OLYMPIAN and Commonwealth gymnast Claudia Fragapane this week announced that she's officially hanging up her leotard and retiring from the sport after a decade of senior competition.

Claudia, who grew up in Longwell Green, South Gloucestershire, pushed the boundaries of gymnastics and her impact on the sport will go down in history. 

Speaking to British Gymnastics about her decision, Claudia said: “It feels like the right time. I’m really happy with my career, gymnastics has been my whole life for as long as I remember, but now I’m ready to flick over a new chapter.”

Claudia wowed the gymnastics world from her very first senior debut.

Donned a ‘pocket rocket’ by commentators, she was the one to watch at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and she did not disappoint, topping the podium in the individual all-around, vault, floor and team final.

Speaking about the competition she said: “The support at the Commonwealth Games was out of this world.

"I remember scoring 15.000 on floor and the crowd going wild. Being part of the senior squad at the time was just so exciting.

"That’s where I really feel like I made my mark on gymnastics.”

Her skill, sportsmanship and character that year saw Claudia named BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year 2014, catapulting her career further into the limelight.

Claudia said: “It was a really incredible time, all of a sudden I was being recognised in the street, signing autographs, getting offers from Colleges in America, but the people around me really kept me grounded and on the path I wanted to be on.”

Following the highs of 2014, Claudia continued to impress on the international stage.

Her consistency, composure and camaraderie with her team-mates led to Claudia’s inclusion in the GB gymnastics team for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. Claudia’s performances alongside Amy Tinkler, Becky Downie, Ellie Downie and Ruby Harrold saw GB take 5th in the team final.