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First-year senior Rebecca Tunney took the all-around title Saturday evening at the 2012 British Gymnastics Championships, which also serves as the final trials for Britain's Olympic squads for London.

2012 British champion Rebecca Tunney (Liverpool)

Tunney led a medal sweep for the Liverpool Gymnastics Club at the city's Echo Arena, scoring 56.750 to edge out clubmates Jennifer Pinches (56.350) and Hannah Whelan (55.800).

Tunney, the British junior champion in 2011, had her top score on vault with 14.650. She was one of four gymnasts in Liverpool — along with Pinches, Becky Downie and Niamh Rippin — to throw double-twisting Yurchenkos on vault, an event where the British women have lacked difficulty in the past.

"It's totally unexpected to win," Tunney said. "The main focus with it being the Olympic trial was to stay clean and I thought if I did that I could get maybe in the top five, but to win is incredible. The trials have all gone really well for me so it's now just up to the selectors to decide what works best for the Olympics. The first year as a senior couldn't have gone better really and I'm really enjoying competing in front of big crowds. Having won the junior title last year and moved straight up to win seniors is brilliant."

Pinches had the top mark on balance beam (14.300) and tied for the second-best score on floor (14.400).

"I'm really happy with today's competition," she said. "Everyone knows how crucial today was and to compete cleanly was really important. My routines went well and I just hope I've impressed the selectors with what I've done today. To medal at the British championships against some amazing gymnasts is a big achievement so I'm delighted."

Whelan, the two-time defending champion, was unable to make it three in a row after a fall on balance beam on her switch leap, Onodi combination.

"It wasn't a perfect competition todaym but I still took the bronze medal so I can't be too disappointed," said Whelan, a 2008 Olympian. "I know that finishing near the top has got to help my chances of making the Olympic team which is the most important thing. This year I think I've improved a lot — winning two medals at the Europeans was a big boost and proves that on my day I can produce."

Imogen Cairns, another 2008 Olympian, finished fourth, .3 out of third place. Cairns showed off her usual cat-like landings on vault (Yurchenko 1 1/2) and floor exercise (Arabian double front to straddle jump; triple twist; 2 1/2 to stag), and surely impressed the selection committee with the second-best score on balance beam (14.250).

Liverpool's own Beth Tweddle returned to competition after minor knee surgery kept her out of the European championships in May. The superstar earned the high mark of 15.750 on bars (6.9-Difficulty mark) for yet another monster routine — elgrip to full Ono to Khorkina to Gienger; toe-on full to Tweddle (toe-on Tkatchev half) to Yezhova, though she added an extra toe-on before continuing with a Maloney and full-twisting double tuck. On floor she debuted her new routine (to the Paul McCartney & Wings classic "Live and Let Die") with slightly easier tumbling (front full middle pass), but still had the top mark of the day (14.650).

Competition concludes Sunday with the apparatus finals.

Click here to watch videos from on British Gymnastics' Official YouTube channel.

External Link: British Gymnastics

2012 British Championships
June 23, Liverpool

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