GB’s Gadirova wins historic world all-around medal

Britain’s Jessica Gadirova said she was “over the moon” after finishing third in the women’s all-around final at the Gymnastics World Championships.

Gadirova, 18, and team-mate Alice Kinsella, 21, who finished fourth, also helped GB claim a first silver medal in the team event in Liverpool.

“I am just so shocked at the score,” added Gadirova, who finished on 55.199.

Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade took a deserved gold with 56.899, while the United States’ Shilese Jones claimed silver, just edging Dublin-born Gadirova into bronze by 0.200.

Gadirova, who was also third in the all-around at the European Championships earlier this year, was outside the medals, and behind Kinsella, going into the final rotation.

But the two-time European floor champion produced a superb routine in her favourite discipline to clinch her place in history.

Gadirova’s floor routine earned an impressive 14.400, equalled only by Andrade, to add to 13.833 on the vault, 13.733 on the beam and 13.233 on the bars.

“I just stuck with the training and believed I could do it,” she said after holding her nerve to produce her best performance in her final routine.

“I had done all the hard work, so it was time just to go perform it as best I can, and that’s what I did.”

Basildon-born Kinsella, who won all-around silver at the European Championships, finished with 14.166 on the bars to drop out of the medals, ending 0.134 behind her team-mate.

Gladirova added: “I just want to say a massive congratulations to Alice, she did amazing. I am so proud of her.”