Beth Tweddle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Elizabeth Tweddle MBE
Tweddle in March 2012
Personal information
Full name	Elizabeth Kimberly Tweddle
Country represented	Great Britain  England
Born	(1985-04-01) 1 April 1985 (age 40) Johannesburg, South Africa
Hometown	Bunbury, Cheshire, United Kingdom
Height	160 cm (5 ft 3 in)
Discipline	Women's artistic gymnastics
Level	Senior International Elite
Years on national team	1994–2013 (GBR)
Club	City of Liverpool
Head coach(es)	Amanda Reddin
Assistant coach(es)	Zoltan Jordanov
Choreographer	Corina Morosan, Adriana Pop
Eponymous skills	Tweddle: sole circle backward with counter straddle hecht with 1/2 turn on high bar in mixed L-grip
Retired	6 August 2013
Medal record Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 0 0 1 World Championships 3 0 2 European Championships 6 4 1 World Cup Final 1 2 0 Summer Universiade 3 0 2 Commonwealth Games 1 2 0 Total 14 8 6 Representing  Great Britain Olympic Games Bronze 2012 London Uneven Bars World Championships Gold 2006 Aarhus Uneven Bars Gold 2009 London Floor Exercise Gold 2010 Rotterdam Uneven Bars Bronze 2003 Anaheim Uneven Bars Bronze 2005 Melbourne Uneven Bars World Cup Final Gold 2006 São Paulo Uneven Bars Silver 2004 Birmingham Uneven Bars Silver 2006 São Paulo Floor Exercise European Championships Gold 2006 Volos Uneven Bars Gold 2009 Milan Uneven Bars Gold 2009 Milan Floor Exercise Gold 2010 Birmingham Uneven Bars Gold 2010 Birmingham Floor Exercise Gold 2011 Berlin Uneven Bars Silver 2004 Amsterdam Uneven Bars Silver 2007 Amsterdam Floor Exercise Silver 2008 Clermont Floor Exercise Silver 2010 Birmingham Team Bronze 2002 Patras Uneven Bars Summer Universiade Gold 2005 İzmir Uneven Bars Gold 2009 Belgrade Uneven Bars Gold 2009 Belgrade Floor Exercise Bronze 2005 İzmir All-Around Bronze 2005 İzmir Balance Beam Representing  England Commonwealth Games Gold 2002 Manchester Uneven Bars Silver 2002 Manchester Team Silver 2002 Manchester All-Around

Elizabeth Kimberly Tweddle (born 1 April 1985) is a retired English artistic gymnast. She was amazing on the uneven bars and in her floor routines. Elizabeth was the first female gymnast from Great Britain to win a medal at the European Championships, World Championships, and Olympic Games.

Tweddle was known for being very consistent and competing at a high level for a long time. She helped British gymnastics become much stronger globally. She represented Great Britain at three Olympic Games. She won a bronze medal on uneven bars at the 2012 London Olympics. She was also a World Champion three times and a European Champion six times. She won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games and three times at the Universiade.

Elizabeth Tweddle retired from gymnastics in August 2013. After retiring, she appeared on TV shows like Dancing on Ice, which she won in 2013. She also competed in The Jump in 2016 but had to leave due to a back injury. She had successful surgery and now works as a gymnastics analyst for the BBC and Eurosport.

Early Life and Education

Elizabeth Tweddle was born on 1 April 1985 in Johannesburg, South Africa. When she was 18 months old, her family moved to Bunbury, Cheshire, England. She tried many sports before starting gymnastics at age seven. She joined the Crewe and Nantwich Gymnastics Club.

In 1997, she moved to the City of Liverpool Gymnastics Club. There, she trained with her coach, Amanda Reddin. Elizabeth went to The Queen's School, Chester. She also studied sports science at Liverpool John Moores University. After the 2012 Summer Olympics, she began studying physiotherapy at the University of Liverpool.

Elizabeth is also involved with Total Gymnastics. This program helps children try gymnastics in schools and leisure centers. She is a big fan of football and supports Chester F.C.. She is also a patron for the Alder Hey Children's Hospital charity.

Gymnastics Career Highlights

Early Success and First Medals

Elizabeth Tweddle started her senior career in 2001. At the 2002 European Championships in Greece, she won a bronze medal on the uneven bars. This was a historic moment, as it was the first medal ever won by a British female gymnast at the European Championships. She said she cried when she saw her name in third place.

Later in 2002, she competed for England at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. She won a gold medal on the uneven bars and two silver medals. In 2003, she won another bronze medal on the uneven bars at the World Championships in the United States.

Olympic Debut and World Titles

In 2004, Elizabeth competed in her first Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. She placed nineteenth in the all-around final. She continued to excel, winning more medals at World Cup events.

In 2006, despite an ankle injury that kept her from the Commonwealth Games, she won her first European Championship gold medal on uneven bars in Greece. This was another first for a British gymnast. Later that year, she became a World Champion on uneven bars at the World Championships in Denmark. This was Britain's first-ever gold medal at a World Championships. She was very proud, saying all her hard work had paid off.

She continued her success in 2007, winning more British titles. At the World Championships in Germany, she helped the British team qualify for the Olympics.

Beijing and London Olympic Journeys

Elizabeth competed at her second Olympic Games in Beijing, China, in 2008. She placed fourth in the uneven bars final, just missing a medal. After Beijing, she decided to focus mainly on uneven bars and floor exercise. She wanted to win an Olympic medal.

Tweddle winning the floor final at the 2009 World Championships

In 2009, she won two gold medals at the European Championships in Italy. She also became a World Champion on floor exercise at the World Championships in London. This was her first World medal on floor, which was a great feeling for her.

Tweddle at the Paris World Cup in 2010

In 2010, she won two more gold medals at the European Championships in Birmingham. She also regained her uneven bars World title at the World Championships in the Netherlands. For her achievements, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). She felt it was a huge honor.

In 2011, she continued to win, including another European gold on uneven bars. She helped the British team achieve their highest-ever placement at the World Championships in Japan, qualifying a full team for the 2012 Olympics.

Tweddle (left) with other medalists after winning bronze at the 2012 London Olympics

Her final Olympic appearance was at the 2012 London Games. She helped Great Britain reach the team final, where they finished sixth. In the uneven bars final, Elizabeth won the bronze medal. This was the medal she had always wanted, completing her collection. She was incredibly happy, saying any medal was what she always aimed for.

Eponymous Skill

Elizabeth Tweddle has a gymnastics move named after her in the official Code of Points.

Artistic Recognition

In 2012, Elizabeth Tweddle was one of five Olympians chosen for a series of body-casting artworks. These artworks were created by Louise Giblin and displayed in London. Copies were sold to support the charity Headfirst.

See also

In Spanish: Beth Tweddle para niños

• List of Olympic female gymnasts for Great Britain
• List of female artistic gymnasts with the most appearances at Olympic Games