Imogen Cairns facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Imogen Cairns
Full name	Imogen Jayne Cairns
Country represented	Great Britain  England
Born	(1989-01-26) 26 January 1989 (age 36) Southmead, Bristol, England
Hometown	Portishead, Somerset, England
Height	156 cm (5 ft 1 in)
Weight	59 kg (130 lb)
Discipline	Women's artistic gymnastics
Level	Senior International Elite
Club	The Academy
Head coach(es)	Liz Kincaid
Choreographer	Valorie Kondos Field
Music	Alone by Delirium (2008–2011), Pulmon by Bajofondo (2012)
Retired	October 2012
World ranking	Vault 12 (2011)
Medal record Representing  England Commonwealth Games Gold 2006 Melbourne Vault Gold 2010 Delhi Vault Gold 2010 Delhi Floor Exercise Silver 2006 Melbourne Team Silver 2010 Delhi Team

Imogen Jayne Cairns (born January 26, 1989) is a British former artistic gymnast. She competed for Great Britain in the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2012 Summer Olympics. Representing England, Imogen won three gold medals at the Commonwealth Games. She was a champion in the vault event twice and once in the floor exercise.

Imogen Cairns: A Gymnastics Journey

Imogen Cairns had an exciting career as a gymnast. She faced many challenges, including serious injuries. But her determination always helped her bounce back. Let's explore her journey from her early senior competitions to the Olympic Games.

Early Senior Competitions

2006: Commonwealth Games Success

In March 2006, Imogen competed for England at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia. Her strong performance helped the English team win a silver medal. Imogen also won a gold medal in the vault final, showing her amazing skill.

The next month, she competed at the European Championships in Greece. The British team finished seventh. Imogen also placed eighth in the vault event.

Later that year, she competed at the British Championships. She finished fourth in the all-around competition. An "all-around" score combines scores from all different gymnastics events. She also won silver medals on vault and floor exercise. She earned a bronze medal on the uneven bars.

Imogen continued to compete in World Cup events. She showed her talent on the vault in competitions in Glasgow and São Paulo.

Overcoming Challenges

2007: Dealing with Injuries

The year 2007 was tough for Imogen. She suffered a broken wrist in April. This meant she had to wear a cast for twelve weeks. After recovering from her wrist injury, she then broke her ankle. These injuries were very serious and kept her from competing. She missed the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships that year.

2008: The Olympic Dream

Despite her past injuries, Imogen returned to competition in 2008. She placed fifth on vault at a World Cup event in Slovenia. She was determined to show everyone she was still a top gymnast.

At the British Championships in June, Imogen performed very well. She won gold medals on vault and floor. She also earned a silver medal on the balance beam. Her strong performance led to her being chosen as an alternate for the 2008 Summer Olympics. When a teammate got injured, Imogen joined the Olympic team!

Beijing Olympics Experience

Imogen competed at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. She helped the British team finish in ninth place. She also placed 33rd in the individual all-around competition.

After the Olympics, Imogen faced more serious injuries. She hurt both her ankles while practicing on the vault. These injuries required surgery and a very long recovery. She couldn't walk properly for six months. This was a very difficult time for her.

2009: A Determined Comeback

After her severe ankle injuries, Imogen considered quitting gymnastics. She had been out of training for a long time. But she realized how much she missed the sport. Gymnastics had been her whole life. With incredible determination, she decided to make a comeback. She felt she had nothing to lose by trying.

2010: Double Commonwealth Gold

Imogen's hard work paid off in 2010. At the British Championships in July, she won the vault final. She also placed well on balance beam and floor. She shared that she had matured and learned from her setbacks. She was setting new personal goals.

In October, Imogen competed for England at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India. She helped the English team win another silver medal. In the individual all-around final, she placed fourth. She said that a year before, she didn't think she would ever train again.

Imogen then won two gold medals at the Commonwealth Games! She won gold in the vault and floor exercise finals. Winning these medals meant even more to her after her long recovery from injuries.

Later in October, Imogen competed at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. She helped the British team finish seventh. She also placed eighth in the vault final.

In November, she continued her success on the vault. She won a World Cup event in Germany and placed second at another event in Glasgow.

Road to London Olympics

2011: Consistent Performances

In 2011, Imogen continued to compete strongly. At the British Teams competition, she helped her club, The Academy, finish fifth. In July, she competed at the British Championships. She won gold on vault and a bronze medal on balance beam.

At the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Tokyo in October, Imogen helped the British team achieve a fifth-place finish.

2012: London Olympic Dream

In May 2012, Imogen was scheduled to compete at the European Championships. However, she took time to recover from minor injuries. This allowed her to be fully ready for the upcoming Olympic trials.

In June, Imogen competed in friendly meets and Olympic trials. She performed well in the all-around and on floor exercise. At the British Championships, which was the final Olympic trial, she placed fourth in the all-around. She also earned a silver medal on floor.

At the beginning of July, Imogen was officially chosen to represent Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London! This was her second Olympic Games.

London Olympics and Retirement

At the London Olympics, Imogen contributed to the British team's sixth-place finish. This was a great achievement for the team. Soon after the 2012 Olympics, Imogen Cairns decided to retire from elite gymnastics. She had an incredible career, showing amazing talent and determination through many challenges.