Rebecca Tunney facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rebecca Tunney
Full name	Rebecca Naomi Tunney
Nickname(s)	Twiggy
Country represented	Great Britain  England
Born	(1996-10-26) 26 October 1996 (age 28) Ashton-under-Lyne, England, United Kingdom
Height	1.47 m (4 ft 10 in)
Discipline	Women's artistic gymnastics
Club	City of Liverpool
Head coach(es)	Claire Duffy
Retired	April 6, 2017
Medal record Representing  Great Britain European Championships Silver 2014 Sofia Team Representing  England Commonwealth Youth Games Gold 2011 Isle of Man Team Gold 2011 Isle of Man Vault Bronze 2011 Isle of Man Floor Exercise

Rebecca Tunney is a talented British artistic gymnast. She was born on October 26, 1996. Rebecca competed for Great Britain in the sport of artistic gymnastics. She even represented her country at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Rebecca retired from gymnastics on April 6, 2017.

Rebecca's Early Life and Training

Rebecca Tunney started ballet when she was very young. But at age five, she decided to focus on gymnastics instead. When she was ten, she joined the City of Liverpool gymnastics club. There, she trained with her coach, Claire Duffy.

Claire Duffy remembered Rebecca as "tiny" and "keen." She said that Rebecca loved to train and win medals. Winning made Rebecca want to become a champion.

Rebecca used to go to Droylsden Academy Secondary School. She often missed school for training and competitions. Her school was very supportive of her gymnastics career.

In September 2012, Rebecca moved to Liverpool. She lived with her coach's family to be closer to her gym. She also changed schools, joining The Belvedere Academy. Rebecca said it was easy to get to the gym after school, as it was only a 10-minute walk.

Junior Gymnastics Career

Rebecca had a very successful junior career in gymnastics.

2010: European and British Championships

In April 2010, Rebecca competed at the 2010 European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships. This event was held in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Her scores helped the British team finish in fifth place.

In July, Rebecca competed at the British Championships in Guildford. She finished second in the all-around competition. She also won first place on the uneven bars. Rebecca was very happy with her performance. She felt she had proven herself after the European Championships.

2011: Winning Junior Titles

In May 2011, Rebecca helped her club, City of Liverpool, win first place at the British Teams competition.

In July, she competed at the British Championships in Liverpool. Rebecca won the all-around competition. She also took first place on the uneven bars and floor exercise. Rebecca said she was "really pleased" and did not expect to win. She enjoyed having her club's support in her hometown. Younger gymnasts from her club were there to cheer her on.

In September, Rebecca represented England at the Commonwealth Youth Games. This competition took place on the Isle of Man. She helped the English team win first place. Individually, she won first place on vault. She also earned a bronze medal on the floor exercise.

Senior Gymnastics Career

Rebecca moved up to the senior level in 2012. This was a big year for her.

2012: The Olympic Year

In January, Rebecca competed at the London Prepares series. This event was a test for the upcoming Olympics. She finished sixth in the uneven bars final. Rebecca loved the atmosphere and the home crowd's reactions. She said her family was very proud of her.

In March, she competed at the American Cup in New York, United States.

In May, Rebecca competed at the 2012 European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Brussels, Belgium. She was excited to compete in front of a large crowd. She was also happy with her new vault, the Yurchenko double twist. Rebecca helped the British team finish fourth. She was proud of her performances and making no mistakes. She also finished fifth in the floor exercise final.

Rebecca then took part in the British Teams competition. This was the first Olympic trial. She helped her club win first place. She also had the highest all-around score. She placed first on uneven bars and second on vault and floor.

In June, Rebecca competed in an international friendly event in Ipswich. This was the second Olympic trial. She won the all-around competition.

Later in June, Rebecca competed at the British Championships in Liverpool. This was the final Olympic trial. She won the all-around competition. Rebecca was surprised and thrilled to win. She said her goal was to perform cleanly. She felt her first year as a senior gymnast had gone very well. She was happy to win the senior title after winning the junior title the year before.

London Olympics 2012

In July 2012, Rebecca was chosen to compete for Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics. At 15 years old, she was the youngest athlete on Team GB for the London 2012 Games. She found the experience "overwhelming" but her teammates helped her settle in. She loved being in the Olympic Village and seeing other great athletes.

At the Olympics, Rebecca helped the British team qualify in fifth place. She also qualified for the all-around final. In the team final, Rebecca performed well on vault and uneven bars. The British team finished in sixth place. Rebecca said it was amazing to reach the team final in her first Olympic Games. She was inspired by the men's team, who won a medal.

In the all-around final, Rebecca finished thirteenth. She called her time in London "the best week of my life." She was very proud to be the youngest athlete on Team GB. She learned a lot and looked forward to cheering on her teammates.

2015: European Games

In April 2015, Rebecca was selected to represent Great Britain at the first ever European Games. However, due to ongoing injuries, she had to withdraw from the competition. Other gymnasts took her place.

2016: Rio Olympics Alternate

Rebecca was named as an alternate for the 2016 Rio Olympics. This meant she was ready to compete if another gymnast could not.

2017: Retirement

On April 6, 2017, Rebecca announced her retirement from competitive gymnastics. She decided to focus on her university studies. She also considered coaching gymnastics in the future.

See also

In Spanish: Rebecca Tunney para niños