Elizabeth Kimberly Tweddle (born 1 April 1985) is a retired British
artistic gymnast
Artistic gymnastics is a discipline of gymnastics in which athletes perform short routines on different apparatuses. The sport is governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG), which designs the Code of Points and regulates ...
. Renowned for her uneven bar and floor routines, she was the first female gymnast from Great Britain to win a medal at the
European Championships
The European Championships is a multi-sport tournament which brings together the existing European Championships of some of the continent's leading sports every four years. The inaugural edition in 2018 was staged by the host cities of Berlin, ...
,
World Championships, and
Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...
. Tweddle, known for her consistency and longevity as an elite gymnast, is regarded as a pioneer of the renaissance of British gymnastics at the beginning of the twenty-first century that saw the country's gymnastics programme progress from 'also ran' to consistent global competitiveness.
Tweddle represented
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
at three
Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...
. She is the
2012 Olympic bronze medalist on uneven bars, the
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
and
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
World Champion on the uneven bars, the
2009 World Champion on floor exercise, a four-time European Champion on the uneven bars, and a two-time European Champion on the floor exercise.
Tweddle retired in August 2013. Following retirement, Tweddle took on a variety of media and sporting work. On 10 March 2013, she won the
eighth series of ''
Dancing on Ice
''Dancing on Ice'' is a British television series presented by Phillip Schofield alongside Holly Willoughby from 2006 to 2011, who then returned in 2018, and Christine Bleakley from 2012 to 2014. The series features celebrities and their profe ...
'' along with
Daniel Whiston
Daniel J Whiston (born 21 November 1976 in Blackpool) is an English ice skater. He appeared in ''Strictly Ice Dancing'' on BBC One and for all series of ITV show '' Dancing on Ice'' since its inception in 2006. He won the first series of ''Danc ...
, who won the show for the third time. In 2014, she took part in the ninth and (at the time) last series of ''Dancing on Ice'', the
"All-Stars" series, with her new skating partner
Łukasz Różycki
Łukasz Różycki (; born 13 December 1979 in Warsaw, Poland) is a Polish pair skater who competed with Aneta Kowalska. He is married to Finnish skater Alexandra Schauman.
Competitive highlights
''Dancing on Ice''
In January 2011, Różycki ...
, making the final and coming third.
In 2016, Tweddle participated in the
third series
Third or 3rd may refer to:
Numbers
* 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3
* , a fraction of one third
* 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute''
Places
* 3rd Street (disambiguation)
* Third Avenue (disambiguation)
* Hig ...
of
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
reality contest show ''
The Jump''. However, on 7 February, two weeks into the show, Tweddle suffered a back injury and withdrew. It was reported on 8 February 2016 that she had undergone successful surgery to fuse two vertebrae.
Early life and education
Tweddle was born on 1 April 1985 in
Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...
, South Africa and moved with her family to
Bunbury, Cheshire
Bunbury is a village in Cheshire, England, south of Tarporley and north west of Nantwich on the Shropshire Union Canal. At the 2011 Census, it had a population of 1,195.
History
Bunbury was reputedly derived from Buna-burh, meaning the "redoub ...
, England when she was 18 months old. After trying several different sports, Tweddle began competing in gymnastics at the age of seven at Crewe and Nantwich Gymnastics Club. In 1997, she moved to the City of Liverpool Gymnastics Club to train with coach
Amanda Reddin.
Tweddle attended
The Queen's School, Chester
The Queen's School is an independent day school for girls aged 4–18 located in Chester, England. Founded in 1878 as "The Chester School for Girls", Queen Victoria, who was the school's first patron, issued a royal decree naming the school as " ...
and completed a foundation degree with the
University of Liverpool
, mottoeng = These days of peace foster learning
, established = 1881 – University College Liverpool1884 – affiliated to the federal Victoria Universityhttp://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/2004/4 University of Manchester Act 200 ...
. In 2007, she graduated from
Liverpool John Moores University
, mottoeng = Fortune favours the bold
, established = 1823 – Liverpool Mechanics' School of Arts1992 – Liverpool John Moores University
, type = Public
, endowment =
, coor ...
with a degree in sports science. She was accepted to the
University of Liverpool
, mottoeng = These days of peace foster learning
, established = 1881 – University College Liverpool1884 – affiliated to the federal Victoria Universityhttp://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/2004/4 University of Manchester Act 200 ...
's
physiotherapy
Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is one of the allied health professions. It is provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, prognosis, patient ...
programme and began to attend after the
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
. Tweddle is also involved with Total Gymnastics. She said, "I have a sports science degree, and I'll be continuing my studies in the future – I have place at the University of Liverpool to study Physiotherapy in 2012. I've also started Total Gymnastics with the help of former Olympic swimmer
Steve Parry. We go into schools and leisure centres to help give children a chance to try gymnastics – which I'm enjoying because so many gymnastics clubs are overbooked.". Tweddle is a keen football fan and is a supporter of
Chester F.C.
Chester Football Club is an association football club based in Chester. They are currently members of and play at the Deva Stadium.
The club was founded in 2010 following the liquidation of Chester City. In its inaugural season it competed ...
She is also a patron of
Alder Hey Children's Hospital
Alder Hey Children's Hospital is a children's hospital and NHS foundation trust in West Derby, Liverpool, England. It is one of the largest children's hospitals in the United Kingdom, and one of several specialist hospitals within the Liverpool ...
charity.
Senior career
2001
At the end of October, Tweddle competed at the
World Championships in Ghent, Belgium. She helped the British team place ninth and individually she placed twenty-fourth in the all around final with a score of 34.892.
2002
In April, Tweddle competed at the European Championships in Patras, Greece. She helped the British team place sixth and individually she placed fourteenth in the all around final with a score of 34.242. In event finals, she placed third on uneven bars with a score of 9.287. This was the first medal ever won by a female British gymnast at the European Championships. Tweddle said, "When I saw my name on the scoreboard in third place I just started to cry and couldn't stop. I'm just so happy."
["Tweddle makes history at European champs"]
Rob Burgess, UK Sport, 22 April 2002.
In July, Tweddle competed for England at the
2002 Commonwealth Games
The 2002 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XVII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Manchester 2002 were held in Manchester, England, from 25 July to 4 August, 2002. The 2002 Games were to be hosted in the United Kingdom to coin ...
in Manchester, United Kingdom. She placed second in the all around final with a score of 36.387. In event finals, she placed seventh on vault scoring 8.887 and first on uneven bars scoring 9.550.
In November, Tweddle competed at the
World Championships in Debrecen, Hungary. She placed fourth on uneven bars scoring 9.312.
2003
In August, Tweddle competed at the
World Championships in Anaheim, United States. She placed third in the uneven bars final with a score of 9.512.
In October, Tweddle competed at the
World Cup event in Glasgow, United Kingdom. She placed first on uneven bars scoring 9.450 and third on balance beam scoring 8.800.
In November, Tweddle competed at the World Cup event in Stuttgart, Germany. She placed second on uneven bars with a score of 9.475.
2004
In March, Tweddle competed at the
World Cup event in Cottbus, Germany. She placed first on uneven bars scoring 9.587.
Later in March, Tweddle competed at the World Cup event in Lyon, France. She placed first on uneven bars with a score of 9.500.
In April, Tweddle competed at the European Championships in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. She placed eleventh in the all around final with a score of 35.124 and second in the uneven bars final with a score of 9.587.
Athens Olympics
In August, Tweddle competed at the
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...
in Athens, Greece. She contributed an all around score of 36.912 toward the British team's eleventh-place finish. In the
all around final, Tweddle placed nineteenth with a score of 35.761.
2005
In February, Tweddle competed at the
World Cup event in New York City, United States. She placed fourth on uneven bars scoring 9.487 and third on floor scoring 9.412.
In May, Tweddle competed at the World Cup event in Paris, France. She placed second on uneven bars scoring 9.450 and seventh on floor scoring 8.225.
In October, Tweddle competed at the World Cup event in Glasgow, United Kingdom. She placed first on uneven bars scoring 9.687, third on balance beam scoring 9.012, and first on floor scoring 9.475.
In November, Tweddle competed at the
World Championships in Melbourne, Australia. She placed fourth in the all around final with a score of 36.936 and third in the uneven bars final with a score of 9.575.
2006
In March, Tweddle injured her right ankle and was unable to compete in the
2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games, officially the XVIII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Melbourne 2006 (Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm 2006'' or ''Naarm 2006''), was an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth held ...
. She said, "It's a big disappointment as I was looking forward to the Games but as team captain I'll stay in Melbourne and cheer the team on. It will be difficult watching but I'll have to put the injury behind me now. We were doing podium training when I landed badly after a vault. I knew straight away that something was wrong. The injury is not too severe it is a bruised bone and the doctors have said I will be back in time for the Europeans in April. In the back of my mind I was still hoping to do bars but the doctors advised me to leave it if I wanted to be fit for the Europeans. The Beijing Olympics are still in the back of my mind but I've still not decided whether I will carry on yet."
In April, Tweddle competed at the European Championships in Volos, Greece. She won the uneven bars final with a score of 16.050. Her victory was the first at a European Championships for a British gymnast.
In July, Tweddle competed at the British Championships in Guildford, United Kingdom. She won the all around competition with a score of 60.750. In event finals, she placed first on uneven bars scoring 15.850, first on balance beam scoring 14.850, and first on floor scoring 15.350.
In October, Tweddle competed at the
World Championships in Aarhus, Denmark. She placed eighth in the all around final with a score of 59.450. In event finals, she placed first on uneven bars scoring 16.200 and fourth on floor scoring 15.425. Her gold medal was the first Britain ever earned at a World Championships. Tweddle said, "I knew that I could do the routine, it was just whether I could pull it out for that moment. I went into the gym on Friday morning and did exactly the same routine as I would do that night. I went through first time and that brought my confidence back up again, and my coach knew that from then on she just had to keep me calm and let me get on with it. All my hard work has finally paid off and I'm absolutely ecstatic. A lot of people told me it would come, but I didn't think it ever actually would. It hasn't sunk in yet. I've had the bronze medal at the last two world championships and to come out today after the fall yesterday and get through it is an achievement. I didn't know if I'd win because I hadn't seen Liukin's routine, but I've seen her in training and she was pretty spectacular."
In November, Tweddle competed at the
World Cup event in Glasgow, United Kingdom. She placed first on uneven bars scoring 16.025 and seventh on floor scoring 14.550.
In December, Tweddle competed at the World Cup final in São Paulo, Brazil. She placed first on uneven bars scoring 16.300 and second on floor scoring 15.200.
At the end of the year, Tweddle was nominated for, and finished in third place, for the 2006
BBC Sports Personality of the Year, the only British gymnast ever to make the short list for the award.
2007
In January, Tweddle had surgery on her shoulder.
In April, she competed at the
European Championships
The European Championships is a multi-sport tournament which brings together the existing European Championships of some of the continent's leading sports every four years. The inaugural edition in 2018 was staged by the host cities of Berlin, ...
in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. She placed second in the floor final with score of 15.250. Tweddle said, "It was quite hard, but it was a case of not competing at Europeans, or do a couple of events and getting back on the international stage again. Obviously, later in the year is more important than this. It wasn't worth pushing the injury, which could make it worse for later in the year."
In July, Tweddle competed at the British Championships in Guildford, United Kingdom. She won the all around competition for the seventh straight time with a score of 59.750. In event finals, she placed first on uneven bars scoring 16.350. Tweddle said, "It's a bit spooky to win my seventh title on the seventh of the seventh 2007. I was really happy with how things went today. I made the decision to alter my second floor tumble just to help my foot and make sure I didn't injure it before the Worlds, but everything else was fine."
In September, Tweddle competed at the
World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany. She contributed an uneven bars score of 14.175 toward the British team's seventh-place finish, meaning that they qualified a full team to the Olympics. In event finals, she placed fourth on uneven bars scoring 16.125 and seventh on floor scoring 14.900.
In November, Tweddle competed at the
World Cup event in Glasgow, United Kingdom. She placed seventh on uneven bars scoring 14.025 and first on floor scoring 14.550. Tweddle said, "I went for broke with my bars routine as I wasn't happy with my qualifying routine. I know that I would have to be perfect if I want to get gold at the Olympics next year."
2008
In April 2008, Tweddle competed at the
European Championships
The European Championships is a multi-sport tournament which brings together the existing European Championships of some of the continent's leading sports every four years. The inaugural edition in 2018 was staged by the host cities of Berlin, ...
in Clermont-Ferrand, France. She contributed a score of 16.075 on uneven bars toward the British team's sixth-place finish. In event finals, she placed fourth on uneven bars scoring 15.475 and second on floor scoring 15.525.
In June, Tweddle competed at the British Championships in Guildford, United Kingdom. She placed second on uneven bars with a score of 14.550 and was unable to compete on any other apparatus due to an ankle injury. She said, "I've only been able to train on the bars for the past couple of weeks so I've had to do a lot of visualisation with the other apparatus. But hopefully this week I'll be able to train on the floor, beam and vault. I've had a few ankle injuries before so it's just a case of having physio, doing lots of exercises and just keeping on top of it. It's just a case of working with it and looking after it."
Afterwards, Tweddle was selected to compete for the United Kingdom at the
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Na ...
. She said, "I'm really excited and just looking forward to getting there and doing the best job I can."
Beijing Olympics
In August, Tweddle competed at the
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Na ...
in Beijing, China. She contributed scores of 15.650 on uneven bars and 14.950 on floor toward the British team's ninth-place finish. In the
uneven bars final, she placed fourth with a score of 16.625. Tweddle said, "I'm going to continue, I don't see myself quitting now, although I will have some time off. I was pleased just to be in the final. My dismount is normally not a problem but I just didn't get enough height and to be honest I thought I was going to end up on my face. My dream has been to be in the final. Now I'll have to leave it to London in 2012 to get a medal. I came into this final in last place, so I just had to go out there and do it and I am pleased with my performance. It was a good result, I am not disappointed with fourth."
2009
After the Beijing Olympics, Tweddle decide to concentrate her training on uneven bars and floor. She said, "I thought I would retire this year but then I was so close in Beijing that there is still some unfinished business. Now I don't really know when I'll stop. To be honest 2012 is in my sights now which it wasn't this time last year. We will just have to see how my body holds up but that's the goal. As long as I'm still enjoying it and still up there challenging then I'll keep going. I want to try to prove everyone wrong and get that Olympic medal. I've been working closely with both my coach and my physio to keep my body going. My training has changed a lot and I only do bars and floor seriously now. Beam and vault are the ones which hurt my feet and I can't really upgrade enough to be up there to contend for the all around anymore. I've also changed my training partner and now I train with
Hannah Whelan
Hannah Kate Whelan (born 1 July 1992) is a retired British artistic gymnast who competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2012 Summer Olympics. Whelan won three European Championships medals and four British senior national titles, and was th ...
. The variety has given me a new lease of life."
![ETweddle2009](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/ETweddle2009.JPG)
In April, Tweddle competed at the
European Championships
The European Championships is a multi-sport tournament which brings together the existing European Championships of some of the continent's leading sports every four years. The inaugural edition in 2018 was staged by the host cities of Berlin, ...
in Milan, Italy. In event finals, she placed first on uneven bars scoring 15.575 and first on floor scoring 15.150. Tweddle said, "It is nice to be back. Since 2006 I have had my share of fourth positions, and all week I have been so focused on getting everything right. I was a touch short on the Tkatchev-half, and I think it was pure determination that got me through."
In May, Tweddle competed at the
World Cup event in Glasgow, United Kingdom. She placed first on uneven bars scoring 15.275 and first on floor scoring 14.900.
Later in May, Tweddle participated at the British Teams competition in Guildford, United Kingdom. She contributed scores of 15.700 on uneven bars and 15.450 on floor toward her club, City of Liverpool's, first-place finish.
In October, Tweddle competed at the
World Championships in London, United Kingdom. She won the floor final with a score of 14.650. Tweddle said, "I was renowned for bars. This is my first medal in floor and it's the best feeling ever."
2010
![Tweddle-Paris](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Tweddle-Paris.JPG)
In April 2010, Tweddle competed at the
World Cup event in Paris, France. She placed second on uneven bars scoring 15.650 and first on floor scoring 15.025.
In May, Tweddle competed at the
European Championships
The European Championships is a multi-sport tournament which brings together the existing European Championships of some of the continent's leading sports every four years. The inaugural edition in 2018 was staged by the host cities of Berlin, ...
in Birmingham, United Kingdom. She contributed scores of 15.850 on uneven bars and 14.925 on floor toward the British team's second-place finish. In event finals, she placed first on uneven bars scoring 15.875 and first on floor scoring 14.825.
In July, Tweddle competed at the British Championships in Guildford, United Kingdom. She placed first on uneven bars with a score of 15.000.
In October, Tweddle competed at the
World Championships in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. She contributed scores of 15.733 on uneven bars and 14.666 on floor toward the British team's seventh-place finish. In event finals, she placed first on uneven bars with a score of 15.733. Tweddle said, "It means everything to me to regain the bars title. I have worked so hard day in day out in the gym for this so I'm very proud. I wasn't watching the previous routines but from the noise of the crowd I could tell the two Chinese girls ahead of me had fallen and so I tried to remain calm, but knew at that point that if I went clean I had a great chance of winning the title."
Tweddle was appointed
Member of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(MBE) in the
2010 New Year Honours
The New Year Honours 2010 were announced on 31 December 2009 in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Cook Islands, Barbados, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Saint Lucia, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Christopher and NevisSaint Christ ...
. She said, "It's been totally surreal to get an MBE. I didn't really believe it at first. I waited for the letter telling me I was coming to the palace before I did. I was surprisingly quite nervous before the ceremony – I was worried about tripping up when I walked in. Everyone kept saying to me 'you are not going to cartwheel in'. I train to win gymnastic medals but away from gymnastics the MBE is a massive honour."
2011
In April, Tweddle competed at the
European Championships
The European Championships is a multi-sport tournament which brings together the existing European Championships of some of the continent's leading sports every four years. The inaugural edition in 2018 was staged by the host cities of Berlin, ...
in Berlin, Germany despite having an injured
shin
Shin may refer to:
Biology
* The front part of the human leg below the knee
* Shinbone, the tibia, the larger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates
Names
* Shin (given name) (Katakana: シン, Hiragana: しん), a Japanese ...
. In event finals, she placed first on uneven bars scoring 15.100 and fourth on floor scoring 14.300.
In May, Tweddle participated in the British Team Championships in Guildford, United Kingdom. She contributed scores of 14.900 on uneven bars and 14.300 on floor toward her club, City of Liverpool's, first-place finish.
In July, Tweddle competed at the British Championships in Liverpool, United Kingdom. She placed first on uneven bars scoring 15.200 and first on floor scoring 15.250.
In October, Tweddle competed at the
World Championships in Tokyo, Japan. She contributed scores of 15.666 on uneven bars and 14.533 on floor toward the British team's fifth-place finish. This was the team's highest placement ever and qualified a full team for the Olympics. In the floor final, Tweddle placed seventh with a score of 14.500. She said, "The week has been a great success as we achieved our number one aim and we've got the British women's team qualified for 2012 so that's now the focus."
2012
In March, Tweddle competed at the
World Cup event in Doha, Qatar. She won the uneven bars final with a score of 15.175.
In April, Tweddle had
keyhole surgery
Laparoscopy () is an operation performed in the abdomen or pelvis using small incisions (usually 0.5–1.5 cm) with the aid of a camera. The laparoscope aids diagnosis or therapeutic interventions with a few small cuts in the abdomen.Medl ...
on her knee and was unable to compete at the
European Championships
The European Championships is a multi-sport tournament which brings together the existing European Championships of some of the continent's leading sports every four years. The inaugural edition in 2018 was staged by the host cities of Berlin, ...
in May. She said, "I'm disappointed not to be in a position to attend the European's but also thankful that this gives me the opportunity to get myself fully fit and ready for the rest of the season, certainly it's much better for this process to happen now rather than later in the year! I am very much still in the gym every day and will continue to work alongside the British Gymnastics medical team to ensure I manage my recovery. The line-up for the European Championship demonstrates the strength in depth that we have, and I'm sure the girls will do a great job in Brussels."
In June, Tweddle competed at the British Championships in Liverpool, United Kingdom. She won the uneven bars final with a score of 15.850.
At the beginning of July, Tweddle was selected to compete for the United Kingdom at the
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
. She said, "It is of course a massive honour to be selected to
Team GB
Team GB is the brand name used since 1999 by the British Olympic Association (BOA) for their British Olympic team. The brand was developed after the nation's poor performance in the 1996 Summer Olympics, and is now a trademark of the BOA. I ...
for the Olympic Games. This is my third Olympics and with it being on home soil it's definitely the most special. The build-up has been totally different and you really feel the support of the whole country. Everyone knows everything about the Games this year and people are really interested in all the events and all the team members. From Beijing to here has been a long journey. After 2008 I wasn't even sure I would carry on, but the huge support for London and the enthusiasm of the public has really motivated me and inspired me to carry on training hard. Everything about competing in the Olympic Games is exciting, the moment you get the official letter, the kitting out, the multi-sport atmosphere, it's all a huge honour to be a part of and I can't wait."
London Olympics
![Elizabeth Tweddle with her bronze](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/Elizabeth_Tweddle_with_her_bronze.jpg)
At the end of July, Tweddle competed at the
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
in London, United Kingdom. During qualifications Tweddle helped Great Britain advance to the team final in fifth place and individually she qualified to the uneven bars final in first place and was the first reserve for the floor exercise final.
During the
team final Tweddle contributed scores of 15.833 on the uneven bars and 14.166 on floor exercise toward the British team's sixth-place finish.
In the
uneven bars final, Tweddle won the bronze medal with a score of 15.916, finishing behind
Aliya Mustafina
Aliya Farkhatovna Mustafina (russian: Алия Фархатовна Мустафина) is a Russian former artistic gymnast. With a combined total of 45 Olympic, World and European Championship medals, she is considered one of the most success ...
of Russia and
reigning Olympic champion on the event
He Kexin
He Kexin (born January 1, 1992) is a Chinese former artistic gymnast who competed at the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics. At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, she won gold medals on the uneven bars and as a member of the Chinese team. She was one ...
of China. She said, "It's the best feeling in the world to win the bronze medal, there was one point today I thought I'd end in 4th like in
Beijing 08, so I'm really happy. This was the one medal missing from my collection; this is the one I really wanted. I tried to keep calm and do what I do best and the crowd were amazing, as soon as I walked into the arena it was incredible. I haven't made any future plans yet, I definitely won't be in
Rio
Rio or Río is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for "river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil.
Rio or Río may also refer to:
Geography Brazil
* Rio de Janeiro
* Rio do Sul, a ...
but I'm happy to go home now and have a bit of a holiday and get back into the gym; if my heart's in it I will continue. I had a step on my dismount but at the end of the day I had to go for the difficult dismount to challenge for a medal. To be honest I could say 'what if' but I'm not disappointed in the slightest, any medal, any colour is what I always said I wanted, so I'm extremely happy."
Competitive history
''Results as per Tweddle's official competition record at the
International Gymnastics Federation athlete profile page.''
Eponymous skill
Tweddle has one eponymous skill listed in the
Code of Points.
Artistic recognition
In 2012 Tweddle was one of five Olympians chosen as part of a series of body-casting artworks by
Louise Giblin exhibited in London and copies being sold in aid of the charity
Headfirst.
See also
*
List of Olympic female gymnasts for Great Britain
*
References
External links
*
*
*
Elizabeth Tweddleat
British Gymnastics
British Gymnastics, also known as the British Amateur Gymnastics Association (BAGA), is the sports governing body for gymnastics and Trampolining in the UK.
History
It was founded in 1888 as the Amateur Gymnastics and Fencing Association. Gy ...
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tweddle, Beth
1985 births
Living people
British female artistic gymnasts
English female artistic gymnasts
Olympic gymnasts of Great Britain
Olympic medalists in gymnastics
Olympic bronze medallists for Great Britain
English Olympic medallists
Gymnasts at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Gymnasts at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Gymnasts at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Commonwealth Games medallists in gymnastics
Commonwealth Games gold medallists for England
Commonwealth Games silver medallists for England
Gymnasts at the 2002 Commonwealth Games
Gymnasts at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
World champion gymnasts
Medalists at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
Universiade medalists in gymnastics
Universiade gold medalists for Great Britain
Universiade bronze medalists for Great Britain
Competitors at the 2005 Summer Universiade
Medalists at the 2009 Summer Universiade
Alumni of Liverpool John Moores University
European champions in gymnastics
Members of the Order of the British Empire
Originators of elements in artistic gymnastics
People educated at The Queen's School, Chester
Sportspeople from Cheshire
Sportspeople from Johannesburg