British Champion!
The first major competition of the year and first since the Olympics, so it was great to be back on the competition Floor in a big arena in Liverpool.
Having sustained a heel injury 8 weeks before, it was a race to be able to actually compete. Only on the day of competition was it decided I’d do all 6 pieces.
Competition Highlights:
Floor was my main focus going in. In qualifications, I scored 14.150 - only my second full routine on floor in eight weeks (due to injury) so to qualify in first place felt like a strong statement. In the final on Sunday, I was last up. I went clean with a simplified routine and was really happy to score 14.550.
In the All-Around, I had a fall on P-bars dismount, and on High Bar I had to leave out my big dismount (Triple Pike) due to my heel injury. On Pommel Horse, I went clean and scored 13.000, which got me into the final where I finished 5th. Rings was something I’d been looking forward to. I’d added two new strength elements, and overall, it went well. Unfortunately, I fell on my triple somersault dismount, so that cost me. It wasn’t until after Rings, my fifth piece that I looked at the All-Around scores. That’s when we made the call that I’d go for Vault. The original plan wasn’t going to be enough for a medal, so I had to commit to a bigger more difficult vault - Given the circumstances, I was really pleased with how it went. I scored 13.900, which earned me the All-Around Bronze, just 0.2 behind Jonas and 1.85 behind Jamie.
To come away with a medal after everything and on my first full competition back - is something I’m really proud of. There’s still so much more to build on from here, and I’m excited for what’s to come.
Off the competition floor:
A special moment—unexpected but really meaningful—I was awarded the ‘World Class Gymnast’ insignia from the FIG (Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique) for qualifying for the Olympic Floor Final. The award was presented in the arena.
Another highlight was speaking at the ‘Celebratory Reception’ alongside Mike Darcey, Chair of British Gymnastics, where I shared some insights into my Paris Olympic experience.
And to cap it off, I joined the BBC Sofa on Sunday for an interview following the Floor Final, reflecting on the event and my performance.
