It’s now less than a month until the men’s and women’s artistic Welsh Open Championships return to take centre stage – and you can be part of it.
Tickets for both days at Sport Wales National Centre are on sale for what promises to be an action-packed two days of artistic gymnastics in Cardiff over the weekend of 11/12 March.
The women’s artistic action is on Saturday 11th with the men’s competition on Sunday 12th.
In addition, this year’s women’s event will also incorporate a British Gymnastics selection trial for the first major championships of 2023. We will have the pleasure of welcoming some of Britain’s top gymnasts to the Welsh capital, including Olympic, Commonwealth, World and European champions and medallists.
So come along and watch your Great Britain idols Jennifer Gadirova, Jessica Gadirova, Alice Kinsella, Becky Downie, Ondine Achampong and Georgia-Mae Fenton compete in the senior competition alongside our Team Wales Commonwealth Games stars Poppy-Grace Stickler, Jea Maracha, Sofia Micallef, Mali Morgan and Mia Evans.
The quintet of Jennifer, Jessica, Alice, Ondine and Georgia-Mae won silver at the 2022 Artistic World Championships in Liverpool at the beginning of November, when Poppy was a women’s team reserve. It was the best ever result by a British women’s artistic team at a World Championships.
Purchase your Welsh Championships tickets today!
- Welsh WAG Open & British Gymnastics selection trial tickets (Saturday 11th)
- Welsh MAG tickets (Sunday 12th)
Double British junior all-around champion Ruby Evans will also compete in her first Welsh Championships as a senior, as will Evie Flage-Donovan. Both rounded off their junior careers in style at the back end of last year by helping Wales win women’s Team gold at the Northern Europeans in Finland. Both also enjoyed a fantastic 2022.
The men’s artistic gymnasts are then in action the following day with Birmingham 2022 Team Wales stars Joe Cemlyn-Jones and Swansea’s Emil Barber back out on the competition floor and among the headliners.
Both return having taken a break following last summer’s Commonwealth Games while all-around specialist Joe is back following the shoulder injury that prevented him taking his place in the men’s individual all-around final in Birmingham, having qualified in 12th. He did though take his place in the men’s floor final alongside Emil – who only narrowly missed out on a medal.
Other big names scheduled to be competing as guests are Hayden Skinner from South Essex and Joshua Nathan – who both represented Great Britain at the Artistic World Championships in Japan in 2021.
The latter finished 9th in the all-around competition at those Worlds while also won the British men’s all-around title the same year, just edging his City of Birmingham teammate Cemlyn-Jones for gold.
Meanwhile Adam Tobin, from the Falcons club in North Devon, a GBR men’s team reserve for the most recent Worlds in Liverpool last year, is also set to compete at the Welsh as a guest.
Along with the seniors, there will also be plenty of fantastic action from gymnasts across the different age groups on both days of competition in the all-around competition and apparatus finals.
Purchase your tickets today!