Gemma Natasha Frizelle (born 2 May 1998) is a Welsh

rhythmic gymnast Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which gymnasts perform on a floor with an apparatus: hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon. The sport combines elements of gymnastics, dance and calisthenics; gymnasts must be strong, flexible, agile, dexterous and coordi ...

, who won the individual hoop event at the

2022 Commonwealth Games The 2022 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Birmingham 2022, was an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth of Nations that took place in Birmingham, England bet ...

. She has won multiple medals at the Welsh and British Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships, and also competed at the

2018 Commonwealth Games The 2018 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXI Commonwealth Games and also known as Gold Coast 2018, was an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth that were held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, bet ...

Career

Frizelle took up

rhythmic gymnastics Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which gymnasts perform on a floor with an apparatus: hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon. The sport combines elements of gymnastics, dance and calisthenics; gymnasts must be strong, flexible, agile, dexterous and coord ...

at the age of 12. She trains at

Llanelli Llanelli ("St Elli's Parish"; ) is a market town and the largest community in Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed, Wales. It is located on the Loughor estuary north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. ...

Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy. She finished second at the 2015 Welsh Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships, as well as the all-around events at the 2016 and 2017 British Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships. Frizelle competed at the

. She finished 15th in the individual all-around competition, and was part of the Welsh team that finished fifth in the team all-around event. At the 2018 Welsh Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships, she won the ball event, and finished third in the clubs, hoop and ribbon events. At the 2019 British Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships, she came third in the all-around event. Frizelle won the all-around event at the 2021 Welsh Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships, and at the 2022 competition, she won the all-around, ball, ribbon, hoop and clubs events. That year, she also finished second in the British Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships hoop event, and third in the ball event. Frizelle competed at the

after recovering from a back injury. She won the individual hoop event, and her winning routine was performed to "

Nessun dorma "" (; English: "Let no one sleep") is an aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini's opera ''Turandot'' (text by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni) and one of the best-known tenor arias in all opera. It is sung by Calaf, (the unknown prince), w ...

", which is her mother's favourite song. She was the first Welsh women to win the event at a

Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games or simply the Comm Games, are a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exce ...

. At the Games, Frizelle also finished eighth in the ball event, 13th in the individual all-around event, and was part of the Welsh team that came sixth in the team all-around competition.

Personal life

Frizelle was born in

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

, Wales. She studied at

Cardiff Metropolitan University , image_name = Shield of Cardiff Metropolitan University.svg , image_size = 150px , motto = cy, Gorau Meddiant Gwybodaeth , mottoeng = The most valuable possession is knowledge , established = 2011 – Car ...

, where she obtained an undergraduate degree in

sports science Sports science is a discipline that studies how the healthy human body works during exercise, and how sport and physical activity promote health and performance from cellular to whole body perspectives. The study of sports science traditionally inc ...

, and a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...

from

Cardiff University , latin_name = , image_name = Shield of the University of Cardiff.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms of Cardiff University , motto = cy, Gwirionedd, Undod a Chytgord , mottoeng = Truth, Unity and Concord , established = 1 ...

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Frizelle, Gemma 1998 births Living people British rhythmic gymnasts Welsh rhythmic gymnasts Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Wales Commonwealth Games medallists in gymnastics Gymnasts at the 2018 Commonwealth Games Gymnasts at the 2022 Commonwealth Games Medallists at the 2022 Commonwealth Games Alumni of Cardiff Metropolitan University Sportspeople from Llanelli Sportspeople from Cardiff 21st-century Welsh women 21st-century British sportswomen 21st-century Welsh people