Wales’ Commonwealth artistic gymnasts shine at British Champs

Welsh artistic gymnasts brought home a haul of 14 medals from this weekend’s British Championships across all competitions.

Commonwealth games gymnast Holly Jones was crowned British vault champion and Maisie Methuen won the British title on beam. Fellow Commonwealth games gymnast Emily Thomas took bronze on bars.

The men’s Artistic Commonwealth Games gymnasts also did well in Liverpool, with Jac Davies winning a silver medal on the pommel horse and bronze in the Master’s final on the same apparatus Josh Cook won bronze on floor and on the rings and also scooped a bronze medal in the Master’s final on the floor. Josh also finished fifth in the under 18 all-around competition. Emil Barber, who is a travelling reserve for the Commonwealth Games, won a silver medal on the vault and came sixth in the under 18 all-around competition. He also finished 8^th in the Master’s vault final.

Maisie Methuen also came fourth on the floor, sixth on the bars and seventh in the all-around competition. Emily Thomas came fifth on vault, sixth on floor and sixth in the all-around competition.

Fellow Commonwealth games team members Latalia Bevan came 9^th in the all-around competition and Jolie Ruckley, who continued to compete despite suffering a nasty injury to her mouth during podium training on beam, finished 19^th in the all-around competition. Travelling reserve Rebecca Moore came fourth on bars and 12^th in the all-around competition and non-travelling reserve Zoe Simmons came sixth on floor and 10^th in the all-around.

Men’s artistic Commonwealth Games team members Iwan Mepham came 7^th in the parallel bars final, Benjamin Eyre came 10^th in the all-around competition and Clinton Purnell competed on pommel and vault.

Triumph in the junior competition came from Swansea Gymnastics Club’s Liam Beard, who won silver on vault in the under 14 competition. Jacob Edwards from Olympus Gymnastics Club won silver on floor in the under 16 competition.

Under 14 gymnast Oscar Harper, also of Swansea, made the rings and high bar final and fellow Swansea gymnast Rhys Griffiths also made the finals of the high bar.

The women’s artistic Espoire competition saw great results from Clwb Cymru Caerdydd gymnasts. Sofia  Micallef won bronze on floor and she came 4^th in the  and vault final as well as the  all-around competition, she also qualified for the finals of the uneven bars.  Mali Morgan brought home a silver medal on beam and came fifth in the all-around competition. Poppy Grace Stickler won bronze on beam, while Jea Brittany Maracha reached the finals of the bars competition.

In the women’s artistic junior competition, Amelia Thomas came sixth in the all-around competition and reached the finals of the uneven bars.

With only three weeks to go until the start of the Commonwealth Games, the British Championships was a great success for Team Wales. Huge congratulations to all gymnasts who competed from Welsh Gymnastics.