Poppy-Grace Stickler (born 12 June 2006) is a Welsh artistic gymnast. She is the 2019 Northern European all-around silver medalist. She represented Wales at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
| Poppy-Grace Stickler | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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_-_03367.jpg) Stickler in 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Poppy-Grace Stickler | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country represented |  Wales Great Britain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 12 June 2006 Cardiff, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years on national team | 2018–present (GBR) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Cymru Caerdydd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gym | Capital Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | Utah Red Rocks (2025–28) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Head coach(es) | Olivia Bryl | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Early life
editStickler was born in Cardiff in 2006. She attended Whitchurch High School.[1]
Junior gymnastics career
editEspoir: 2017–19
editStickler competed at her first Welsh Championships in 2017. She placed fourth in the espoir division.[2] In 2018 Stickler competed at her first British Championships where she placed eleventh in the espoir division. Additionally she won bronze on balance beam behind Alia Leat and Mali Morgan.[3] Stickler made her international debut for Wales at the 2018 Africa Safari International where she helped Wales finish second as a team. Individually she finished seventh in the all-around, fourth on vault, and fifth on floor exercise. She ended the year competing at the British Team Championships where she helped Club Cymru Caerdydd finish first as team and individually Stickler finished third in the all-around.[4]
Stickler competed at the Welsh and British Championships early in 2019. In April she competed at the Pre-Olympic Youth Cup where she placed first in the all-around in the 2006 division.[5] At the British Team Championships Stickler finished third in the all-around. In September Stickler competed at the Northern European Championships. While there she helped Wales finish first as a team. Individually she won silver in the all-around behind fellow Welsh gymnast Emily Thomas. Additionally she finished seventh on balance beam and fifth on floor exercise.[6] Stickler ended the year competing at the Olympic Hopes Cup. While there she helped Wales finish second as a team behind China. Individually she won bronze on vault and floor exercise.[7]
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Junior: 2020–21
editDue to the global COVID-19 pandemic most competitions were canceled or postponed in 2020. Stickler competed at the 2021 British Championships where she placed third in the all-around and first on vault and floor.[8]
Senior gymnastics career
edit2022
editStickler became age-eligible for senior competition in 2022. Early in the year she competed at the Welsh and British Championships, placing second in the all-around at the former and third on floor exercise at the latter. Stickler made her international senior debut for Great Britain at the Koper Challenge Cup. She won silver on floor exercise behind Ana Đerek.[9]
Stickler was selected to represent Wales at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. While there she helped the team finish fifth. Individually she placed fifth in the all-around and sixth on floor exercise.[10] Stickler next competed at the Paris Challenge Cup where she placed sixth on floor exercise.
In October Stickler was named as the alternate for the team competing at the 2022 World Championships.[11] During the team final she was on the competition floor supporting the team who won a historic silver medal, Great Britain's highest finish at a World Championships.[12]
2023–24
editStickler was named as the alternate for the team at the 2023 World Championships. She finished the year competing at the 2023 Northern European Championships. She helped Wales win the team competition and individually won bronze on the uneven bars.[13]
On 22 November 2023 she signed her National Letter of Intent to attend the University of Utah and join the Utah Red Rocks gymnastics team for the 2025 season.[14] In early January of 2024 Stickler sustained an L5 fracture in her back and an avulsion fracture on her hip.[15]
Competitive history
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| Year | Event | Team | AA | VT | UB | BB | FX |
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| Espoir | |||||||
| 2017 | Welsh Championships | 4 | |||||
| 2018 | British Championships | 11 |  |
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| Africa Safari International |  |
7 | 4 | 5 | |||
| British Team Championships |  |
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| 2019 | Welsh Championships | |
7 | ||||
| British Championships | |
5 | 4 |
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| Pre-Olympic Youth Cup | |
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| British Team Championships | |
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| Northern European Championships | |
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7 | 5 | |||
| Elite Gym Massilia | 23 | ||||||
| Olympic Hopes Cup | |
11 | |
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| Junior | |||||||
| 2021 | British Championships | |
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| Senior | |||||||
| 2022 | Welsh Championships | |
6 | |
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| British Championships | 11 |
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| Koper Challenge Cup |
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| Austrian Team Challenge | 4 | 6 | |||||
| Commonwealth Games | 5 | 5 | 6 | ||||
| Paris Challenge Cup | 6 | ||||||
| British Team Championships | |
7 | |||||
| World Championships | [a] |
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| 2023 | Cottbus World Cup | 7 | |||||
| Welsh Championships | |
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| British Championships | 4 | 6 |
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| Osijek Challenge Cup | 5 | 8 | 7 | ||||
| World Championships | 6[a] | ||||||
| Northern European Championships | |
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References
edit- ^ "Women's artistic gymnast Poppy Stickler honoured by Whitchurch High School". Welsh Gymnastics. 12 May 2022.
- ^ "2017 Welsh Championships Results". The Gymternet. 21 December 2017.
- ^ "2018 British Championships Results". The Gymternet. 12 March 2018.
- ^ "2018 British Team Championships Results". The Gymternet. 18 September 2018.
- ^ "2019 Pre-Olympic Youth Cup Results". The Gymternet. 8 April 2019.
- ^ "Poppy Stickler Joins Illustrious School's Hall Of Fame . . . With Exciting Summer Ahead". Dai Sport. 31 May 2022.
- ^ @WelshGymanstics (2 December 2019). "Congratulations to our talented women's artistic gymnasts on their outstanding performance at the Olympic Hopes Cup this weekend" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "2021 British Championships Results". The Gymternet. 28 November 2021.
- ^ "Golden girl Zsofia Kovacs steals the show in Koper". International Gymnastics Federation. 20 June 2022.
- ^ "Stickler reflects on journey after "amazing" Commonwealths". Yahoo! Sports. 1 August 2022.
- ^ "Poppy-Grace Stickler named GB reserve for 2022 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships". Welsh Gymnastics. 4 October 2022.
- ^ "Historic world silver for women's team in Liverpool". British Gymnastics. 1 November 2022.
- ^ "Another hugely successful Northern Europeans for Welsh artistic gymnasts". Welsh Gymnastics. 27 November 2023.
- ^ "Utah Gymnastics Adds British National Team Member Poppy-Grace Stickler to 2024 Signing Class". University of Utah Athletics. 22 December 2023.
- ^ "Utah signee Poppy-Grace Stickler hospitalized with fractured back, hip". Deseret News. 14 January 2024.