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Lisa Mason

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 2a00:23c7:1c8c:4e00:60b5:4321:c10b:bad6 (talk) at 23:50, 20 April 2022 (Retired at 18 as confirmed by herself on GBNews channel, Nigel Farage (interviewing) said “you retired at the early age of 19” to which she replied “18”). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

For the science fiction author of the same name, see Lisa Mason (writer).

Lisa Mason
Personal information
NationalityEnglish
Born (1982-02-26) 26 February 1982 (age 42) [1]
Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
Sport
SportGymnastics
ClubHuntington Gymnastics Club
Medal record
Gymnastics
Representing  England
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 1998 Kuala Lumpur vault
Silver medal – second place 1998 Kuala Lumpur team event

Lisa Elena Jane Mason (born 26 February 1982 in Aylesbury, England) is a British gymnast who has competed for her country at the Commonwealth Games (for England), European championships, World championships and the Olympic Games.[1] She was the vault champion at the 1998 Commonwealth Games, and was part of the first Great Britain women's artistic gymnastic team to qualify for the team event at the Olympic Games.

Having retired aged 18 in 2001, Mason unusually made a very successful elite comeback aged 31, winning numerous national titles and being invited to World trials for the Great Britain team, despite that teams ranking having improved dramatically in the years since her first retirement.

In 2020 Mason, with fellow gymnast Catherine Lyons went public with allegations of serious physical and mental abuse within the British Gymnastics system[2] In response several elite and former elite gymnasts came forward, corroborating Lyons and Mason's allegations in their own careers, including European champions Becky Downie and Ellie Downie and Olympic medallist Amy Tinkler . Later that year, British Gymnastics CEO Jane Allen resigned from her role, though denied her resignation was linked to the Lyons and Mason interviews and their fallout.[3]

Gymnastics career

Lisa Mason began training at Huntingdon Gym Club at the age of five. She has represented her country at three European championships and world championships events, Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games. She represented England and won a gold medal in the vault and also won a silver medal in the team event, at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.[4][5][6]

She was the first British gymnast to make finals in European and World Championships.[7] In Tianjin she earned the highest ever placing in the All-Around for a British Gymnast in the World Championships, also helping Great Britain take the first-ever full team to the Olympic Games.[citation needed]

On the domestic scene, she has been a British gymnastic champion on three occasions, her first title being won at the age of 14, making her the youngest ever gymnast to win the senior title.[citation needed] Her worst noteworthy injury was when she broke her arm in 1995 at the junior British championships after falling off the uneven bars. During the resulting surgery, she had two plates and twelve bolts inserted in the injury.[citation needed] Six months later, she returned to claim the title of senior British champion. She then defended that title twice consecutively, a first for any gymnast.[citation needed] Lisa was the first British gymnast to ever win gold at a Grand Prix event.[citation needed] In 1998 she won the Cottbus floor title ahead of Russia's Yelena Produnova and Svetlana Khorkina. She also won medals on the circuit on floor, Beam and Vault events. She was awarded the title of "Master Gymnast" by British Gymnastics.[citation needed]

In January 2013, after 12 years away from the sport, Lisa announced her comeback with her aim being to qualify for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.[8] In March 2013 in her first come back competition and after five months of training, Lisa was crowned English vault champion and finished 4th in the finals at the national British championships.[citation needed] Lisa went on to compete at the English and British championships the following year picking up a collection of medals on vault and floor and finishing top 8 on both beam and bars.

Personal life

Lisa is involved in gymnastics as a coach and a choreographer and is also a stunt double and sports model. She is known for her outlandish gymnastics attire. In 2020, following the gymnastics abuse revelations in the press Mason talked about the dark side of British sport, in order to encourage fellow sufferers.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b "Olympic Profile". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020.
  2. ^ Scott, Steve (7 July 2020). "'Beaten and starved': Stars allege abuse at heart of British Gymnastics". ITV News. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  3. ^ "British Gymnastics CEO to retire amid allegations of abuse in the sport". ITV News. 13 October 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  4. ^ "1998 Athletes". Team England.
  5. ^ "England team in 1998". Commonwealth Games Federation.
  6. ^ "Athletes and results". Commonwealth Games Federation.
  7. ^ "How Being A Single Mum Inspired My Return to World-Class Gymnastics". The Huffington Post UK. 17 August 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  8. ^ "Gymnast Mason to return aged 31". BBC Sport.
  9. ^ "Lisa Mason über Missbrauch im Turnen: "Holy shit, wie konnten sie damit durchkommen?"". SPIEGEL Sport. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
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