Disability | Medal Success at 2022 British Championships
Gymnasts representing City of Glasgow and West Lothian won a magnificent total of 13 all-around medals at the 2022 Disability British Championships which were held on Saturday 19 November in Cardiff.
The competition, which sees gymnasts vying for titles across three separate competitions, split by age category and classification type led to new all-around champions being crowned, as well as several individual apparatus medals being contested throughout the day.
In disability gymnastics, the categories are determined by the classification of disability, and working to the same code of points as able-bodied artistic gymnastics. In the class one competition, where the disability is relating to those with a learning disability, there was great success for the gymnasts representing Scottish clubs:
Sophie Barnett (West Lothian) | Open Class 1 – women’s junior
Bronze: vault & floor
Megan Docherty (West Lothian) | Open Class 1 – women’s senior
Gold: balance beam
Silver: all-around, vault, uneven bars & floor
Alistair Kemley (City of Glasgow) | Open Class 1 – men’s senior
Silver: pommel horse
Bronze: all-around, floor, rings, vault, parallel bars & horizontal bar
Holly Lench (City of Glasgow) | Competition A, Class 1 – women’s junior
Gold: balance beam
Bronze: all-around & floor
Rachel Thomson (City of Glasgow) | Competition A, Class 1 – women’s senior
Silver: vault, balance beam & floor
Bronze: all-around & uneven bars
Andrew Macintyre who competes for City of Glasgow has won gold at the championships since 2019 in the Class 1 – men's senior, and this year was no different, thanks to his fantastic scores across all six apparatus. His total of 62.199 put him a clear 2.549 points ahead of second place. As well as his all-around title, Andrew won gold on floor, parallel bars and horizontal bar, and finished with medals on the other three pieces.
City of Glasgow teammates Poppy McCall and Ella Morton competed in the Competition B, Class 1- women’s junior category, with Poppy winning silver in the all-around, as well as taking home three individual apparatus medals. Ella became the new champion on uneven bars in this category and won two more apparatus medals.
It was second and third place in the all-around for Jack Bothwell and Connor Deafley, both from City of Glasgow in Competition B, Class 1 – men’s junior category. Both gymnasts performed well, with Jack winning gold medals for his pommel, vault and horizontal bar.
There were three gymnasts representing City of Glasgow in Competition B, Class 1 – women’s senior competition. Chiara Astley became British champion in the all-around, topping the scores on uneven bars and beam, and medalling on the other two apparatus. Emily McAlpine came second in the all-around, picking up a haul of medals across all four pieces. Cara McCall came fourth overall with a total score of 37.400.
For class two, gymnasts are classified by a physical disability. Scottish gymnasts had more medal success, with performances that show who important it is for these skilled gymnasts to compete against other gymnasts from across the country.
Zachary Wood from City of Glasgow competed well across four of six pieces, scoring an all-around total of 42.483 and taking home medals in his category.
City of Glasgow’s Monica Fisher came out on top in Competition B, Class 2 women’s senior category. Her phenomenal performance on floor helped her to reach a total of 41.500, claiming both the all-around and floor championship titles.
Iona Timmons from City of Glasgow also competed in the U12 age category, in which no classification is necessary. She competed all four pieces of apparatus, scoring 40.700 and taking home the gold, uncontested.
Congratulations to all the gymnasts, and well done to the coaches who support the development of disability gymnastics in their clubs.