Poppy-Grace Stickler

Poppy-Grace Stickler
Stickler in 2019
Personal information
Full name	Poppy-Grace Stickler
Born	(2006-06-12) 12 June 2006 (age 19) Cardiff, Wales
Gymnastics career
Country represented	Wales Great Britain (2018–present)
College team	Utah Red Rocks (2025–28)
Club	Cymru Caerdydd
Gym	Capital Academy
Head coach(es)	Olivia Bryl
Medal record Women's artistic gymnastics Representing   Great Britain World Championships 2022 Liverpool Team FIG World Cup Event 1st 2nd 3rd World Challenge Cup 0 1 0 Total 0 1 0 Representing   Wales Northern European Championships 2019 Kópavogur Team 2023 Halmstad Team 2019 Kópavogur All-Around 2023 Halmstad Uneven Bars

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.

Early life

Stickler was born in Cardiff in 2006. She attended Whitchurch High School. ^[1]

Junior gymnastics career

Espoir: 2017–19

Stickler 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]

Vault

Uneven bars

Floor exercise

Floor exercise

Stickler at the 2019 Olympic Hopes Cup

Junior: 2020–21

Due 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

2022

Stickler 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

Stickler 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 2024 Stickler sustained an L5 fracture in her back and an avulsion fracture on her hip. ^[15]

Competitive history

Stickler (right) at the 2019 Olympic Hopes Cup

Year	Event	Team	AA	VT	UB	BB	FX
Espoir
2017	Welsh Championships		4
2018	British Championships		11
	Africa Safari International		7	4			5
	British Team Championships
2019	Welsh Championships					7
	British Championships			5		4
	Pre-Olympic Youth Cup
	British Team Championships
	Northern European Championships					7	5
	Elite Gym Massilia		23
	Olympic Hopes Cup		11
Junior
2021	British Championships
Senior
2022	Welsh Championships				6
	British Championships		11
	Koper Challenge Cup
	Austrian Team Challenge	4	6
	Commonwealth Games	5	5				6
	Paris Challenge Cup						6
	British Team Championships		7
	World Championships	[a]
2023	Cottbus World Cup						7
	Welsh Championships
	British Championships		4			6
	Osijek Challenge Cup			5	8	7
	World Championships	6 [a]
	Northern European Championships

1. Stickler was the team GBR alternate

References

1. "Women's artistic gymnast Poppy Stickler honoured by Whitchurch High School". Welsh Gymnastics. 12 May 2022.
2. "2017 Welsh Championships Results". The Gymternet. 21 December 2017.
3. "2018 British Championships Results". The Gymternet. 12 March 2018.
4. "2018 British Team Championships Results". The Gymternet. 18 September 2018.
5. "2019 Pre-Olympic Youth Cup Results". The Gymternet. 8 April 2019.
6. "Poppy Stickler Joins Illustrious School's Hall Of Fame . . . With Exciting Summer Ahead". Dai Sport. 31 May 2022.
7. @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.
8. "2021 British Championships Results". The Gymternet. 28 November 2021.
9. "Golden girl Zsofia Kovacs steals the show in Koper". International Gymnastics Federation . 20 June 2022.
10. "Stickler reflects on journey after "amazing" Commonwealths". Yahoo! Sports . 1 August 2022.
11. "Poppy-Grace Stickler named GB reserve for 2022 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships". Welsh Gymnastics. 4 October 2022.
12. "Historic world silver for women's team in Liverpool". British Gymnastics . 1 November 2022.
13. "Another hugely successful Northern Europeans for Welsh artistic gymnasts". Welsh Gymnastics. 27 November 2023.
14. "Utah Gymnastics Adds British National Team Member Poppy-Grace Stickler to 2024 Signing Class". University of Utah Athletics. 22 December 2023.
15. "Utah signee Poppy-Grace Stickler hospitalized with fractured back, hip". Deseret News . 14 January 2024.

External links

• Poppy-Grace Stickler at the International Gymnastics Federation
• Poppy-Grace Stickler at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games
• Poppy Stickler at Team Wales