Dream comes true for 16-year-old twins as they help seal gymnastics team medal

Bronze medalists Jennifer Gadirova of Britain, Jessica Gadirova of Britain, Amelie Morgan of Britain and Alice Kinsella of Britain celebrate on the podium
Bronze medalists Jennifer Gadirova of Britain, Jessica Gadirova of Britain, Amelie Morgan of Britain and Alice Kinsella of Britain celebrate on the podium
Mike Blake
Carl Bennett

By Carl Bennett


Published: 27/07/2021

- 19:18

Updated: 14/02/2023

- 11:08

The team of Alice Kinsella, Amelie Morgan and twins Jennifer and Jessica Gadirova claimed a first women’s team gymnastics medal since 1928.

A pair of 16-year-old twins had their “dream come true” after helping Great Britain’s women’s gymnastics team deliver an extraordinary bronze at the Tokyo Olympics.

The team of Alice Kinsella, Amelie Morgan and twins Jennifer and Jessica Gadirova claimed a first women’s team gymnastics medal since 1928.


The quartet, referred to as the “awesome foursome” by Team GB on Twitter, totalled 164.096, with the Russian Olympic Committee taking gold and the US team settling for silver for the first time since 2008.

Bronze medalists Jennifer Gadirova of Britain, Jessica Gadirova of Britain, Amelie Morgan of Britain and Alice Kinsella of Britain celebrate on the podium
Bronze medalists Jennifer Gadirova of Britain, Jessica Gadirova of Britain, Amelie Morgan of Britain and Alice Kinsella of Britain celebrate on the podium
Mike Blake

Fighting back tears, 16-year-old Jessica told the BBC: “It’s a dream we never thought could just come true.

“I never thought this was possible, but it is, it happened.”

Jennifer and Jessica, born in Dublin to Azerbaijani parents, train at the Aylesbury Gymnastics Academy and have both recently completed their GCSEs at a school in the Buckinghamshire town.

Asked how she was feeling about their historic win, 18-year-old Morgan told BBC Sport: “It seems so unreal that we have made history and got a medal.

“I think we just can’t quite believe it.”

In a striking similarity to her teammates, Morgan is a twin.

Her brother Finlay Morgan is also a gymnast who has competed at a national level.

Essex-born Kinsella, 20, daughter of former football player Mark Kinsella, put a tough individual qualifying session on Sunday behind her following the win.

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