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British Gymnastics

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British Gymnastics
Formation1888; 137 years ago (1888)
TypeNational sports governing body
Legal statusPrivate Limited company without share capital (01630001)
PurposeDeveloping gymnasts, coaches and gymnastics clubs in the United Kingdom
HeadquartersLilleshall National Sports Centre
Location
Chairman
Mike Darcey[1]
CEO
Sarah Powell[2]
Patron
John Major[3]
Key people
Head of MAG: Barry Collie
Head of WAG: Martine George
SubsidiariesEnglish Gymnastics
Welsh Gymnastics
Scottish Gymnastics
Gymnastics Northern Ireland
AffiliationsEuropean Union of Gymnastics
Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique
Central Council of Physical Recreation
British Olympic Association
WebsiteBritish Gymnastics

British Gymnastics (BG) is the sports governing body for gymnastics disciplines in the United Kingdom including Acrobatic Gymnastics, Aerobic Gymnastics, Disability Gymnastics, Men’s Artistic Gymnastics, Rhythmic Gymnastics, TeamGym, Trampoline, Double Mini Tramp, Tumbling and Women’s Artistic Gymnastics.

It works in partnership with the Home Nations Gymnastics Associations: English Gymnastics, Gymnastics Northern Ireland, Scottish Gymnastics and Welsh Gymnastics.

History

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British Gymnastics was founded in 1888 as the Amateur Gymnastics and Fencing Association.[4]

Walter Tysall became the first Briton to win an Olympic medal for gymnastics, achieving silver at the 1908 Olympics.[5]

Women competed at the Olympics in gymnastics for the first time at the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam, where the British women's team took the bronze – their best performance.[5]

The 1960 Summer Olympics were the first to be televised, and this led to a greater interest in Britain of gymnastics.

In 1963 the Amateur Gymnastics Association became the British Amateur Gymnastics Association, and the BAGA first received a government grant, allowing it to pay coaches, and appoint a full-time national coach, Nik Stuart. He developed the BAGA Awards, a proficiency scheme for young gymnasts, which was adopted by seventy other countries.

The British men and women took part in their first ever Gymnastics World Championships in 1966 in Dortmund.[6]

The BAGA Awards started to produce results for Britain. Gymnastics were given superstar status by the 1972 Olympics at Munich. Use of Lilleshall for gymnastics increased greatly throughout the late 1970s under Derek Tremayne.

BAGA was registered as a company on 20 April 1982. In 1979 the Sports Council had built a gym at Lilleshall, equipped to international standards in 1980, with the Queen Elizabeth Hall. In 1981 a £18,000 feasibility study looked at developing Lilleshall into a national centre, and in October 1982 the Sports Council allocated £1 million to develop a national centre.

Anne, Princess Royal opened the £1.75 million Princess Royal Hall at Lilleshall on 26 April 1988, paid for by the Sports Council. There is also the King George VI Hall and Ford Hall. In 1997 BAGA became British Gymnastics.[7]

In 1998 UK Sport began awarding Lottery funding to British Gymnastics for the development of elite sport programmes.[8]

British Gymnastics merges with the British Trampoline Federation in 1999 ahead of the 2000 Olympics.[8]

In 2002 Beth Tweddle wins a bronze medal on bars at the European Championships – the first ever for a British women's artistic gymnast. She goes on to win the first World medal for a British Artistic Woman with another bronze on the bars at the 2003 World Championships.[8] Tweddle then becomes the first British World Champion at the 2006 World Championships in Aarhus Denmark with a gold on bars.[8]

At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, an individual Bronze for Louis Smith was a breakthrough with the first men's medal in decades.

At the 2012 London Olympics, the Men's Artistic Gymnastics team won Bronze with individual Silver for Louis Smith and Bronze for Max Whitlock on Pommel and individual Bronze for Beth Tweddle on Uneven bars.

At the 2020 Summer Olympics Jennifer Gadirova, Jessica Gadirova, Alice Kinsella and Amelie Morgan won Women's team Bronze.

Lilleshall Hall

Function

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British Gymnastics is the main sport governing body for gymnastics throughout the UK, developing gymnasts, coaches clubs and officiating in all gymnastic disciplines. It aims to promote and regulate a safe and fair sport by setting standards for gymnastics clubs and affiliated organisations, competitions, and members.[9]

Publications

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Its main publication is The Gymnast, having been published since 1959. Since 2011 it has been released in an online format only[10] Most news is now released via the British Gymnastics Website,[11] Social Media and the weekly Gymblast email newsletter[12]

Competition

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British Gymnastics holds the British Gymnastics Championships annually for elite-level artistic gymnasts, which also acts a selection event for the British national team.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Mike Darcey appointed new Chair of British Gymnastics". British Gymnastics. 6 February 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  2. ^ "Our new CEO announced". british-gymnastics.org. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  3. ^ "Sir John Major becomes British Gymnastics Patron". British Gymnastics. 3 December 2013. Archived from the original on 7 December 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  4. ^ "British Gymnastics History". Gymnastics History. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  5. ^ a b "1900-1939". Gymnastics History. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  6. ^ "British Gymnastics History Pre 1980". Gymnastics History. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  7. ^ "BAGA history". Archived from the original on 27 June 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  8. ^ a b c d "British Gymnastics History 1981 to Present". Gymnastics History. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  9. ^ "Our Governance". www.british-gymnastics.org. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  10. ^ Gymnast Magazine
  11. ^ "We're the National Governing Body for gymnastics in the UK". british-gymnastics.org. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  12. ^ Gymblast E-Zine
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Video clips

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