Mens British Championships 2011

Photos from the Mens British Gymnastics Championships are now online at  www.f2images-gymnastics.co.uk

Daniel Keatings on Pommel

European Championships Birmingham 2010

It was my intension to blog during the two weeks of the Championships in Birmingham.However the competition schedule left very little free time.

I checked into the superb apartments next to the NIA on Tuesday 20th May. With suitcases safely stowed in the apartment it was straight off to the arena to catch the final rotation of the Junior Mens podium training.

After collecting my accreditation it was off to the press room to sort out a locker and meet with British Gymnastics and UEG officials.So far so good facilities and working conditions in the press area surpassing expectations. The detailed planning by the organizing committee was already paying off. The lighting in the arena was good 2000 iso f2 1/1000s. Using the Nikon f2 lens and a D3 I captured some of the first images.Training provides a good opportunity to have a look at the gymnasts routines,noting for the competition where and when the big moves etc take place.This was an extrordinary championships in many ways. The ash cloud caused travel chaos,some of the journeys have been epic, such as the team from Finland who have driven all the way from Helsinki to Calais a trip of over 1000 miles. Others have shown the true meaning of a sporting nature with the Austrian team picking up the Slovakian team on their way and Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia travelling together.

I was covering the Championships as official photographer to both the UEG an British gymnastics.As such I had to produce images of British Gymnasts and also leading gymnasts of each nation as they competed for the individual and team medals.During qualifications competition started at 9.00am and finished at 10.00pm. Images had to be processed and sent after each round. Long days but you do get used to it! UEG published ongoing reports:

http://www.ueg-gymnastics.com/commstore/commstore2.pl/94c26ca56acb801d/en/news_detail.html?P6=4756&k=1&block_id=content,head,navlinks&P1=1&P2=0&P3=news&P4=1&P7=4268&P8=neu&P10=&P9=

The organization and working conditions were second to none. This was proving to be a great championships in many ways.There were many highlights during the two weeks of competitionbut perhaps the most satisfying from a British piont of view was the number of medals achieved by the home gymnasts.

The GB team left the European Championships with a total of 15 medals (senior boys: team silver, individual gold, silver and bronze; junior boys: team gold, four individual golds, a silver and two bronze; senior girls: team silver, two individual golds).

That total is unprecedented, particularly the success of both the junior and senior men’s teams, who have for decades toiled in the lower echelons of world gymnastics.

The Russians won both the Junior and Senior Womens Finals. Germany won the Mens Team Final with GB winning Gold in the Junior Team event.

Below are a few photos from the Championships:

Images from the event can be viewed at   http://www.photoshelter.com/c/u0000fpbizfqgfes

http://www.f2images.co.uk    Alan Edwards   May2010

European Championships 2010

The European Gymnastics Championships for men and women is in Birmingham England this year. The event happens over two weeks starting on the 17.4.10 and finishing on 2.5.10. http://www.british-gymnastics.org/site/
I have been covering the Euros for the last 15 years as Official Photographer to British Gymnastics. This year I am also shooting the event as official UEG Photographer http://www.ueg-gymnastics.com

The venue is the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham.I have photographed here on many occasions.Transport links are good and the hotel is a 5 minute walk away.A rare luxury.I will be shooting from inside the podium so the main lens camera combination will be the Nikon 200 f2 and aD3.

The Women’s Teams  juniors and seniors include: 2009 World Floor Champion Beth Tweddle, British Senior Champion Becky Downie, and first time Seniors Nicole Hibbert, Danusia Francis and Niamh Rippin. The accompanying Junior Team includes Lizzie Beddoe, who finished 2nd in the All-Around in the 2009 Junior British Championships, UK Schools Games All-Around Champion Laura Mitchell, Venus Romaeo (2nd in the All-around at the British Espoir Championships), British Espoir Vault Champion Rebecca Tunney and Ruby Harrold (4th on Vault at the British Espoir Championships).

Beth Tweddle

Becky Downie

The mens line ups include 2009 World All-around Silver medallist Daniel Keatings, 2008 Olympic Pommel Horse Bronze medallist Louis Smith, and World 6th placed All-around gymnast Kristian Thomas; along with the current Under-18, Under-16 and Under-14 British All-around Champions Reiss Beckford, Sam Oldham and Frank Baines who will compete in the Junior Team.

Daniel Keatings

British Gymnastics, Men’s Technical Director, Eddie Van Hoof said: “We are very excited and looking forward to testing ourselves against the best European Teams in Birmingham. We hope to follow the individual successes from the 2009 World Championships, with success in the Team rankings. Great Britain are current Junior European Team Champions and we know we face a very tough test to retain such a high position.”

Alan Edwards    www.sports-photo.co.uk         http://www.f2images.co.uk