 12.666 for sixth place.
Both helped Team Wales to a brilliant fifth position in the Women’s Team final in what is still their first year as senior gymnasts. Jea was also 10th in the women’s individual all-around final.
“This experience has definitely motivated me to get back in the gym and improve my difficulty scores,” said Sofia, who turns 16 on Friday.
“I want to be back here competing all over again.”
In the women’s floor final, Poppy Stickler also performed beautifully as she recorded a sixth placed finish following on from a superb fifth place in the women’s individual all-around final.
Meanwhile both Emil Barber and Brinn Bevan had their eyes on the medal places heading into their respective men’s apparatus finals, bit this time it just wasn’t to be for both.
Swansea gymnast Emil was first up on vault and once again packed in the difficulty but was unable to land either of his two vaults.
The double Welsh champion on this piece finished with an average of 13.033 after scoring 12.900 and 13.166 for his two passes to finish in eighth position.
In the men’s parallel bars final, Brinn recovered brilliantly after a slight error at the start of his routine, but his score of 13.400 meant he would have to settle for seventh.
England’s Jake Jarman added the men’s vault title to his Team, individual all-around and floor golds, while Joe Fraser bagged himself another gold on the parallel bars to go with his pommel horse and Team golds in his home city.
The men’s high bar competition was won by Cyprus’ Ilias Georgiou.
Australia’s Kate McDonald won the women’s balance beam final while Alice Kinsella bounced back from the disappointment of missing out on a medal in the all-around final to win gold on the floor.