On this day in 2006: Beth Tweddle wins GB’s first gold at World Championships

Beth Tweddle bounced back from injury and a fall to clinch gold in Denmark.

Beth Tweddle bounced back with uneven bars gold in Aarhus (Anthony Devlin/PA) (PA Archive)

Beth Tweddle won Great Britain’s first gold medal at the gymnastics World Championships in the uneven bars competition, on this day in 2006.

Tweddle had suffered injury disappointment at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne earlier in the year, but bounced back in Aarhus.

A score of 16.200 points was enough for Tweddle to beat defending world champion Anastasia Liukin and Italy’s Vanessa Ferrari to the title in Denmark.

British hopeful Tweddle had claimed bronze during the World Championships 12 months earlier, but a right ankle injury halted her momentum and forced a watching front for the Commonwealth Games.

Tweddle recovered to star at the European Championships in April with victory before she cleaned up at the British Championships later in the summer.

It raised expectations over what the Olympian could achieve at NRGi Arena and after Tweddle ranked fourth overall during the qualification phase, she suffered a fall the day before the uneven bars final.

It did not knock the Liverpudlian off her stride and she peaked perfectly to post 16.200 points, beating Liukin’s total of 16.050 and Ferrari’s 15.775 tally.

Tweddle told BBC Five Live: “All my hard work has finally paid off and I’m absolutely ecstatic. A lot of people told me it would come, but I didn’t think it ever actually would. It hasn’t sunk in yet.

“I’ve had the bronze medal at the last two World Championships and to come out today after the fall yesterday and get through, it is an achievement.”