Alice Kinsella, Georgia Mae Fenton, Courtney Tulloch, Marios Georgiou and Rhys McClenaghan will be looking to defend their individual Commonwealth Games titles as the 2022 edition of the event starts in Birmingham (GBR) 29 July.
Fourteen sets of medals are ready to be awarded in Artistic Gymnastics and with another six in Rhythmic, the Gymnastics competition in Birmingham is set to be a spectacular one.
“The gymnasts always deliver when it comes to incredible skills and exciting routines, so we really can’t wait for the action to start at Arena Birmingham”, Matt Kidson, Director of Sport for Birmingham 2022, said.
At home in England, 2018 Rings champion Tulloch and 2018 All-Around silver medallist James Hall will be looking to repeat their success from four years ago. The two seasoned gymnasts are the only two returning members from England’s gold medal winning team from 2018.
Joined by Tokyo 2020 Olympians Joe Fraser and Giarnni Regini-Moran and youngster Jake Jarman, England again looks the men’s team to beat.
The English squad eyes its third consecutive Commonwealth Games team gold after 2014 and 2018 and will be challenged by the likes of 2018 medallists Canada, led by Tokyo 2020 Olympian Rene Cournoyer, as well as Scotland, spearheaded by 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games medallist Frank Baines.
Wales and Cyprus will also be in the mix for a medal in the men’s team competition. The latter one will be led by Marios Georgiou, who claimed All-Around bronze and gold on both Floor Exercise and Parallel Bars four years ago.
In the women’s competition, 2018 Balance Beam and Uneven Bars champions Alice Kinsella and Georgia Fenton lead the English team, joined by Kelly Simm, Ondine Achampong and Claudia Fragapane.
After winning silver behind Canada four years ago, the English women look to up their game in front of the home crowd. Whilst Canada enters the Games with a rather young and new team, England brings in lots of experience.
Fragapane, who won four golds eight years ago, is back in the squad as she aims to consign her injury-hit years to history.
“It feels absolutely amazing to be back competing for Team England eight years later. It feels even more special this time”, Fragapane recently said in an interview.
The women’s competition contains four subdivisions, with 2018 champions Canada, silver medallists England and 2018 bronze medallists Australia, including Tokyo 2020 Olympians Georgia Godwin and Emily Whitehead, all competing in the latter.
New champions will definitely be crowned in the individual All-Around, as 2018 men’s winner Nile Wilson (ENG) retired and two-time women’s champion Ellie Black (CAN) decided to focus on the World Championships later this year.
Besides Tulloch, Fenton, Kinsella and Georgiou, Rhys McClenaghan (Northern Ireland) is the only 2018 champion looking to defend his title. McClenaghan, who won gold on Pommel Horse, is the top contender for gold in that specific event.
New champions to be crowned in Rhythmic Gymnastics
In Rhythmic Gymnastics, all titles are up for grabs in absence of the 2018 champions. Four years ago, Cyprus’ Diamanto Evripidou claimed four gold medals when she helped team Cyprus to gold and then went on to win the Individual All-Around, the Hoop and the Ball title.
Koi Sie Yan (MAS), runner-up in the Ball and Clubs events, is returning to Birmingham and eying to up her game. Also returning is Australia’s Alexandra Kiroi-Bogatyreva, who claimed bronze in the team competition and in the Ball final four years ago.
Gymnastics action in Birmingham starts with the Artistic Gymnastics competition, running between 29 July until 2 August, with Rhythmic Gymnastics being held from 4-6 August.
Source: Federation International De Gymnastique
