Birmingham gymnasts Dominick Cunningham and Joe Fraser were back home today to show off their European Championship medals and celebrate the return of the Gymnastics World Cup to the city next year.
Dominick, who won gold on the floor in Glasgow with a stunning routine and Joe who took silver alongside his City of Birmingham team mate in the men’s team event were at the city’s Mailbox and famous canals to look ahead to the prestigious event in their home city.
Both gymnasts, who train at the city’s GMAC centre, will be battling to be part of the GB World Cup team that will take on the best nations in the world on March 23rdat the Genting Arena.
Earlier this year, over 10,000 fans saw Alice Kinsella, also from the Midlands, and James Hall take bronze for Great Britain when the World Cup came to Birmingham for the first time.
Next year’s event will have a new format meaning fans will get the chance to see the men and the women on the same day. The event will now take place on a Saturday - with the men’s competition in the afternoon and the women’s event in the evening.
The decision to return to Birmingham follows the success of that event and comes with less than four years to go before it hosts the Commonwealth Games when both Birmingham born gymnasts will be hoping to be part of the England team.
Cunningham, who finished fourth behind Hall in March at the Gymnastics World Cup, went on to win gold and bronze medals in this year’s Commonwealth Games in Australia just over two weeks later.
“To have the World Cup back in Birmingham, and for people to get the chance to see some of the best gymnasts in the world going head to head again, is huge for gymnastics in the city and the Midlands. Taking part in this year’s World Cup in front of my home crowd was something I will never forget and it gave me the confidence to go on and perform at the Commonwealth Games and the European Championships last weekend. I want to experience it again and improve on my fourth place this year.”
Fraser who missed out on this year’s World Cup and the Commonwealth Games due to injury, said:
“I’m desperate to be part of the squad after missing out this year and having it back in here will give me extra motivation. I went to cheer the guys on in March and the atmosphere was amazing. Hopefully the fans in Birmingham and the Midlands will turn out in even greater numbers at the Genting Arena and give the British team the support it will need against some big nations and big stars.”
British Gymnastics, Chief Executive, Jane Allen added: “We’re thrilled to bring the Gymnastics World Cup back to Birmingham for 2019. Gymnastics is a fantastic ‘family-friendly’ sport. The Genting Arena is a perfect venue for families to enjoy world-class sport and entertainment. There is a real buzz around the sport in the city and the region and there’s some amazing homegrown gymnastics talent here. That, combined with the huge success of last year’s event, made it feel like the right decision to come back to the city again.”
“In Dominick and Joe, Birmingham has two of the sport’s most talented, up and coming stars and they proved that with their performances in Glasgow at the weekend. I’m sure they will both be desperate to be part of the GB team in their home city next March.”
The Birmingham event is part of the World Cup series, which takes place every year with four events staged in four different countries. Nine gymnasts from the world’s leading nations compete for their country in both the men’s and women’s competition. The men will battle it out on the floor, pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars and high bar whilst the women will show their skills on the vault, uneven bars, beam and the floor.
Nations compete to be crowned World Cup winners, with each individual event securing vital points on the leader board. Historically, Olympic, World and European medallists have competed for their countries which have included the USA, Russia, China, Japan, Germany, Netherlands, Brazil and of course Great Britain. As the host nation, Great Britain secure four spots automatically.
