Beth Tweddle
3785391
224120171
2008-07-07T12:02:52Z
Lucy-marie
990951
/* Background */
{{Infobox Gymnast
|gymnastname= Beth Tweddle
|image=
|imagesize=
|caption=
|fullname=Elizabeth Kimberly Tweddle
|nickname=
|country={{GBR}}
|formercountry=
|birthdate= {{birth date and age|1985|04|01}}
|birthplace=[[Johannesburg]], [[South Africa]]
|hometown=[[Bunbury, Cheshire|Bunbury]], [[Cheshire]]
|deathdate=
|deathplace=
|height= {{convert|159|cm|ftin}}
|discipline=
|level=
|natlteam=
|club= City of Liverpool
|gym=
|collegeteam=
|headcoach=[[Amanda Kirby (gymnast)|Amanda Kirby]]
|assistcoach=[[Zoltan Jordanov]]
|formercoach=
|choreographer=[[Corina Morosan]]
|music=
|eponymousskills=
|retired=
|medaltemplates= <!-- see [[Template:MedalRelatedTemplates]] -->
{{MedalTableTop}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[World Gymnastics Championships|World Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2006 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships|2006 Aarhus]]|Uneven Bars}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2003 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships|2003 Anaheim]]|Uneven Bars}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2005 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships|2005 Melbourne]]|Uneven Bars}}
{{MedalEuropeanChampionships}}
{{MedalGold|2006 Volos|Uneven Bars}}
{{MedalSilver|2004 Amsterdam|Uneven Bars}}
{{MedalSilver|2004 Amsterdam|Floor}}
{{MedalSilver|2008 Clermont-Ferrand|Floor}}
{{MedalBronze|2002 Patras|Uneven Bars}}
{{MedalBottom}}
}}
'''Elizabeth "Beth" Kimberly Tweddle''' (born [[April 1]], [[1985]]) is a [[United Kingdom|British]] [[gymnastics|gymnast]]. The 2006 World Champion and European Champion on the [[uneven bars]], Tweddle was the first gymnast from Britain ever to medal at the World and European Championships, and is considered to be the most successful British gymnast of all time.<ref name=harlow>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/gymnastics/6740769.stm "Tweddle plans retirement route."] Phil Harlow, BBC Sport Olympics, June 12 2007</ref><ref name=baga>[http://www.british-gymnastics.org/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=136&Itemid=344 Historical timeline of gymnastics successes] BAGA (British Amateur Gymnastics Association)</ref><ref name=liverpool>[http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0200sport/0800othersports/tm_headline=gymnastics-beth-tweddle-hoping-2008-can-be-her-best-year-yet&method=full&objectid=20217479&siteid=50061-name_page.html#story_continue "Gymnastics: Beth Tweddle hoping 2008 can be her best year yet"] Alex Bell, ''Liverpool Daily Post,'' December 7 2007</ref><ref name=ig>[http://www.intlgymnast.com/Online-Features/News/39.html "Tweddle Treats Dutch with Holiday Display"] Amanda Turner, ''International Gymnast,'' December 23 2006</ref><ref name=countdown>[http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/21032008/58/olympic-countdown-beth-tweddle.html "Olympic Countdown: Beth Tweddle"] Eurosport, March 21 2008</ref> She is also the seven-time British National Champion, having won the title every consecutive year between 2001 and 2007.<ref name=igseven>[http://www.intlgymnast.com/Online-Features/reports/157.html "Tweddle Takes Lucky Number Seven"] Amanda Turner, ''International Gymnast'', July 8 2007</ref>
== Background ==
Tweddle was born in [[Johannesburg]], [[South Africa]] and moved to England with her family when she was 2 years old. She was raised in [[Bunbury, Cheshire|Bunbury]], [[Cheshire]], [[England]]. Tweddle began gymnastics at the age of seven<ref name=liverpool /> at a local club, and was named to the British junior national team in [[1994]]. In [[1997]], she moved to the [[Liverpool|City of Liverpool]] Gymnastics Club.<ref name=ig2>[http://www.insidegymnastics.com/content/show/newsarticle.aspx?articleid=167&zoneid=1 "Making History: Beth Tweddle"] ''Inside Gymnastics,'' November 4, 2007</ref>. Tweddle won the British senior National Championships for the first time in 2001.<ref name=countdown /> She has also been a member of the City of Liverpool Gymnastics Club team, which has won the British Team Championships five times.<ref>[http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/other-sports/2008/06/18/gymnastics-city-provides-a-show-of-strength-100252-21094085/ "Gymnastics: City provides a show of strength"] James Pearce, ''Liverpool Echo,'' June 18 2008</ref>
==Gymnastics career==
Tweddle's first major senior international competition was the [[2001 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships|2001 World Championships]], where she placed 24th in the all-around and ninth with the British team.<ref name=fig>[http://www.fig-gymnastics.com/events/athletes/bio.jsp?ID=5285 Tweddle's official results record at the International Gymnastics Federation]</ref> Tweddle's performance improved in 2002, winning a bronze medal on the [[uneven bars]] at the 2002 European Artistic Gymnastic Championships (European Championships) in [[Patras]], [[Greece]]. The medal was the first for a British gymnast at a European Championship.<ref name=baga /><ref name=history>[http://www.uksport.gov.uk/news/949/ "Tweddle makes history at European champs"] Rob Burgess, UK Sport, April 22, 2002</ref> At the 2002 World Championships, Tweddle finished fourth on the uneven bars. Tweddle also participated at the [[2002]] [[Commonwealth Games]], winning the all-around event and the uneven bars and finishing second in the team event<ref name=treble>[http://www.sportinglife.com/commonwealth_games/gymnastics/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=commonwealth/02/07/29/COMMONWEALTH_Gymnastics_Lead.html "Medal Treble for Tweddle"] Jason Hughes, ''PA International,'' 2002</ref>. In 2003 Tweddle competed at the the World Championships winning a bronze on the uneven bars and becoming the first British gymnast ever to medal at Worlds.<ref name=baga /><ref name=indy>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4159/is_20030831/ai_n12743914 "Inside Lines: Beth Tweddle"] Alan Hubbard, ''The Independent,'' August 31, 2003</ref>
In 2004, Tweddle competed at the European Championships, winning a silver medal on the uneven bars and placing fifth with the British team. She was selected to compete as part of the [[Great Britain at the 2004 Summer Olympics|British team]] at the [[Athens]] [[2004 Summer Olympics|Olympics]],<ref name=fig /><ref name=olys>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics/gymnastics/7480366.stm " Tweddle and Downie lead GB team"] BBC Sport Olympics, June 29 2008</ref> and finished eleventh in the team competition and nineteenth in the all-around.<ref name=fig /> At the 2004 World Cup finals in [[Birmingham]], Tweddle earned a silver medal on the uneven bars and placed fifth on floor.<ref name=fig />
During the 2005 season, Tweddle withdrew from the European Championships through injury, after qualifying in the top eight for all events{{Fact|date=May 2008}}. At the [[2005 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships|2005 World Championships]], Tweddle finished fourth in the floor and third in uneven bars.<ref name=bbccommon>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/commonwealth_games/4805840.stm "Injury forces Tweddle to pull out"] Sarah Holt, BBC Sport, March 15 2006</ref> Due to injury sustained during the uneven bars, Tweddle withdrew from floor competition{{Fact|date=May 2008}}.
Tweddle was named as the team captain for the British squad at the 2006 [[Commonwealth Games]], but was forced to withdraw from the competition after sustaining an ankle injury in training.<ref name=bbccommon /> She did compete in the 2006 European Championships, where she won a gold medal on bars. The victory was the first at the European Championships for a British gymnast.<ref name=baga />
In October 2006, Tweddle became Britain's first ever gymnastics World Champion by winning the uneven bars event with a score of 16.200 in the [[2006 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships|2006 World Championships]] in Aarhus, Denmark<ref name=super>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/gymnastics/6071832.stm "Super Tweddle wins landmark gold"] BBC Sport, October 20, 2006</ref>, ahead of 2005 World Champion [[Nastia Liukin]]. The performance was all the more remarkable because Tweddle had previously been less than perfect on bars in the competition: she had only qualified in fifth place and had fallen in the all-around. Nonetheless, she was able to perform her very difficult routine cleanly and the reward was the highest score of the entire championship. Tweddle also performed cleanly in floor finals to finish fifth, and was less than half a tenth away from bronze. At her final major competition of 2006, the World Cup final, Tweddle won the uneven bars over China's [[Li Ya]]. <ref name=fig />
Tweddle won her seventh consecutive British National Championship title in July 2007.<ref name=igseven /> Later in the year, she competed with the British team at the 2007 World Championships, helping them to qualify a full team to the 2008 Olympics, but placed out of the medals on all events.<ref name=fig /><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/gymnastics/6980850.stm "Tweddle slumps to fourth on bars"] BBC Sport, September 8 2007</ref> At the Glasgow Grand Prix in November, errors on bars led to a low placement on her best event, but she placed first on floor.<ref>[http://www.uksport.gov.uk/news/glasgow_gold_for_tweddle_and_king/ "Glasgow gold for Tweddle and King"] Lee Taylor, UK Sport, December 11, 2007</ref><ref name=liverpool />
At the 2008 European Championships in April, Tweddle won a silver medal on the floor exercise and placed fourth on bars.<ref name=euro08>[http://www.intlgymnast.com/Online-Features/reports/283.html "Four Nations Golden as Europeans Conclude"] Amanda Turner, ''International Gymnast,'' April 6 2008</ref> Struggling with another ankle injury, she opted to compete only on bars at the British National Championships in late June. SHe was named to the British team for the 2008 Olympics on June 29.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics/gymnastics/7471364.stm " Tweddle to miss GB Championships"] BBC Sport Olympics, June 24 2008</ref><ref name=olys />
==Other activities==
Tweddle graduated from [[Liverpool John Moores University]] with a degree in Sports Science in 2007.<ref name=countdown /> After retiring, she plans to become a physiotherapist.<ref name=harlow />
As a result of her success in international gymnastics, 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.<ref name=sports>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tv_and_radio/sports_personality_of_the_year/6196898.stm "Sports Personality contenders"] BBC Sport, December 4 2006</ref>
==Competitive history==
''Results as per Tweddle's official competition record at the [[International Gymnastics Federation]] athlete profile page.''<ref name=fig />
===2008 history===
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Year
! Competition Description
! Location
! Apparatus
! Rank-Final
! Score-Final
! Rank-Qualifying
! Score-Qualifying
|-
| rowspan="4" | 2008
| rowspan="4" |Continental Chships/Games
| rowspan="4" | CLERMONT-FERRAND
|All Around
|
|
| 77
| 31.400
|-
| Floor Exercise
| bgcolor="silver" | 2
| 15.525
| 2
| 15.475
|-
|Team
| 6
| 174.050
| 5
| 174.050
|-
|Uneven Bar
| 4
| 15.475
| 1
| 15.925
|-
|}
===2007 history===
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Year
! Competition Description
! Location
! Apparatus
! Rank-Final
! Score-Final
! Rank-Qualifying
! Score-Qualifying
|-
| rowspan="9" |2007
|rowspan="5" |World Championships
| rowspan="5" |STUTTGART
| All Around
|11
| 58.725
| 4
| 60.775
|-
|Balance Beam
|
|
| 25
| 14.925
|-
|Floor Exercise
| 7
| 14.900
|3
| 15.250
|-
|Team
| 7
| 169.175
| 6
| 233.025
|-
|Uneven Bar
| 4
| 16.125
|3
| 16.075
|-
| rowspan="2" |World Cup/Series
| rowspan="2" |GLASGOW
|Floor Exercise
| bgcolor="gold" | 1
| 14.550
|
|
|-
|Uneven Bar
| 7
| 14.025
|
|
|-
|rowspan="2" |Continental Chships/Games
| rowspan="2" |AMSTERDAM
| All Around
| 82
|
|
| 14.725
|-
|Floor Exercise
|bgcolor="silver" | 2
| 15.250
|5
| 14.725
|-
|}
===2006 history===
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Year
! Competition Description
! Location
! Apparatus
! Rank-Final
! Score-Final
! Rank-Qualifying
! Score-Qualifying
|-
|rowspan="12" |2006
| rowspan="5" |World Championships
| rowspan="5" |AARHUS
|All Around
| 8
| 59.450
| 4
| 59.975
|-
|Balance Beam
| 29
|
|
| 14.800
|-
|Floor Exercise
| 4
| 15.425
| 6
| 15.100
|-
|Team
|
|
|11
| 226.575
|-
|Uneven Bar
|bgcolor="gold" | 1
| 16.200
| 5
| 15.675
|-
| rowspan="2" |World Cup/Series
| rowspan="2 " |GLASGOW
| Floor Exercise
| 7
| 14.550
|
|
|-
| Uneven Bar
|bgcolor="gold" | 1
| 16.025
|
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |Continental Chships/Games
| rowspan="3" |VOLOS
| All Around
| 98
|
|
| 15.850
|-
| Team
| 7
| 162.725
| 7
| 167.225
|-
| Uneven Bar
| bgcolor="gold" | 1
| 16.050
| 1
| 15.850
|-
| rowspan="2" |World Cup/Series Final
|rowspan="2" |SAO PAULO
| Floor Exercise
|bgcolor="silver" | 2
| 15.200
|
|
|-
| Uneven Bar
|bgcolor="gold" | 1
| 16.300
|
|
|-
|}
===2005 history===
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Year
! Competition Description
! Location
! Apparatus
! Rank-Final
! Score-Final
! Rank-Qualifying
! Score-Qualifying
|-
|rowspan="14" | 2005
|rowspan="4" |World Championships
| rowspan="4" |MELBOURNE
| All Around
| 4
| 36.936
| 4
| 36.937
|-
|Balance Beam
| 18
|
|
| 8.800
|-
| Floor Exercise
|
|
| 5
| 9.425
|-
| Uneven Bar
| bgcolor="cc9966" | 3
| 9.575
| 3
| 9.537
|-
| rowspan="2" |World Cup/Series
| rowspan="2" | PARIS
| Floor Exercise
| 7
| 8.225
|
|
|-
| Uneven Bar
| bgcolor="silver" | 2
| 9.450
|
|
|-
|Continental Chships/Games
|DEBRECEN
| All Around
| 24
| 9.175
| 2
| 36.725
|-
| rowspan="2" |World Cup/Series
| rowspan="2" | GHENT
| Floor Exercise
| 4
| 9.100
|
|
|-
|Uneven Bar
| bgcolor="gold" | 1
| 9.600
|
|
|-
|rowspan="2" |World Cup/Series
| rowspan="2" |NEW YORK
| Floor Exercise
| bgcolor="cc9966" | 3
| 9.412
|
|
|-
|Uneven Bar
| 4
| 9.487
|
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |World Cup/Series
| rowspan="3" |GLASGOW
|Balance Beam
| bgcolor=cc9966" | 3
| 9.012
|
|
|-
|Floor Exercise
|bgcolor="gold" | 1
| 9.475
|
|
|-
|Uneven Bar
| bgcolor="gold" | 1
| 9.687
|
|
|-
|}
===2004 history===
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Year
! Competition Description
! Location
! Apparatus
! Rank-Final
! Score-Final
! Rank-Qualifying
! Score-Qualifying
|-
|rowspan="13" |2004
| rowspan="2" |[[2004 Olympic Games|Olympic Games]]
| rowspan="2" | Athens
|All Around
| 19
| 35.761
| 19
| 36.912
|-
|Team
|
|
| 11
|145.797
|-
| rowspan="3"|Continental Chships/Games
|rowspan="3" |AMSTERDAM
| All Around
| 11
| 35.124
|
|
|-
|Team
| 5
| 107.009
|
|
|-
|Uneven Bar
|bgcolor="silver" | 2
| 9.587
|
|
|-
|rowspan="2" |World Cup/Series
|rowspan="2" |COTTBUS
|Balance Beam
|
|
| 10
| 8.600
|-
|Uneven Bar
|bgcolor="gold" | 1
| 9.587
| 2
| 9.550
|-
|World Cup/Series
|LYON
| Uneven Bar
|bgcolor="gold" | 1
| 9.500
|2
| 9.400
|-
|rowspan="2"|World Cup/Series Final
|rowspan="2"|BIRMINGHAM
|Floor Exercise
| 5
| 9.550
|
|
|-
|Uneven Bar
|bgcolor="silver" | 2
| 9.612
|
|
|-
|rowspan="3" |World Cup/Series
| rowspan="3" |GLASGOW
|Floor Exercise
|bgcolor="cc9966" | 3
| 9.475
|
|
|-
|Uneven Bar
|bgcolor="silver" | 2
| 9.450
|
|
|-
|Vault
| 4
| 8.912
|
|
|-
|}
===2003 history===
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Year
! Competition Description
! Location
! Apparatus
! Rank-Final
! Score-Final
! Rank-Qualifying
! Score-Qualifying
|-
| rowspan="8" |2003
|rowspan="2" |World Championships
| rowspan="2" |ANAHEIM
|Team
|
|
| 9
| 143.046
|-
|Uneven Bar
|bgcolor="cc9966" | 3
| 9.512
|
|
|-
|World Cup/Series
|STUTTGART
|Uneven Bar
| bgcolor="silver" | 2
| 9.475
|
|
|-
|rowspan="2" |World Cup/Series
| rowspan="2" |PARIS
| Balance Beam
|
|
| 15
| 8.250
|-
|Uneven Bar
|bgcolor="silver" | 2
| 9.450
| 2
| 9.400
|-
|World Cup/Series
|COTTBUS
|Uneven Bar
|bgcolor="gold" | 1
| 9.400
| 1
| 9.375
|-
| rowspan="2" |World Cup/Series
| rowspan="2" |GLASGOW
| Balance Beam
|bgcolor="cc9966" | 3
| 8.800
|
|
|-
|Uneven Bar
|bgcolor="gold" | 1
| 9.450
|
|
|-
|}
===2002 history===
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Year
! Competition Description
! Location
! Apparatus
! Rank-Final
! Score-Final
! Rank-Qualifying
! Score-Qualifying
|-
|rowspan="5" | 2002
| World Championships
|DEBRECEN
| Uneven Bar
| 4
| 9.312
| 5
| 9.387
|-
|rowspan="4" |Continental Chships/Games
|rowspan="4" | PATRAS
|All Around
| 14
| 34.242
| 7
| 35.686
|-
| Balance Beam
| 7
| 8.550
|
|
|-
|Team
| 6
| 102.772
|
|
|-
|Uneven Bar
|bgcolor="cc9966" | 3
| 9.287
|
|
|-
|}
===2001 history===
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Year
! Competition Description
! Location
! Apparatus
! Rank-Final
! Score-Final
! Rank-Qualifying
! Score-Qualifying
|-
|rowspan="2" | 2001
| rowspan="2" | World Championships
| rowspan="2" | GHENT
| All Around
| 24
| 34.892
| 23
| 35.061
|-
| Team
|
|
| 9
| 138.671
|-
|}
== References ==
{{reflist|2}}
== External links ==
*[http://www.bethtweddle.com Official website]
*{{fig|id=5285|name=Beth Tweddle}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tweddle, Beth}}
[[Category:1985 births]]
[[Category:English gymnasts]]
[[Category:Gymnasts at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Gymnasts at the 2006 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Gymnasts at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medalists for England]]
[[Category:World champion gymnasts]]
[[Category:Medalists at World Gymnastics Championships]]
[[Category:Olympic gymnasts of Great Britain]]
[[Category:English athletes]]
[[Category:Alumni of Liverpool John Moores University]]
[[Category:Living people]]