Max Whitlock headlines British men's team for 2023 World Gymnastics Championships - Gymnastics weekly news
Plus, Pauline Schäfer-Betz set to return to training, and a look back at the 1996 men's floor final
Artistic Gymnastics
Two-time Olympic pommel horse champion Max Whitlock is set to lead Team GB men at the upcoming 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, Belgium.
The women's team is expected to be named shortly with British Gymnastics releasing selection event results that saw 2022 World floor exercise champion Jessica Gadirova top the standings with a 54.55 all-around score.
The federation had previously announced its men team earlier in August with Whitlock headlining the squad in his first global appearance since the Tokyo Games. Jake Jarman, James Hall, Harry Hepworth, and Courtney Tulloch complete the team.
"I'm really excited to be selected for my 7th World Championships. This one however feels special - my first major competition since the Tokyo Olympics," said Whitlock, according to a release from British Gymnastics. "I’ve worked harder, become fitter and approached this build-up like never before. I’m excited to be back with the team with some big targets ahead. Thank you for all the support and messages sent in during the harder times, I wouldn’t be here without you all."
While the 2023 Worlds are the biggest Paris 2024 qualifier for artistic gymnastics, by virtue of their medal-winning performances at last year's global event Great Britain has already obtained five member team quota spots in men's and women's gymnastics.
Former World balance beam champion Pauline Schäfer-Betz set to return to full training
2017 World balance beam champion Pauline Schäfer-Betz of Germany says she will resume full-training this week after suffering a foot injury that prevented her from participating at the recent first German World trial event.
“A busy week of training behind me, but I mastered all the obstacles,” said Schäfer-Betz in a post on Instagram. “Tuesday, I had a little shock moment with my foot, but thankfully it is on the way to recovery. Hoping to be able to go full throttle next week!
“Spent the weekend with my family and was able to recover from the stressful workout routine,” she added later.
Schäfer-Betz is a two-time Olympian, having competed at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 in 2021. She’s competed at six World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, winning to medals on the balance beam: gold in 2017 and silver in 2021.
Injuries have been a factor for Schäfer-Betz recently, as an injury earlier this year kept her out of the 2023 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships. She returned to competition at the German Championships in July, finishing third behind Elisabeth Seitz and Emma Malewski.
From the vault…
This week, we take a look back at the men’s floor final from the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta where Ioannis Melissanidis captured the gold medal.
His victory was the first gold medal in artistic gymnastics at the Olympic Games for Greece in 100 years, having won six medals at the 1896 Games in Athens.