Liverpool to host 2030 Gymnastics World Championships

Liverpool has been awarded the right to host the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in 2030.

The tournament will take place at the M&S Bank Arena and will feature more than 400 gymnasts from 80 countries.

It will be the fourth time the event has been staged in the UK, with Liverpool hosting the 2022 edition, which attracted more than 35,000 spectators and generated £5.6m for the local economy.

The city has also staged every Artistic Gymnastics British Championships since 2011.

"Hosting the Championships again in 2030 gives us a fantastic opportunity to build on that legacy, inspire the next generation and through gymnastics support happier, healthier, and more connected communities across Liverpool and the wider UK," read a joint statement by British Gymnastics, UK Sport and Liverpool City Council.

Those bodies delivered the successful bid, with a feasibility study saying that the 2030 event could generate more than £8m.

Great Britain's best World Championships haul came in 2022 as they won six medals in Liverpool.

Olympic bronze medallist Jessica Gadirova had a hand in three of them, becoming GB's second women's world floor champion.

"The 2022 championships were incredible for me personally, for the British teams and for gymnastics," said the 21-year-old.

"Liverpool feels like home for the GB team, and the support of that home crowd was the most inspiring and motivational environment I've ever competed in.

"The impact a World Championships has on uniting everyone and inspiring the next generation is massive. It's going to be an incredible event."

The 2030 tournament will also provide the first opportunity for gymnasts to qualify for the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane.