Day four of the British Championships, and the top eight seniors on each piece from the AA competition returned to contest the apparatus finals.

The routines are available for all to watch on BBC iplayer for the next 28 days at posting.

Vault

Holly Jones gave her her confidence a great boost just before she heads to the Commonwealth Games by taking the vault title. Straight one and a half Yurchenko first vault, held the shape really well throughout, kept the vault straight down the middle, and almost completely stuck her landing, just a small half a step back. Handspring tucked front half second vault, again very well centred, and very well landed, great vaulting from Holly today.

Amy Tinkler took silver, she just used her full twisting Yurchenko today, an excellent vault as you would expect. Good block, held the shape, straight down the middle. She had a lot of power left so did have a bounce back on landing here. Amy then vaulted her new Tsuk one and a half, she was a little out of alignment so took a 0.1 deduction, and just a tiny bit short on the vault this time needing a pace back, but she’s constantly hitting this new vault in competition which is great to see. Even not vaulting her biggest vaults today,  still enough  for silver, and just a tiny bit away from gold.

Taeja James took her first senior British medal with the bronze here, her first vault Tsuk full landed straight down the middle and looking relatively easy for her now, so we may see her use the one and a half  in time, but she can’t for now, as she’s using a one and a half twist for her second vault. A new one and a half twisting Yurchenko for Taeja’s second vault, well executed,  landing dead centre, but not quite fully centred herself when hitting the mat which sent her just off the side unfortunately taking her into the red, and landing her with a 0.3 neutral deduction. I’m sure Taeja will be very happy to have got this new vault out there, and sucessfully competed it both rounds of competition.

Bars

Kelly Simm took her second gold of the championships by securing the bars title. Toe on half into toe full where she made the turn well, and connected it to the Chow shoot to high bar linked immediately into the Pak back to low bar. Cast to handstand right on top of the bar, Maloney to short clear into the toe on Tkatchev, Kelly had her legs locked together on all of her transitions. Another cast right in handstand, Ricna release, top turn then the wind up giants into the double straight dismount, a small hop, great routine, and another British title.

Charlie Fellows took silver,  Hecht mount over the low bar into a lovely cast to handstand, toe half into the E rated piked Jaeger to open her routine. Pak to low bar with her legs locked together, she was a little late on her toe full, she then linked the Maloney to shoot half to shoot back to high bar. Winding up into a really clean double straight, beautifully stretched with a stuck landing, great routine from Charlie.

Emily Thomas took bronze,  short clear to handstand, blind in and a strong clean piked Jaeger  to open her routine. The Jaeger was high, folded in really tight, caught on fully straight arms with a good swing out, lovely skill, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Emily link it to her shoot half in the future. The shoot half followed, linked to the shoot back to high bar.  Giant full well performed, and a high full out dismount with just a small pace to finish. Another great routine from Emily.

Beam 

Maisie Methuen took the beam title, two British apparatus titles heading into the Commonwealth Games, a big boast for team Wales. Deep breath from Maisie, then her Yurchenko mount high onto the beam giving her plenty of time to safely land for a great start. Change to change half leaps, she was a little low on her back leg on the change half, but the series nicely connected, and very much in control. Flick layout layout, Maisie was the tiniest bit off centre with her hips on landing, and she squeezed hard absolutely determined not to give anything away. She over rotated the double spin and had a wobble there, but brought it back under control. Triple Wolf turn which is new from her, a big E rating on this skill, she followed it up with a double Wolf turn for the D. Free walkover, a tiny adjustment then a beautiful split jump, tidy double twist to finish, well done Maisie

Alice Kinsella took silver, flick chest stand mount, the little back roll to stand which I always like, then completely solid on her free cartwheel layout. Change linked to change to side leaps, good positions hit, tiniest dip on the body on landing, but very well performed. The double spin she slightly toppled out of taking a pace, but no major error. Compeltely solid on the free walkover, then really the only issue came for Alice on her dismount where she took one big step forward and one off to the side on her two and a half. A bit of trouble on the dismount landing yes, but on the beam a very strong routine from Alice which will hopefully see her heading to Australia with confidence as to just how good she can be on this piece.

Kelly Simm took her third medal of the Championships with a bronze on beam. Flick to chest stand mount, back tuck  planted firmly on the beam. Free walkover, tiniest pause, but kept the foot up and went into the change to change side leaps. The flick back somi there is a pike down right at the end keeping it from being truly straight at the moment, but I think she could get that tiny bit more lift for the E credit here. Every now and then a gymnast will have an annoying wobble on a bit of chorreogpahy, and Kelly had one on her side choreography today which would have been frustrating. She had a big wobble on her jump full turn side on, but she fought it, and she wasn’t coming off. The roundoff double tuck popped off the top of the beam, well landed with just a small hop, and the end of a dream championships for the new British Champion.

Floor

Amy Tinkler took gold, she’s put her new Moors double twisting double straight out into competition twice at these championships, and landed it both times so I imagine will be very pleased about that. Nice Popa jump, then second tumble, double straight with a bounce back she had so much power. Change leap through to split one and a half fully rotated, then the two and a half twist she put the straight front back in today, and I wonder whether this will build to be a full twisting straight front by Tokyo for 0.2 bonus. The new triple spin was fully controlled all the way round today, big double pike to finish, great landing, great routine from Amy.

Taeja James took her second senior medal with silver on floor. One and a half through to triple twist to open her routine, big tumbling, and well controlled on landing. High double tuck second tumble, again well performed, just a small hop back. Hop full through to split one and a half, loads of height through her leaps. Handspring to double twisting straight front with a small hop for her third tumble, triple wolf spin, then into the corner for her third tumble. Two and a half twist to finish, a pace to the side, but great routine from this potential packed 15 year old.

Charlie Fellows took her third medal of the championships with a bronze on floor. One and a half through to double tuck landed beautifully. Another great landing on her second tumble, this time the high double Arabian. Split full through to change full dance passage, then on her third tumble the triple twist, she seemed to get a little lost, and wisely for safety stopped at the one and a half and brought it into land. Neat little jump full turn for the B, then finishing with another very well landed tumble, this time the double pike.
If this is the last time we see Charlie, for me this the best she has ever looked. Clean, consistent, mature performances from a great gymnast, and an example to all that you can have longevity in this sport, you can overcome longterm injury, you can keep learning, keep pushing, keep bringing beautiful gymnastics to the competition floor appreciated by so many. I personally hope Charlie will consider an NCAA career for next year, as I can see her shining brightly in the collegiate system.