Gymnast of the Day: Great Britain's Claudia Fragapane

  So, I noticed I hadn't done a "Gymnast of the Day" post. So lets do one on rising talent, Claudia Fragapane of Great Britain. She is a great talent. Lets give you some background information on this Rising Star.

    Claudia got her start to gymnastics like everyone we know did, bouncing around on the furniture, and her mother ultimately put her in a gymnastics class, so thats the story of how she got involved, lets survey her junior career next.

   The first competition Claudia competed in as an elite was the 2011 Junior English National Championships where she placed fourth on vault and floor, and fifth in the all-around. At the British National Championships, she won the bronze on vault, placed sixth on the floor and eighth in the all-around, now as both you and I know, this is not the Claudia that we saw at the 2014 Commonwealths. But hang on, I'm getting there. Next in her junior career, Fragapane made her International Debut at a competition called the Coupe Avenir in France. There Claudia won the gold in the team and the vault. See? Thats our Claudia. 

   Claudia became a senior in 2013. But injuries kept Claudia out for most of the competitive season. This meant that Claudia was forced to miss her first senior English and British Championships. But she recovered well enough to make the team for the Elite Gym Massila that happened in November. In the Master Team Division, Claudia and the British Team came in second on vault and floor and third in the all around and on bars, as well as placing sixth on the balance beam. This was a good competition for Claudia, especially for the fact that it was her first competition after an injury.

   After a few competitions, the meet came, the meet that would make Claudia known across the world. It was the 2014 Commonwealth Games.  Claudia and Team England/Great Britain would go on to win the team gold, and individually, Claudia would win all-around gold, vault gold, and floor gold. Making her the most decorated gymnast at the Commonwealths. It was so amazing to see Claudia have mass success at a competiion. She had an injury and was out for most of 2013, I think she really made her senior debut here, and not in 2013 at the Elite Gym Massila. Claudia did make the World Team, and the all around, but did not place on the medal podium. One day, I would like to see her do so. But she did manage to placing sixth with the team, but qualifying in the second seated group, a first for Great Britain.

   So that is the Claudia Fragapane piece. I look forward to seeing Claudia at upcoming meets and seeing how she will place.

Claudia Fragapane with all her Gold Medals From Commonwealths.