‘It feels absolutely amazing’: Claudia Fragapane back in England gymnastics team

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Claudia Fragapane will return to the England gymnastics team after an eight-year absence for next month’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Fragapane swept the board with four gold medals in Glasgow in 2014 but missed the Gold Coast Games four years ago due to an Achilles injury.

Further injuries have hampered her top-level progress but the 24-year-old said she is relishing the opportunity to return as part of a five-strong women’s artistic team.

Fragapane said: “It feels absolutely amazing to be back competing for Team England eight years later – it feels even more special this time.

“Coming into Birmingham 2022 I just really want to enjoy myself. I’m so excited, I cannot wait just to get there now and compete with everyone and create more memories.”

Double Olympic medallist Max Whitlock and team bronze medallists Jennifer and Jessica Gadirova have elected to skip the event in order to focus on the forthcoming World Championships in Liverpool.

However, the women’s team includes Alice Kinsella, who was part of the team that claimed an unexpected podium place in Tokyo.

The men’s team is led by Birmingham-born former world champion Joe Fraser and his fellow Tokyo Olympians, Giarnni Regini-Moran and James Hall.