Trampoline World Championships 17-20.11.11

Posted some photos at http://www.f2images-gymnastics.co.uk from the Trampoline World Championships held recently at the NIA in Birmingham. Direct link to the galleries

http://u0000fpbizfqgfes.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Gymnastics-Recent-Events/P0000tvZiABtQWtA

 

Trampoline Media Day

British Gymnastics held a Media Day at the University of Bath last ahead of the World Championships in Birmingham.

Photos are now online at http://www.f2images-gymnastics.co.uk

Mens & Womens Trampoline Team

GB Women’s Team 5th at the World Championships Tokyo 2012

Report from the British Gymnastics Media Team in Tokyo. This report is from  British Gymnastics

1/10 Tokyo: The British girls produced a superb, near faultless display in the women’s team final at the 2011 artistic gymnastics World Championships to finish in 5th place – the best team result ever.

Every girl contributed to the team scores with Beth Tweddle producing one of the routines of the championships to score 15.66 on bars. The team of Beth, Jenni Pinches, Danusia Francis, Rebecca Downie, Hannah Whelan and Imogen Cairns combined to score 169.670 and 5th place ahead of Germany, Japan and Australia. USA took the title well clear of Russia with China in Bronze.

 

The British girls began their event on the floor with clean performances all round by Imogen Cairns, Hannah Whelan and Beth Tweddle getting the team of to a great start. The form continued on vault with Imogen scoring a 14.133 to lead the team along.

With cheers all around the arena for the ongoing battle between USA and Russia, the British girls moved onto bars, Becky Downie following up her great qualification routine with another superb performance and 14.433. The attention of the arena then turned to Beth Tweddle and she didn’t disappoint a near perfect routine and the biggest cheer of the whole week for her 15.666.

The girls were looking good with just the nerve-wracking beam to go. Jenni Pinches up first, her only routine of the day and she nailed it, Danusia Francis then took the pressure for a beautiful routine leaving Hannah Whelan, the team’s most consistent all-around gymnast up last. Hannah completed the clean beam round for GBR to give the team 169.670 and 5th place.
Hannah Whelan can now look forward to Thursdays all-around final with Beth Tweddle set to compete in the floor final on Sunday.

Hannah Whelan: “It’s amazing, after reaching the top 8 in qualifying and getting the team to 2012 which was are number one aim, we knew we could just go out and enjoy the final and we definitely did that. Every girl did there bit for the team, even Laura Edwards the reserve cheering us on, so as a group we are really happy and proud. Looking ahead to the all-around it’s a similar situation as I can go out there with nothing to lose and have fun and see where that gets me so I’m really looking forward to it!”

Beth Tweddle: “It was an amazing competition, the team spirit was nice and calm. We had all the pressure in qualification and today we could enjoy it having done the hard work which we have spent the last 6 weeks putting in. The bars routine was really great, it was for myself in many ways as I wanted to prove a point in a way and it’s the best routine I’ve done since being here and I’m very happy to produce that for my coach Amanda. Looking to floor I’m really excited, I’m feeling good, and have no pressure so I can’t wait!”

Results
1 USA 179.411
2 RUS 175.329
3 CHN 172.820
4 ROU 172.412
5 GBR 169.670
6 GER 168.479
7 JPN 167.122
8 AUS 166.739

GBR scores
Floor – Cairns 13.700, Whelan 13.600, Tweddle 14.533
Vault – Francis 13.566, Whelan 13.966, Cairns 14.133
Bars – Whelan 13.466, Downie 14.433, Tweddle 15.666
Beam – Pinches 13.833, Francis 14.141, Whelan 14.633

GB Women's Squad pictured at Lilleshall

Rhythmic World Championships France

Covering the World Championships for Rhythmic Gymnastics in Montpellier this week.

Photo by Alan Edwards

Photo by Alan Edwards

Photo by Alan Edwards

Photos can be viewed and purchased online at http://www.f2images-gymnastics.co.uk

For full reports please view the British Gymnastics website at http://www.british-gymnastics.org

World Championships London

Some observations from the  World Championships for Artistic Gymnastics held in London during October last year. I have been covering gymnastics now for over twenty years and this was one of the best major championships that I have attended. Both the written press and photographers were well looked after.

I was lucky enough to be allocated a position inside the podium. Being close to the action meant  I could use a Nikon D3 and a 200 f2 AFS Nikon lens.This proved to be a great combination.The light was good.I was getting 1/1000s at f2 1600.Using a Nikon D3 at this film speed produced virtually grainless photos.

I was primarily shooting for British Gymnastics,so during the early part of the Championships I was concentrating on Team GB.What progress our gymnasts have made in the past 10 years.Competing with the worlds best,winning Gold and Silver medals,both on individual  apparatus and in all round competition.Beth Tweddle pictured at the top of this page is truly a world class gymnast and an inspiration to anyone wanting to take up the sport. Pictured above is Daniel Keatings another GB World Class gymnast.Daniel took all round silver at these Championships.

The Championships last for seven days,second to the Olympics in Athens,this was hard work.Twelve hour days are common.Photos have to be filed quickly after the event if they are to make the daily papers.I use the following equipment to file the photos to various picture desks.

Mac Book Pro with a 15 inch matt screen

Firewire card reader(quicker than a USB)

Photo Mechanic to browse,caption and select the photos

Lightroom to make any adjustments

Mobile Broadband to send the photos

Camera equipment for gymnastics includes the following:

Two Nikon D3 camera bodies

Nikon 200 f2 AFS Lens

Nikon 300 f2.8 AFS Lens

Nikon 70-200 f2.8 AFS Lens

Nikon 28-70 F2.8 AFS Lens

Shooting these championships from inside the podium can be an advantage.No scrummaging with other photographers to get the best positions and free access to almost anywhere on the floor area.No excuses then to get good images.

One of the things that never fails to amaze me is the sheer athleticism of top class sportsmen and women. Just look at the height of this gymnast as she performs a split leap on beam. Taken with a Nikon D3 with a 200mm Lens at 1/000 second at f2.I bought this lens Nikkor 200 f2 AFS after the Athens Olympics.It is a super sharp lens and one of the best I have used. It is ideal for indoor sport.The image above represents a ‘peak of the action’ photo.

This following photo shows a different moments from the Worlds.The photo shows American gymnast Rebecca Bross who was beaten into second place in the all round finals by fellow American Bridget Sloane. Rebecca was leading the competition with one piece of apparatus to go.Here she waits to go on floor knowing that she only needs to perform without any major errors to take the title of all round champion.

All in all a great championships and a good test for the 2012 Olympics which will be held at the same venue. Images from the event can be viewed and purchased at the following link:

http://www.photoshelter.com/c/u0000fpbizfqgfes/gallery-collection/World-Championships-London-2009/P0000ZgBJtb98zEA

Alan Edwards  www.f2images.co.uk