The first major event of the year, The English Championships will take place 09th-11th February at the Redbridge Sports and Leisure Centre Essex.
Espoir, Junior and Senior WAG gymnasts will compete alongside the MAG 12 and Under, 14 and Under, 16 and Under, 18 and Under, and Senior gymnasts.
For those wishing to attend the event, tickets are available through gymdata, every age group is well worth attending, there will be some brilliant and beautiful gymnastics on display.
https://www.gymdata.co.uk/events/tickets-buy.aspx?eid=803
Schedule
Friday 9th Feb: WAG Espoir, MAG 12 and Under
08:00 Doors open
09:35 Round 1 competition starts
12:35 Round 2 competition starts
16:00 Round 3 competition starts
18:40 Presentations
Saturday 10th Feb: WAG Senior, MAG 18 and Under, MAG Senior
08:00 Doors open
10:10 Round 1 competition starts
13:40 Presentation (MAG 18 and Under)
15:10 Round 2 competition starts
18:10 Presentation (WAG and MAG Senior)
Sunday 11th Feb: WAG Junior, MAG 14 and Under, MAG 16 and Under
07:30 Doors open
09:30 Round 1 Competition starts
13:30 Round 2 Competition starts
16:30 Presentation (MAG 14 and Under)
18:05 Round 3 Competition starts
20:55 Presentation (WAG Junior, MAG 16 and Under)
Coverage
In recent years, Gymdata have streamed a split screen covering all apparatus on their YouTube channel. They are aiming to provide the same coverage, but the change in venue from Loughborough to Redbridge may apparently bring some issues with internet quality, so we will have to wait to find out on the day(s).
I will of course be providing results up here on the blog, and you can follow results on the gymdata site too.
Competitors
Start lists are up, at posting, this is the most recent start list available, released today. Even the most up to date list isn’t always 100% accurate though, as unfortunately there are usually late withdrawals.
Espoirs
Reigning Espoir Champion Shanna-Kae Grant of Leeds
It’s just a couple of months since we saw the Espoirs in action at the British in December. Many of those at the top there have moved up to the junior age group as of January 1st, including reigning champion Shanna-Kae Grant, so lets look at who could challenge.
Of the second year Epoirs, looking back to the British, three from the top ten are entered to the English: Greenwich Royals Maddie Roberts finished 5th AA, then took gold on vault, and silver on floor in apparatus finals. Roxanne Price of Bristol Hawks finished 6th AA, Alice Sumners of The Academy 10th AA, 6th on floor, and 7th on beam.
Vault finalist Alia Leat of Heathrow, bars finalists Darcy Chesters of Warrington, and Ruby Stacey of Plymouth Swallows, and floor finalists Ellen Armstrong of City of Liverpool, and Sophia Cabrera of City of Birmingham are also listed to compete.
Coming into the Espoir ranks from level 2, we have several of the top gymnasts from national finals back in November. We won’t be seeing the hugely strong Welsh contingent from this age group here competing as guests, but we will see South Essex continuing to come out of the age group ranks in numbers, with a team of six, including Paige Mornoney and Ellie Petriou who have consistently done very well in their age group. Also listed is GB development squad member City of Manchester’s Renee Pullin who is an exciting talent.
Juniors
Reigning Junior Champion Taeja James City of Birmingham
The junior competition will also see a new champion, with 2017 Champion Taeja James now a senior gymnast. If everyone listed competes, this will be an absolute treat to watch, packed with excellent gymnastics from both first and second year juniors.
Of those that were juniors last year, GB internationals Amelie Morgan and Phoebe Jakubczyk of The Academy will both be looking to finish on the podium AA and as apparatus medalists. If Amelie is fully fit, it is difficult to see anyone taking the title from her should she compete well. GB junior squad members Hallie Copperwheat of Sapphire, and Mia Scott of South Durham are also scheduled to compete here, and will be looking to impress.
The three Welsh and GB juniors Paige, Amelia and and Sioned Thomas are not listed as guest competitors at this time, it also looks as though we won’t be seeing fellow GB junior squad member Heathrow’s Roshelle Spencer Smith which is a real shame.
Of those that have moved up from the Espoir age group, the top four from the British AA (all GB junior squad members) are listed. Champion Ondine Achampong of Sapphire, and silver medalist Annie Young of Norfolk Academy can push for medals, as can fourth placed Halle Hilton. Sadly, bronze medalist, and reigning English Espoir Champion Shanna-Kae Grant of Leeds will not, as she is recovering from ankle injury. I am happy to see junior Europeans not until later in the year, as Shanna-Kae can very much push for a spot on the team, so she has time to come back to full strength. GB squad member Leah Greenland of South Durham is also scheduled to compete, so the top British juniors are out in force here.
Seniors
Reigning Senior Champion Sophie Scott
Welsh contingent aside, nearly the entire GB senior squad are listed to compete at present (Ellessse Oates continues her recovery from a foot injury, and hopes to return for the British). What we don’t know, is who will compete AA, and my guess is that perhaps not everyone will be (of those than regularly compete AA) and therefore we don’t know who is going to challenge for the title.
The GB seniors have been trialling at Lilleshall this past weekend, the first step to Commonwealth Games selection, then followed by these English Championships.
It’s a big year for the senior British ladies, with the Commonwealth Games in the spring, the inaugural European Games in the Summer, and then the first World Championships that count toward Tokyo qualification in the autumn. Pacing, peaking and staying healthy to challenge for the big teams will be key for these ladies through the year, so anyone not 100% fit will not be pushing for this title, via full difficulty or forcing an AA competition, and rightly so.
What we will get is our first look at the seniors for 2018, likely some new skills and combinations tried out in a competition environment where hitting isn’t as vital as later events this year. We will also see some senior debuts that I know many are looking forward to, Taeja James, Zoe Simmons, and Megan Splain among them, and the welcome return of several GB senior squad members that had their 2017 cut short by injury, including both Downie sisters according to the list, Gabby Jupp who may or may not bring her hugely impressive Nabieva release on bars, and the ever elegant Megan Parker
Good luck to all gymnasts competing at all levels, have a great competition!
British Gymnewstics 
Has Tyesha Mattis retired?
LikeLike
I don’t believe so no, she’s been posting training footage as recently as about three weeks ago.
LikeLike
Although it’s good to see that you have some information, it’s also frustrating for me because if I’d been able to find such details about a month ago, I could have made plans to attend. Early this year, I checked the calendar on the BG site, and tried searches using the words English Gymnastics Championships, but found nothing! In recent years, this seems to have become the secret “major event” that it’s assumed no spectators will want to see. I even wonder if there’s a policy of keeping it quiet, possibly because the venues used have very little space for spectators? And yet I suppose this could be the most important competitive gymnastics event in the south east this year, so surely it could attract a decent crowd if only BG would get behind it and advertise it in advance!
LikeLike
Not in the least bit helpful for you this year I know, but I tend put the competition calendar for the new year up on the site in the first week of January. The date and location of the English were included, so it’s a real shame you didn’t see it in time to go. If you find yourself in this situation again, I van usually help with information, so just drop me a message and I’ll do my best.
The previews I do near the events for obvious reasons, but dates I always have way in advance.
LikeLike
Many thanks for your reply and for the offer of assistance in future. I should stress that my ‘grumbling’ was entirely about the lack of publicity given to the event by BG and the organisers, if it’s not organised by BG. I only discovered your blog yesterday, but better late than never! Is there any obvious reason that I may be unaware of, for the lack of publicity? I recall that when I attended a few years ago at the club in Crayford, I obtained tickets from an English Gymnastics body that I’ve since seen no trace of, so do you know if this no longer exists and has perhaps been absorbed by BG?
LikeLike
There is certainly no reason that I’m aware of. English Gymnastics is part of British Gymnastics, I can’t help you as to how long that has been for I’m afraid.
The English is It a huge event, bigger than the British in terms of participation levels as the the qualifying criteria for the British doesn’t apply here, and of course a much smaller venue given the growth of the British especially in recent years.
Obviously the British is the big Championship of the year, and they are always very close in terms of scheduling. Would trying to run two events at as large a level as the British work? I don’t know. The audience is very much growing, whether it’s enough to fill arenas twice few weeks yet probably not, especially at Espoir and Junior level, which are never packed at the British. Really they should be though, as the gymnastics on display is always excellent.
LikeLiked by 1 person