At the Paris 2024 Olympics, the Bercy Arena buzzed with anticipation as the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics team final commenced at 17:15. The Great Britain team, including Wales’ very own Ruby Evans, gave an inspiring performance, showing their skill and determination.
The competition kicked off with the floor exercises, where Ruby Evans was the first to take the stage for Team GB. Evans began with a strong routine, effortlessly landing her first two tumbles, including an beautiful double straight. Her artistry elements were well-executed, setting a high standard and earning her a score of 13.1. Abigail Martin followed, cleanly landing her double twisting double back and a double straight, contributing a solid 13.466 to the team’s total. Alice Kinsella rounded off the floor rotation, nailing her first tumbling pass and performing her dance elements gracefully, scoring 13.633. This strong start on the floor gave the GB team a total of 40.199 after one apparatus.
*Photo taken from @britishgymnasticsofficial on Instagram
Next, the team moved to the vault. Georgia-Mae Fenton opened with a beautiful one-and-a-half twisting Yurchenko, scoring 13.8 and providing a confident start for the team. Alice Kinsella continued the momentum with a clean double twisting Yurchenko, earning a robust 13.966. Ruby Evans, determined to leave her mark, attempted a high-difficulty Amanar with a 5.4 difficulty score. Her vault was impressive, high and clean in the air, though she took a step off the mat on landing, she scored 13.966. After two rotations, Team GB looked strong.
*Photo taken from @britishgymnasticsofficial on Instagram
On the uneven bars, Alice Kinsella was up first. Despite a few steps on her landing, she managed an impressive 13.3. Georgia-Mae Fenton followed, executing her routine confidently and landing her dismount with ease, scoring 14. The highlight of the bars came with Rebecca Downie MBE, who delivered a flawless routine and nailed her dismount to score a massive 14.966, the highest bars score of the final.
The final apparatus was the balance beam and the team were in 3rd position after 3 rotations. Georgia-Mae Fenton executed a secure routine, finishing with a beautifully stuck double back, scoring 13.566. Rebecca Downie showcased her experience and composure, earning 12.933. Alice Kinsella closed out the competition for Team GB, successfully completing her acrobatic and dance elements to score 13.6.
The British team delivered a fully clean competition, leaving everything on the competition floor. The emotional response after Alice’s final routine highlighted the significance of their achievement. The team finished with a total of 164.263, an improvement of 3.433 from qualifications. Despite narrowly missing out on the bronze medal by just 0.234, the team could not have done any more and should be immensely proud of their performance.
Reflecting on the team final, Ruby said ‘We did really well….. We couldn’t have given anymore. As long as we are walking away knowing that we did our best then we can be happy’.
*Photo taken from @britishgymnasticsofficial on Instagram
Ruby Evans’ participation in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as part of the GB gymnastics team was a source of immense pride for Wales. At just 17 years old, Ruby made a significant impact with her performances on the floor and vault where her talent and potential shone brightly. Wales’ support for her was unwavering, and we are excited to see what the future holds for this talented, young gymnast.