Gymnast Amankwaah following in Fragapane's footsteps

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Shantae Amankwaah is the youngest gymnast in Team England's squad By Sophie Hurcom BBC Sport England Published 40 minutes ago In 2014, when the Commonwealth Games were last in Glasgow, a little-known teenage gymnast, Claudia Fragapane, became one of Britain's breakthrough stars as she won four gold medals on her debut. Twelve years on, with the competition returning to the same city, another Bristol-born teenager is hoping to one day follow in Fragapane's footsteps when she makes her own Games bow. Shantae Amankwaah, who is part of the same Bristol Hawks gymnastics club where Fragapane began her career, said it is "surreal" to be heading to the same competition. "I've always looked up to her. Even in 2014 I was only young, and I didn't go to this gym yet, but she had so many big achievements, and when I came, she was always someone I looked up to," Amankwaah told BBC Points West. "It's really inspiring, especially because we're from the same place, the same area." At 17, Amankwaah is the youngest gymnast in Team England's squad and she is set to compete in the uneven bars, beam and floor beginning on Friday. In 2024 she was crowned British junior all-around champion, while earlier this year she won bronze at the British Championships in the senior women's all-around discipline. Yet the Commonwealth Games marks a major step forward in Amankwaah's fledgling career, and, as such, the aim is simple: "Just take in the whole experience," Amankwaah said. "Obviously it would be nice to get a medal, but just to really enjoy it with the team and have fun, because it only comes round every four years." Fragapane retired in 2024, and her advice to Amankwaah was of a similar message. "It's really difficult to just make the team, and I just wish her the best of luck," she said. "She just needs to go out there and really enjoy herself and hold all the memories, because next thing she knows she could be sat here, 12 years later, thinking, 'Wow, where has the time gone?'" The long-serving London nurse who ran for Ghana Published 19 March 2024 Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Amankwaah has competed at World Championships but this will be a Commonwealth Games debut As well as Fragapane, Amankwaah has plenty of support to call upon from her family, which is also packed with sporting talent. Her grandmother Rose is a former sprinter who was once dubbed "the fastest woman in Africa" and represented Ghana at the Commonwealth Games. Father Kevin then made more than 400 appearances across the English Football League during his playing career for clubs including Bristol City, Swindon, Swansea and Exeter. Now qualified as a personal trainer, Kevin not only helps write training programmes for Amankwaah to use in the gym, but he can also provide the kind of advice ahead of a competition only a professional sportsperson can offer. "It's definitely helped because he's been through the troubles of sport, so he's very motivating