Jessica Gadirova breaks gymnastics ground with all-around bronze

Jessica Gadirova pulled together the performance of her life to win bronze and Britain’s first-ever women's all-around medal at the World Gymnastics Championships.

The 18-year-old qualified for the final in fifth but rose to the occasion with a faultless performance on all four apparatus.

As twin sister Jennifer cheered from the stands, Gadirova cemented a podium place with a breathtaking floor routine that scored a massive 14.400 points.

She said: “I’m just so speechless. I’m over the moon and just so happy.”

British team-mate Alice Kinsella finished fourth, a mere 0.134 points behind.

It was another slice of history for British gymnastics on what is becoming a brilliant week for the host nation in Liverpool, already yielding three medals.

Adding individual bronze to team silver, Gadirova joins three-time Olympic champion Max Whitlock as the only British gymnasts to win multiple medals at a World Championships.

Her performance on floor sealed the deal but a brilliant beam routine helped the teenager cement a medal position, crowned by an emotional celebration.

“I wanted to put in my best performance and have a clean competition. At the end I started thinking there was a possibility of a medal but I didn’t want to get my hopes up.

“The beam felt quite solid to me and I finished off clean, with a good dismount I thought ‘why not get the crowd going’ and show them my reaction.

“The home crowd is having a big impact. They’re cheering us so much, I just want to perform for them and their support is so strong for us.”

Sportsbeat 2022