Competitors

Although the deadline for submitting the nominative entries for London 2009 is still way ahead, there is no doubt that the audiences in The O2 will be treated to the best that exists in the world of gymnastics.

British gymnasts are looking forward to this significant event with increased confidence and a number of achievements over the last years that helped them move into the first division of World Gymnastics. The following British gymnasts are expected to compete in London:

  • Louis Smith, who made Olympic history by being the first British gymnast to win an individual medal at the Olympic Games for 100 years (since 1908 Walter Tysell, Silver medal) - competing in the Pommel Horse Final and winning a Bronze medal in Beijing 2008.
  • Daniel Keatings who turned into the star of the 2008 Junior European Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland (4 Gold medals, including the victory in the All-around), and took the 20th place in the Senior All-around event in Beijing 2008.
  • Beth Tweddle who won the 2006 World and European titles on A. Bars, and narrowly missed to medal at the Olympic Games in Beijing finishing in 4th place.
  • Becky Downie who finished the Women’s All-around Final in Beijing in a record 12th place, following a tiebreak with the 2006 World Champion Vanessa Ferarri (ITA).

Nationalities Competing

Nationalities Competing

The last World Championships of the competition format that will apply in London 2009, in Melbourne AUS in 2005 saw 189 male and 95 female gymnasts representing 67 National Federations. The number of participants in London 2009 is expected to be higher. Please, check this page for updates.

View the nationalities competing

 

Previous Winners

Current World and Olympic Champions

Find out more about the current World and Olympic Champions.

View the previous event winners
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Did you know?...

10 interesting facts you probably didn't know about gymnastics!
  • The number of the National Federations which are members of the international Governing body (FIG) has grown to 130 in the year 2008.
  • 1960 saw a number of Gymnastics curiosities in Great Britain: like 200 boys applying for 90 places in the first National School Boys Course held at Swaylands College near Tonbridge, or the Royal Albert Hall's 6,000 seating capacity being insufficient to meet the demand of the crowd during the British Championships held on 25th March 1961.
  • British Gymnastics is one of the oldest Governing bodies in the world. It has been formed on 21st June 1888, then under the name Amateur Gymnastics Association.
  • The triple somersault on floor was seen for the first time at Olympic Games in Seoul 1988; it was performed by Valery Liukin (USSR) whose daughter Anastasia (Nastia) Liukin became Olympic All-around Champion for women exactly 20 years later, in Beijing 2008, competing for the USA.
  • The first International Code of Points for men has been created in 1949 and consisted of 12 pages, while its last edition, from 2007, consists of 150 pages.
  • Svetlana Khorkina (RUS) is the only woman in the history of gymnastics who has won the World Individual All-around title three times - 1997, 2001, 2003.
  • Under the overall description of Gymnastics lie the individual disciplines and activities of: Men's Artistic Gymnastics, Women's Artistic Gymnastics, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Trampoline Gymnastics (all of the above being Olympic disciplines), and also Tumbling, Acrobatics, Aerobics, General Gymnastics and Gymnastics & Movement for People with Disabilities (GMPD).
  • The word gymnastics is derived from the Greek 'gymnos' (naked), as most athletes during the ancient Olympic games performed without clothes. The 'gymnasium' in Greek was a public school or place designated for physical exercises.
  • There are four male gymnasts who have won the Individual World All-around title twice: Yuri Korolev (USSR), 1981 & 1985; Dmitry Bilozertchev, (USSR), 1983 & 1987; Ivan Ivankov, Belarus, 1994 & 1997 and the Chinese Yang Wei, 2006 & 2007.
  • Artistic Gymnastics is one of the few sports that have been contested at every Olympic games of the modern era since 1896 when only 18 male gymnasts took part representing 5 nations.
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