British WAG and MAG talk 2025

[KorbutFan]

At the same competition Lisa Mason did an absolutely stunning gainer flick + Arabian on beam (in 1997!) There’s a video of it on YouTube.

 

[Puffin]

All I could find was that she was named to the 2000 Olympic team although she hadn’t had the sort of success in 98-00 we might have expected. However she was injured whilst training in Australia and was replaced by Paula Thomas. She came back after injury to place 3rd at the 2001 British and competed at worlds that year however her scores seem pretty low compared to Tweddle and Willis. She doesn’t seem to have competed after that. Her coach was Carol Malone, who judged at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.

I want to say that back in the day, John Pirrie talked about her in an article criticising the British set up at the time. There was definitely something late 90s and early 00s where some GB squad members were effectively forced to live and train full time at Lilleshall with national team coaches, not their personal coaches. It went on until about 2002 when it was challenged by social services who said there was inappropriate provision for under 18s to live there. So I don’t know if perhaps Melissa Wilcox was injured or badly managed by national team coaches that she’d rather not have been training with.

IIRC organizations had to become compliant with the safeguarding aspects of the 2004? Children's Act if they were offering residential accommodation to children under 18. It became a lot stricter and more expensive for organizations to become compliant. I think they also became liable for OFSTED inspections of residential arrangements.

I have read that it was also one of the reasons for the huge drop-off in the numbers of boarding schools offering boarding to the under 11s because a lot more staff and oversight was required.

 

[Bob]

Have always thought Lisa Mason was one of the most talented gymnasts we have ever had.

 

[Matilda23]

Lisa Mason’s FX from 1998 Euros was superb. Entertaining routine with great tumbling!

 

[RAFIKI]

Lisa Mason’s FX from 1998 Euros was superb. Entertaining routine with great tumbling!

Agreed, I still rewatch this routine.

I’d never seen either of those beam routines before - darn impressive

 

[KorbutFan]

Lisa Mason’s FX from 1998 Euros was superb. Entertaining routine with great tumbling!

She definitely should’ve medaled on floor

 

[Denn]

You have to post videos!

 

[Denn]

Damn, I am in the "Lisa Was Robbed" big time here. She totally should have beaten at least Amanar with that.

BTW, there's two camera angles available. The one above is someone's video from the audience. Here's the broadcast.

 

[Gymfan93]

Didn't Lisa Mason have a bit of a come back around 2015ish? I seem to remember her popping back up at British champs, but don't remember if she actually competed anywhere else.

 

[irichluck21]

Mason came back in 2013 and had the goal of representing England at CWG in 2014.

 

[Bob]

Didn't Lisa Mason have a bit of a come back around 2015ish? I seem to remember her popping back up at British champs, but don't remember if she actually competed anywhere else.

yes she did. Had a weird landing on vault and went "oh Sh*t" very loudly. My ten year old nearly wet herself laughing. Instant fan.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Nobody likes it when the floor comes sooner than it was supposed to.

 

[Doug1233]

Damn, I am in the "Lisa Was Robbed" big time here. She totally should have beaten at least Amanar with that.

BTW, there's two camera angles available. The one above is someone's video from the audience. Here's the broadcast.

She was better than Khorkina IMO.

 

[KorbutFan]

Rhys McClenaghan has been awarded an MBE

(wasn’t entirely sure where to post this)

 

[MaryClare]

Rhys McClenaghan has been awarded an MBE

(wasn’t entirely sure where to post this)

Is he going to accept it?

 

[KorbutFan]

I’m assuming so…

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Afaik they don't award them to people who don't want them, you have to play an active part in the process. He's got the BEM already so presumably accepts the whole concept.

And I think it's fine to put it here, Rhys is obviously someone who embraces both sides of his heritage, and he's getting recognition from the British part for something he's done in an Ireland vest. Why not?

 

[MaryClare]

Afaik they don't award them to people who don't want them, you have to play an active part in the process. He's got the BEM already so presumably accepts the whole concept.

And I think it's fine to put it here, Rhys is obviously someone who embraces both sides of his heritage, and he's getting recognition from the British part for something he's done in an Ireland vest. Why not?

Because a lot of accomplished people from NI who are offered British honours turn them down, regardless of their own personal views, because of the potential public backlash. If you’re from NI but represent the republic, it’s more of an issue as you might face criticism for it both in NI and ROI.
It is a fairly unusual situation for a Republic of Ireland Olympic gold medalist to be a “member of the order of the British empire”!!!

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

They do indeed, and some on social media are showing their arses as we speak. I don't think that's a reason for us not to include it in this thread though?

 

[MaryClare]

They do indeed, and some on social media are showing their arses as we speak. I don't think that's a reason for us not to include it in this thread though?

Sorry, I thought you meant why not as in why wouldn’t he accept it if he identifies both as British and Irish. I didn’t mean we shouldn’t include it.