OLYMPIC REPORTS
COMING SOON
Key GB moments at the Olympic Games
1900
The second Olympic Games are held in Paris. Lloyd Phillips from Newport, South Wales takes part along with four other gymnasts, William Pearce from London, William Connor, Broadbec, and Hiatt. Lloyd is recognised as the first Welsh athlete to compete in an Olympic Games.
Above – Welsh Gymnast Lloyd Philips at the 1900 Olympics
1908
1908 LONDON OLYMPIC GAMES
Walter Tysall (Birmingham Athletic Institute) – SILVER. The first Olympic medal for GB. 45 gymnasts listed in the team that came 6th
Photo of Walter Tysall – courtesy of Linda Russell
The International Gymnastics Board is set up to assist the organisation of the London Games. It went on to be known as the Amateur Gymnastics Federation of Great Britain and Ireland. Lawrence Levy acted as the Honorary Secretary and Treasurer, a post he held until 1911 when it seems that the AGF of Great Britain and Ireland disappeared.
The AGF and the British Olympic Association agreed a programme for the individual competition for the London Olympics. The programme was known as the Heptathlon, there were 7 disciplines for the games. Rules and timings were agreed upon for the team competition and displays. The displays are non competitive and are open to women. The organisation was not without problems. Levy records that Lord Desborough President of the British Olympic Association was heard to mutter between his teeth, “This show will be the greatest fiasco the world has ever seen” However it seems that order came out of chaos although Levy compared the 1896 Athens Stadium classical look, with that of Shepherds Bush Arena resembling a glorified football stadium.
The Carnegie Gymnastics Club, Dunfermline became the proud winners of the Adams Shield and the Scottish Shield.
Carnegie Gymnasium Club – 1908 winners of the Adams Shield and the Scottish Shield
It is recorded at this time by the European Gymnastics Federation (the forerunner to the FIG) that Great Britain was made up of 4 federations, had 200 societies and 60,000 members.
1912
Stockholm Olympics
6th – 15th July
Individual competition included high bar, parallel bars, pommels and rings.
Team GB 23 men Albert Betts, Harry Dickenson, Samuel Hodgetts, Alfred Messenger, Edward Pepper, Charles Vigurs, Samuel Walker, John Whitaker, Sidney Cross, Bernard Wallis Franklin, Edward Potts, Reginald Potts, George Ross, Henry Oberholzer, Charles Simmons, Arthur Southern, Ronald McLean, Charles Luck, Herbert Drury, William McKune, William Tilt, William Cowhig, Leonard Hanson
Men’s Team – BRONZE; the first British team to win a medal at the Olympics.
A fundraising scheme for the Olympics is introduced.
In July, the Olympic Games took place in Stockholm. The team officials are Charles West, Honorary Secretary, Rudolf Oberholzer coach and P W Nicholson assistant honorary secretary. Above the GB Team on the Pommel Horses.
In this year, several gymnasts were suspended for breaching amateur rules; a section had to be signed by each competitor to declare their amateur status.
1912 Conditions and entry form English Champs
1920
Antwerp Olympics. British Men’s Team competed.
Photo shows – GB 1920 Antwerp Squad of 24 performing a group exercise with coach JJ Cook at front.
1924
1924 Olympics Paris – British Men’s Team competed.
1924 Men’s team left JJ Cook coach extreme right Charles West Leigh brothers Ernest & Stanley centre front.
First British Championships held for Women in Swindon.
1928
Olympics Amsterdam
Women compete for the first time. GB Ladies Team (12 gymnasts) – BRONZE (team event only for women)
1928 GB Olympic Men’s Gymnastics Team
Photo shows the GB Men’s Team comprising gymnasts – E. Warren, H.J. Fischett, Gilbert Charles Raynes, W. Cronin, E. Walton, T.B. Parkinson, A.J. Whitford and S. Humphreys.
1936
Team GB compete at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Read full report on the 1936 Olympics. Last Olympics before outbreak of World War II.
Photo shows Edna Earl competing on the Uneven Bars.
GB men training at Sutton Coldfield in preparation for Olympics, but in the end, they did not travel.
The Gymnast magazine ceases.
1948
1948 Olympic Games in London – 2 teams represent GB. Much of their training is done in poor conditions including in Hyde Park. German POW Helmut Bantz helps the men’s team with their training. Read the full Olympic report here.
1960
Two full teams selected for the Olympics in Rome. At the last minute, funding is withdrawn for the 2 coaches, Frank Turner and Edna Gross. They pay their own way.
British 1960 Men’s & Women’s Olympic teams on their way.
First schoolboys course held at Swaylands Kent.
London, Manchester & Liverpool YMCAs and The London Gym Club ( a total of 65 male gymnasts) perform before the FA Cup at Wembley performing on High bar, 2 vaulting tables and floor work with hand balancing. Date 23rd April.
1984
Los Angeles Olympics – 2 teams of 6 take part. 2 Rhythmic gymnasts take part.
GB Men & Women gymnasts participate in the Alternative Olympics Czechoslovakia. (The Eastern Block Olympics as they boycotted Los Angeles).
British Gymnastics aims to give all disabled people regardless of impairment or ability the chance to participate in every form of the sport. Disability Gymnastics recognised as an official discipline.
John Atkinson appointed Technical Director.
Colin Still becomes full time National Coach for women, a post he had held in an honorary position since 1981.
Susan Cheesebrough with Colin Still at the World Championships
Lloyd Readhead appointed as National Coach for men.
1988
BAGA celebrates its centenary year with a mass display at Wembley arena.
BAGA Centenary stamp 1988
Seoul Olympics – 2 women and 2 men take part. 1 rhythmic gymnast competes.
Princess Anne opens the new dedicated gym at Lilleshall.
1992
Barcelona Olympic Games – a team of 6 men and 2 women represent GB.
Some male gymnasts are centralized with their training at Lilleshall.
Adrian Stan from Romania is appointed National Coach for women’s artistic gymnastics.
Aerobic Gymnastics introduced in Great Britain.
2000
Sydney Olympic Games – a team of 6 women and 1 man represent GB.
Alan Somerville becomes CEO for British Gymnastics following a variety of General Secretaries. BG finances are in a poor state. Alan Somerville changes this around.
British Gymnastics membership now up to 100,000.
2004
Athens Olympic Games – a team of 6 women represent GB.
2005
Britain announced as host for 2012 Olympic Games. British Gymnastics launches new strategy to host a European or World Championships each 4 year Olympic cycle.
2008
Beijing Olympics – a team of 6 women and 2 men represent GB. 100 years after Walter Tyslall wins a silver medal, Louis Smith wins Britain’s next Olympic medal, winning bronze on pommel horse.
The Junior men’s team wins gold at the European Championships beating Russia.
2012
The Senior British men’s team wins gold at the European Championships.
The Olympic Games is held in London with gymnastics at the North Greenwich Arena. GB men win bronze medal in the team event. This is followed by 3 individual medals, silver and bronze for Louis Smith & Max Whitlock on pommels and Beth Tweddle wining bronze on bars. Behind the scenes, British Gymnastics’ events team run the gymnastics competitions in the North Greenwich Arena (AKA the 02 Arena) and Wembley stadium for the Rhythmic Gymnastics.
2012 Olympics GB men’s team Bronze
British Gymnasts are now more popular than any other time in our history. TV audiences are higher than ever and our top gymnasts achieve recognition off the competition floor
Gymnastics as a sport is more popular and membership numbers exceed 300,000 for the first time
2016
Rio Olympic Games – GBR wins 2 gold medals, Max Whitlock wins floor exercise and pommel horse. Louis Smith wins silver on pommels, Amy Tinkler wins bronze on floor and Nile Wilson wins bronze on high bar. Max wins bronze medal in the all-around. Bryrony Page wins the silver medal on trampoline.
Photo BG
British Gymnastics wins Governing Body of the Year award.
2021
The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games are delayed and take place in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The women’s artistic team won the bronze for the first time since 1928.
Max Whitlock wins gold again on the Pommels making him a 3-time medal winner at three consecutive Olympics on the Pommel Horse.
Bryony Page wins the bronze medal in the women’s trampoline event at the Tokyo Olympics, making her a 2-time Olympic medallist. She also becomes the 2021 World Champion making her the first world champion in this discipline and our most successful trampoline gymnast.
Photos of Bryony Page and Max Whitlock – BG
Est. 2018 | © GymnasticsHistory.co.uk 2024