The 2022 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships were a great success for both the men’s and women’s teams, as both have now qualified for the Olympics.
With a team qualifying, this also means the maximum of five individuals will also compete. Therefore, with over a year and a half to go to the Games, Great Britain have already qualified the maximum quotas for the sport of artistic gymnastics. The three medallists for both genders would qualify a team and five individual spots.
In the men’s event, the top eight teams (out of twenty-four) would qualify, and Great Britain would have no problems, with a total of 252.793 putting us in second. Our team was made up of Joe Fraser, James Hall, Jake Jarman, Giarnni Regini-Moran, and Courtney Tulloch. We were 9.501 points ahead of ninth-placed Germany, a sizable gap. The 15.066 on the parallel bars from Joe Fraser was the best performance from a Brit in qualifying.
In the final, the scores were wiped, with three athletes from each team competing per apparatus, and all eighteen scores being added for the final. We started on the floor, and all three of Hall, Jarman and Regini-Moran got a score higher than fourteen, with the total of 42.799 only bettered by Japan. Next was the pommel horse, where we struggled somewhat, as Fraser couldn’t keep his form and only managed a 10.466 and Hall and Jarman were in the twelves, the total of 35.232 bettered by all but Brazil and South Korea. Next was the rings, where Hall and Fraser put in respectable showings but Tulloch’s 14.666 inspired GB to a total of 42.299, bettered only by China. The vault was more mixed as GB had a middling score of 42.833, with Regini-Moran and Tulloch showing strength but Jarman penalised for a step off the mat. Next was the parallel bars, and GB managed a 43.266, only bettered by China and Japan, with Fraser breaking into the fifteens. With one rotation to go, and China and Japan in the distance, Italy were a touch ahead of GB but the Brits had the higher-scoring horizontal bar, while Italy were on the pommel horse. The Americans were not too far behind and had the floor, the highest scoring apparatus of the three to come. However, the US had the worst floor routine of anyone, removing themselves of medal contention. Italy’s pommel horse was much better than GB’s, but GB just made the gap up with a 40.800 on the horizontal bar, with Fraser, Hall and Jarman all with decent scores. Thus, GB finished on 247.229, enough for third, 1.234 points ahead of Italy in fourth.
The women were also hoping to impress, with Ondine Achampong, Georgia-Mae Fenton, Jennifer Gadirova, Jessica Gadirova and Alice Kinsella donning the Union Jack. With the top eight (of twenty-three) qualifying for the final, GB made light work in second with 164.595, 5.199 points ahead of the Dutch in ninth place. With the format the same as the men’s final, save that women compete on four apparatuses rather than six, the Achampong, Jessica Gadirova and Kinsella put in a 42.699 on the vault to start, the best of any team rather than the USA, with Achampong’s 14.366 the best a Brit managed. 40.533 on the uneven bars was a mixed result, with Kinsella impressing and Fenton also having a decent performance, but Jessica Gadirova doing well to hang on to a score of 12.800. Next was the balance beam, where Achampong and Fenton put in a very creditable score but a full from Kinsella was costly and put us in the middle of the pack with 39.299. Going to the floor, the Americans were clear champions save a miracle but the Brits seemed good value for silver and probably for a medal. Both Gadirovas and Kinsella put in a good performance with 40.832 the best of anyone apart from the US, and our 163.363 was enough for a silver medal.
Artistic Gymnastics is a feather in the cap and to have qualification finished this early is very nice indeed. Great job to all the team and we can check this off the list.
GB Games 