GREAT Britain have confirmed their place in the women’s team final at the 2015 World Gymnastics Championships in Glasgow – and with it booked their ticket to the Olympic Games in Rio next summer.
The six-strong team comprising Becky and Ellie Downie, Claudia Fragapane, Ruby Harrold, Kelly Simm and Amy Tinkler finished third in the qualification standings behind USA and Russia.
China was fourth with Italy, Japan, Canada and the Netherlands all making the top eight that will proceed to the final at the SSE Hydro on Tuesday evening.
The surprise omission from that list is Romania who after a disastrous qualification session finished down in 13th.
“We are incredibly proud to have secured Great Britain place at Rio 2016,” said Beckie Downie. “Coming in to this championships all our focus was on producing the best team results we could and to have placed third – our best ever Olympic qualifying performance – is very special.
“Competing in Glasgow with the amazing support of the home crowd definitely gave us that extra energy and every member of the team contributed to our success. It’s taken a lot of hard work and dedication and that’s definitely all paid off, we’re all so happy to know we’ve got the Olympic places and we can head to Tuesday’s team final full of confidence.”
The three women who topped the individual standings after qualification are the reigning world, European and Olympic champions respectively: Simone Biles (USA), Giulia Steingruber (Switzerland) and Gabby Douglas (USA).
Great Britain’s Tinkler and Harrold – finishing seventh and eighth respectively – will compete in the sold out women’s individual all-around final on Thursday.
There was disappointment for Ellie Downie who, after a series of errors on asymmetric bars during qualification on Friday, misses out on a spot in the all-around final.
The European bronze medallist did, however, make the top eight on vault and will progress to the individual apparatus finals on Saturday. Harrold will compete in the asymmetric bars final that same day with Fragapane in action on floor a week today.
The Great Britain men get their qualification campaign under way this morning.
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