Bright Young Things

The future of British Gymnastics (Part 1)

With 2012 drawing to a close and another Olympic cycle over, it is inevitable that people are starting to think about the future. With Team GB celebrating great success at the home Olympics in London, what can we expect next year or even in Rio 2016? Here are some of the gymnasts who are currently making a splash in the junior ranks of British gymnastics and all have their sights firmly set on 2016.

Gabrielle Jupp
Gabrielle will turn senior next year after a great 2012, a year in which she became the Junior British All Around Champion as well as taking Bronze on Vault and Gold on Bars. She was also selected to be part of the junior team to represent GB at the European Championships where she finished 5th in the All Around competition. She also made the apparatus finals on Beam and Floor, taking a Bronze medal on Beam. She is a very stylish gymnast who works well on all four apparatus and is someone I am sure we will be seeing a lot of over the coming years.

 

Angel Romaeo
Angel is another gymnast who will turn senior next year after a very successful junior career. Her talent shone through early on, taking the Espoir British Championship title in 2010. In 2011 she was selected for the Youth Commonwealth Games, where she took the Gold medal and All Around title as well as taking the Bronze medal on Vault. In 2012 she took the Silver medal in the All Around final at the Junior British Championships as well as winning Bronze medals on Bars and Beam and taking the Gold medal on floor. She was also part of the team selected to compete at the 2012 European Championships where she qualified to the All Around final. Angel is a very elegant and expressive gymnast and her work on beam and floor is beautiful to watch. She is a gymnast who I have no doubt will make a big impact as she moves into senior competition.

Raer Theaker
Raer is another promising young gymnast who will turn senior next year. Her talent started to shine through in 2011 when she competed very successfully at the Youth Commonwealth Games. She placed 4th in the All Around and qualified to three of the four apparatus finals. She placed 4th on Vault and took two Silver medals, on Bars and Beam. In the 2011 British Championships she claimed two medals, taking the Gold medal on Vault and Bronze on Bars. She successfully defended her Vault title at the 2012 British Championships as well as picking up a Bronze medal on Floor. She was also selected to be part of the team that competed at the 2012 European Championships. Raer is solid on all 4 apparatus. She combines power with elegance and has some excellent tumbling. Another gymnast I am sure we will see much more of in the future.

Abbie Caig
Abbie is another gymnast who turns senior next year and who has shown great potential during her junior career. In 2011 she took the Bronze medal in the All Around competition at the British Championships as well as making three of the four apparatus finals, finishing 6th on Bars and taking Bronze medals on both Beam and Floor. She was also very successful at the 2011 Youth Commonwealth Games, taking the Bronze medal in the All Around competition, another Bronze in the Vault Final and the Gold medal on Floor. 2012 has been a quieter year for Abbie as she has been recovering from injury. She competed well at the 2012 British Championships though, finishing 4th All Around and taking the Silver medal on Beam. She has some lovely work especially on beam and floor and I have no doubt that she is a gymnast we will see much of in the future.

 
Charlie Fellows
Charlie will also turn senior next year after a very successful 2012. In the British Championships she took the Bronze medal in the All Around competition. She also qualified to two apparatus finals, finishing 4th on Floor and taking the Silver medal on Bars. She was also selected to be part of the team at the 2012 European Championships, where she qualified to the Floor Final and finished 7th. She has some really interesting work on all apparatus and is definitely one to watch in the future.

Georgina Hockenhull
Georgina has started to make a name for herself in 2012, being part of the team that was selected to compete in the 2012 European Championships where she helped the team on beam and floor. She also impressed at the 2012 British Championships, taking the Gold medal on Beam.

 

I think it is clear that even with the retirement of gymnasts such as Beth Tweddle and Jenni Pinches and the departure of Danusia Francis to the NCAA championships in America, the future of British Gymnastics looks to be in very good hands.