Imogen Cairns

Infobox Gymnast
gymnastname= Imogen Cairns

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fullname=Imogen Jane Cairns
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country= GBR
ENG
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birthdate= birth date and age|1989|01|26
birthplace= Southmead, Bristol
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height=convert|164|cm|ftin
discipline=WAG
level= Senior Elite
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club=Academy of Gymnastics
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headcoach=Liz Kincaid
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Imogen Jane Cairns (born 26 January 1989) is an English gymnast. She has won the British Junior Championship twice, in 2003 & 2004. She is coached by Liz Kincaid at the Academy of Gymnastics in Portishead, Somerset. In 2005 at the DTB Cup She placed 4th on vault and 3rd for her floor exercise. At the 2005 British Championships she achieved 3rd in the all-around, 2nd for vault and 2nd for floor exercise. Imogen's first world championships were in 2005 in Melbourne where she became the first British woman ever to qualify for a world vault final. She places 8th, showing a Yurchenko with 1.5 twists and a piked Lucconi.

Her greatest achievement to date was winning a gold medal in the individual women's vault at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia. She also won silver with England in the combined team event at the same competition. Imogen was narrowly denied a bronze medal in the all-around, behind Hollie Dykes of Australia, despite the fact that the latter had fallen on every piece of apparatus. The British federation complained bitterly about this on their official website, implying that the reason for the delay after Dykes' last score was because the judges were working out what to give her to ensure she would take the bronze.

Later in 2006, Imogen was a member of the British team in the 2006 European Championships in Volos, Greece. After injuries to Beth Tweddle and Shavahn Church, Imogen was left as the most experienced member of a three athlete squad, and her performances helped the embattled British team to seventh place. She also competed in the vault final, and placed 8th once again. There was no all-around competition, but in the qualifying rounds Imogen's all-around scores were 10th highest. No British gymnast has bettered this in a European all-around competition.

After a successful performance at the 2006 British Championships Cairns was virtually certain to be named to the team for the World Championships in Aarhus but injury prevented this. She has competed once since, in the World Cup Finals in Sao Paolo where she once again placed 8th on vault.

Since 2006 Imogen has had many other successes despite a struggle overcoming injury. At the 2008 British Nationals held in Guildford she performed brilliantly all weekend earning her the national vault and floor titles as well as a silver on beam.

Originally named as first travelling reserve for Britain's 2008 Beijing Olympics team Cairns has since found herself a spot on the competing team following the unfortunate injury and withdrawal of gymnast Laura Jones [cite news|url=http://www.olympics.org.uk/beijing2008/News.aspx?id=2510|title=Laura Jones withdrawn from Olympic gymnastics team|date=18 July 2008] .

References

External links

* http://www.british-gymnastics.org/ Comments on the AA situation, in the Commonwealth Games section under the News heading.
*fig|id=5734|name=Imogen Cairns
* http://www.british-gym.com/imogen Official Website