Most people can’t get enough of watching Beth Tweddle on bars.  Not only has she consistently been one of the best bar workers in the world for about the past nine years, but she’s become one of the world’s top floor workers and is now the most accomplished British gymnast in history, with three world titles (two on bars and one on floor) and multiple additional world and European medals.  At age 25, she looks better today than she ever has on both bars and floor and should remain a powerful contender on both events over the next two years.

Let’s look back at Beth Tweddle on bars nearly a full decade ago, at the 2001 European Championships:

Beth Tweddle Bars 2001 European Championships

She made her first world championship final the following year, where she placed an impressive fourth:

Beth Tweddle Bars 2002 World Championships Final

It was in 2003 when she won her first world medal, taking the bronze behind the American gold medal duo of Hollie Vise and Chellsie Memmel:

Beth Tweddle Bars 2003 World Championships Final

That was the only time I can recall hearing a commentator actually point out the one weakness I feel Beth still suffers to this very day on bars…her casts handstands.  She consistently pushes out in her shoulders too early to avoid completely hitting vertical, and it seems to have become a habit for Beth.  I don’t think the judges have typically deducted much for it because the rest of her routine is so spectacular, but I sure would like to see her improve these casts once and for all before London gets here.

Finally, let’s fast forward to the experienced Beth Tweddle of 2010, when she won her second world bars title and also threw a somewhat shocking dismount during training:

Beth Tweddle Bars 2010 World Championships Final

Beth Tweddle Double-Double in Training at 2010 Worlds

The reason I called her double-double “shocking” is because her full-out has never even really been very good.  In the last several years, she hasn’t even been doing a giant before her dismount for some reason – she either goes straight from the cast handstand or does it out of the toe-on full.  That’s a bit strange considering she shows a very powerful giant before her double-double here.  Would love to see her add this in next year…her routine is already one of the most difficult and original routines ever done, but topping it off with a double-double would make it infinitely more special.