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Imogen Cairns, the two-time junior British all-around champion, Commonwealth youth vault champion and double junior European finalist, has long been considered an outstanding prospect. Imogen is renowned as a superb competitor under pressure. This valuable quality has helped her to win almost every British championship she has entered. As the first gymnast ever to claim back-to-back junior national titles, and with considerable international success already to her name, Imogen moves into the senior ranks in 2005 with the hope of bringing her elegant and technically excellent gymnastics to a wider international audience.
Imogen's hometown is Colyton in Devon. Born January 26th 1989, she grew up in Winterbourne, Bristol, and first came to prominence as a member of Fromeside, her local gymnastics club.
Coached by Liz Kincaid, "Im" was the dominant gymnast in the particularly strong 1989 age group. She won three successive overall national titles in 1998 (9 years), 1999 (10 years) and 2000 (11 years), leading a talented South West team to a clean sweep of the age group team titles, from Grade 5 (now Level 4 Compulsory) right through to Level 2 Voluntary! Im continued to impress as a first year espoir and got a taste of international competition with the South West regional squad at the 2001 Magical Classic in Florida. She won bars gold, floor bronze and was 3rd all-around at the 2001 British Championships, cementing her reputation for clean and technically strong gymnastics.
Imogen's career stalled somewhat at this point, This was the start of her injury problems that all gymnasts go through during the 'growing' period. She moved clubs in July 2001, following coach Liz Kincaid who left Fromeside to set up The Academy. The new gym in Portishead was not ready for many months, and Liz and her gymnasts were very generously given time and space at Bristol Hawks Gymnastics Club in Bristol. Imogen, down on luck during this time, found that the period at Hawks gave her the inspiration to keep with gymnastics and work through this time. Helen, Sean, Mike and Elaine played a big part in this as did all the Hawks gymnasts including close friend, British Squad member Rhian Pugh. Despite missing the 2002 British Championships and making only occasional appearances on the competitive scene that year, she continued to have some minor success on a national level, placing 3rd at the British Schools Senior Championships, 4th at The Zone International and 6th at the Burrell Designs Invitational.
Such was the length of her absence from the medal stands that Imogen did not figure among the favourites for the 2003 British junior Championships. Almost forgotten nationally at this stage, she was also still some way from full fitness. However, against all the odds and most expectations, Imogen made an astonishing comeback. She performed cleanly and stylishly to achieve a surprise all-around victory over a field that included Olympic squad members, firmly re-establishing herself as a top junior star. On the back of this win, Im was selected for the European Youth Olympic Festival in Paris, but injury again intervened and she was forced to withdraw from the competition and sit out the rest of the season.
Imogen was due a bit of luck, and an injury-free 2004 finally gave her the chance to show the world what she was capable of. Needless to say, she seized it with both hands! Competing on three apparatus at the junior European championships in Amsterdam, Im displayed her famous ability to rise to the occasion. She was a crucial factor in Great Britain's record-shattering 4th place in the team event and qualified to two individual finals, placing 5th on floor and 7th on vault. Imogen partnered the Czech Republic's David Voryal to win the gold medal at the Czech Grand Prix in May. She travelled to Bendigo, Australia for the Commonwealth Youth Games at the end of the year, helping England to WA team and overall gymnastics golds and picking up AA bronze as well as vault gold and floor silver. On top of all this she managed to achieve the unprecedented feat of retaining her junior British all-around title and won two further national titles on vault and floor as well as claiming all-around victories at the Welsh Open and Alpha Factor Cup.
Imogen is now a member of the Great Britain senior squad. She trains six days a week with coach Liz Kinkaid at the Academy of Gymnastics in Portishead. With good difficulty, great lines and interesting work on all four pieces, Imogen is a true all-around gymnast. Traditionally she has been especially noted for her very flighty vaulting and tumbling as well as for her elegant dance and presentation. A tall gymnast with long limbs, Imogen displays an ease of performance that is the hallmark of quality gymnastics. She shows poise and assurance on the competition floor and always seems to give her best performance when it matters most. Outside of gymnastics, Im is a normal teenager who says she enjoys shopping and spending time with her friends. She has one sister.
Imogen was just 26 days too young to challenge for a place on the Athens Olympic team. The four years to Beijing 2008 may seem a long time to wait, but Imogen has shown she knows the value of patience and persistence in the quest for gymnastic glory....
Since early 2004, when Imogen's parents moved to Devon from Winterbourn, Imogen has lived with former club and team mate Kayleigh Fletcher (like Im born 1989 as well), SW team member in all but 1 levels comps where she placed highly and attended the under 12 squad with Im) From these early days a bond far stronger than that of any normal gymnast to gymnast relationship was formed.) Kayleigh who had a promising gymnastics career ahead of her - decided this was not to be her chosen path, but is always around supporting Im at any big competitions along with her mum Tracey and step dad Julian. When asked how their friendship has survived - Imogen says ' Kayleigh weekly boards at Colston Colegiate school so comes home weekends only. I miss her when shes away, But by not living in each others pockets helps our friendship and we rarely fall out. Her mum and step dad are great and always supportive. I see my mum, dad and sister for a couple of days each week, I have the best of all worlds."
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