Louise McColgan is an eleven year old gymnast from Scotland who is already starting to make a name for herself by having become the 2012 British Level 2 All Around Champion. In Britain the elite grades go from Level 5 (8 years old) to Level 2 (11/12 years old) before the gymnasts move into the espoir then junior / senior levels.

Louise began 2012 by competing at the British Compulsory Level 2 in March, where she took the silver medal. Her coach, Claire Rankin pointed out:  “What makes Louise’s result even more noteworthy is that this is the first time any Scottish girl has medalled at an all around British Championship.” It was a great achievement for both Louise and Scottish gymnastics.

The Voluntary Level 2 competition came later in the year in November. Louise had a fantastic competition, winning the all around with a score of 52.45 and posting the highest scores of the day on both beam and floor. This all around score combined with her compulsory score was enough to crown Louise the British Combined Level 2 Champion by more than 2.000, something which has, unsurprisingly, become her proudest moment in her gymnastics career.

Louise McColgan British Voluntary Level 2 Floor Exercise

The year 2012 was not just about the Level 2 competitions for Louise though. In April she represented Scotland at the Celtic Cup, her first international competition. The Celtic Cup is a competition for young gymnasts from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland and the Isle of Man with Minor (U12) and Junior (U16) categories. The Scottish team took the Silver medal and Louise placed fifth in the all around competition.

TCG caught up with Louise recently and asked her a few questions:

What is one thing your coaches are always having to remind you?

To straighten my knees. Haha!

If you were to go to the Olympics for another sport, what would you want it to be?

Athletics.

If you could change one rule in gymnastics, what would it be?

At the Olympics, gymnasts with same score get medals instead of going with execution scores.

What was your proudest moment and why?

Winning British Level 2 all around combined scores because my coach was given a plaque as well.

What was your most embarrassing moment?

Not had any yet.

What was the last thing you saw that made you go “wow!”

Epke Zonderland’s latest insane 24 release high bar combo sequence, it is amazing.

What is/was your best subject in school?

English as I have had two pieces of writing published

If you could have the career of any other gymnast, who would it be and why?

Nastia Liukin because she is an all around gymnast and was so graceful.

What do you think makes gymnastics different from other sports

How hard you have to train, the risks you take learning moves and sacrifices from a young age.

If they decided to get rid of one apparatus in gymnastics, which would you choose and why?

Vault as it’s not my strongest piece.

This year, Louise is very pleased to announce that she has been invited into the British Women’s High Performance Artistic Programme Espoir Squad. She is already showing great skill in her routines as well as style and elegance.

I am looking forward to seeing her progress through the espoir and junior levels before turning senior in 2017.

Article: Steph Blanchard

Interview: Brigid McCarthy

Read Steph’s Confessions of a Gymnastics Fan blog 

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