Purvis, Tunney win British Championships

Purvis, Tunney win British Championships

Jun 23, 2012 by Danny Sierra
Purvis, Tunney win British Championships


Photo from British Gymnastics

Daniel Purvis won his third consecutive British Championship, while first-year senior Rebecca Tunney won the women's all-around on Saturday, in what will serve as the final trial for the 2012 Olympic Games, taking place in London.

Purvis posted a big 91.55 to top the men's field, earning his highest marks on his best events, floor exercise (15.75) and vault (15.9).  He also hit for a 15.4 on parallel bars, 15.0 on rings, 14.8 on high bar and 14.7 on pommel horse.

Sam Oldham returned from injury to finish second (90.7), winning the vault with a 16.0 and high bar at 15.6.  Daniel Keatings, also coming back from injury, wasn't far behind in third (90.05), posting solid scores on pommels (15.45), floor (14.85) and parallel bars (15.55).  

Kristian Thomas placed fourth and won floor exercise (15.85), followed by Max Whitlock and Ruslan Panteleymonov.  

Reigning World Championships bronze medalist on pommel horse Louis Smith won the event with a massive 16.2.

Tunney won her first British Championship, scoring 56.75 to beat a strong challenge from Jennifer Pinches (56.35).

Tunney's best events were vault (14.65) where she showed a double-twisting Yurchenko, and bars, where she placed third on the event, scoring 14.55.  Tunney also tallied a 13.8 on beam and 13.75 on floor exercise.

Jennifer Pinches looked strong at the Championships, posting the top score on the balance beam (14.3), while also breaking 14. on vault (14.2, double-twisting Yurchenko) and floor (14.4).  

Hannah Whelan, who won the bronze medal in the all around at the European Championships, finished in third, scoring 55.8.  Her top marks were 14.2 on both vault and bars.  

2008 Olympic team member Imogen Cairns made a strong case for London, finishing fourth and finishing second on floor (14.4) and beam (14.2).  Her 1 1/2-twisting Yurchenko earned a 14.25.

Niamh Rippin performed well to finish fifth, winning the vault with an average of 14.075.  She tied for second on floor with a 14.4, mounting with a double layout.  Danusia Francis placed sixth all-around, showing lovely floor choreography.

Veteran Elizabeth Tweddle competed on bars and floor exercise, winning both events.  A favorite for uneven bars gold at the Olympics, Tweddle's routine at the Championships had a 6.9 in difficulty, and she scored an impressive 15.75.  She debuted a new floor routine for 2012, but watered down her tumbling to score 14.65.

European Championships team member Ruby Harrold only competed bars due to injury, and finished second to Tweddle at 14.6.  

2008 Olympian Rebecca Downie fell off beam, but put up good scores on vault (14.55, double-twisting Yurchenko) and bars (14.25).  

The 2012 British Gymnastics Olympic Teams will be announced on July 4th.  The team's members will be decided by a selection committee.  Individual apparatus finals will take place Sunday.