Downie sisters to compete at World Championships

Hucknall sisters Becky and Ellie Downie have been selected by British Gymnastics for the 48th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Doha.
Ellie and Becky DownieEllie and Becky Downie
Ellie and Becky Downie

It will be the first time Ellie, a former European all-round champions, has competed in 18 months due to an ankle injury sustained last year.

She had surgery on it in August 2017 and a second operation in April of this year and has now been selected to represent Great Britain at the world championships.

Becky has had niggling elbow problems but has also been called up alongside Alice Kinsella, Georgia-Mae Fenton and Kelly Simm in the five-strong women’s team.

Becky posted on Twitter: “If you’d have asked me how 2018 would go at the start of this year I could never have predicted so much drama but it’s an absolute honour to be selected to represent Great Britain at the 2018 World Championships.

“It’s even more special to be back with Ellie after an absolute emotional rollercoaster 18 months!! Excited to see what this team can do together.”

The competition runs from 25th October to 3rd November and is the first chance for countries to gain team places for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

James Thomas, British Gymnastics Performance Director, said: “The World Championships in Doha represents the start of the qualification process for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

“Building on from the European Championships and with a number of gymnasts returning from injury, we had several world class gymnasts pushing for team selection through the recent competition trials.

“The selected team for Doha gives us the opportunity to make a positive start to our Olympic qualification campaign, going head-to-head with the world’s best in the team competition and pushing for medals on key apparatus.”

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