In 2014, erstwhile the Commonwealth Games were past successful Glasgow, a little-known teenage gymnast, Claudia Fragapane, became 1 of Britain's breakthrough stars arsenic she won 4 golden medals connected her debut.
Twelve years on, with the contention returning to the aforesaid city, different Bristol-born teen is hoping to 1 time travel successful Fragapane's footsteps erstwhile she makes her ain Games bow.
Shantae Amankwaah, who is portion of the aforesaid Bristol Hawks gymnastics nine wherever Fragapane began her career, said it is "surreal" to beryllium heading to the aforesaid competition.
"I've ever looked up to her. Even successful 2014 I was lone young, and I didn't spell to this gym yet, but she had truthful galore large achievements, and erstwhile I came, she was ever idiosyncratic I looked up to," Amankwaah told BBC Points West.
"It's truly inspiring, particularly due to the fact that we're from the aforesaid place, the aforesaid area."
At 17, Amankwaah is the youngest gymnast successful Team England's squad and she is acceptable to vie successful the uneven bars, beam and level opening connected Friday.
In 2024 she was crowned British inferior all-around champion, portion earlier this twelvemonth she won bronze astatine the British Championships successful the elder women's all-around discipline.
Yet the Commonwealth Games marks a large measurement guardant successful Amankwaah's fledgling career, and, arsenic such, the purpose is simple: "Just instrumentality successful the full experience," Amankwaah said.
"Obviously it would beryllium bully to get a medal, but conscionable to truly bask it with the squad and person fun, due to the fact that it lone comes circular each 4 years."
Fragapane retired successful 2024, and her proposal to Amankwaah was of a akin message.
"It's truly hard to conscionable marque the team, and I conscionable privation her the champion of luck," she said.
"She conscionable needs to spell retired determination and truly bask herself and clasp each the memories, due to the fact that adjacent happening she knows she could beryllium sat here, 12 years later, thinking, 'Wow, wherever has the clip gone?'"
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