Artistic | Shannon Archer announces retirement
Shannon Archer will compete at the Scottish National Artistic Gymnastics Championships for the last time after announcing her retirement today.
The current Scottish champion is calling time on her long representative career after making history in Birmingham in 2022. That was when Shannon won Team Scotland’s first ever medal in women’s artistic gymnastics, which she describes as the proudest moment of her career.
Shannon was first selected to represent Scotland in 2010 at the Celtic Cup becoming the minor champion and was selected for the Great Britain squad the same year. The following year she won her first GB medals against Sweden, gold in the all-around and team event. She then represented Team Scotland for the first time at the Youth Commonwealth Games.
Shannon’s career was blossoming and at the start of 2012, Shannon was selected for the GB world class programme. However, a serious injury halted her development and kept her out of contention for the home Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014.
Shannon’s resilience did not stop her and she was back competing internationally. In 2017, she became senior Scottish champion and gymnast of the the year for the first time. A year later she was on her way to the Gold Coast for the Commonwealth Games where she qualified for the all-around and vault finals.
After her time in Australia, Shannon stepped back to consider her future and her career, which included achieving a BSc in Developing Athletes Through Professional Practice from Edinburgh Napier University.
However, the hunger to achieve on the world stage was still there. Shannon moved to South Essex in 2020 in the height of the Covid-19 pandemic to start training again, with one goal in mind. A medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2022. She worked hard, becoming the first Scot to compete a double twisting Yurchenko on vault at the Scottish FIG Open on her way to becoming the all-around champion. She was then named in the GB senior squad and her determination and hard work paid off when she won the bronze on vault in Birmingham and making history for Scotland. Shannon’s was recognised by being named Scottish gymnast of the year for the second time and recently became a Scottish Gymnastics ambassador for WUKA.
Congratulations, Shannon, to you, your supportive family, your coaches, medics and support team and for your achievements. We look forward to the next chapter of your career in strength and conditioning.
You can see Shannon in action at the Scottish championships at Ravenscraig on Saturday 17 February and find out more about her favourite moments and who has supported her journey in the spectator programme.
Photographs:
Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Team Scotland/Ewan Bootman
2011 Youth Commonwealth Games: Team Scotland