Tokyo 2020: British gymnast handed special chance to qualify for Olympics after brother's sudden demise

Tokyo 2020: British gymnast Becky Downie handed special chance to qualify for Olympics after brother's sudden demise

British gymnast Becky Downie's Tokyo 2020 hopes almost took a dash after a tragedy struck her family. However, the world silver medallist, was assured of an additional chance by the country's gymanstic body, who extended their support to Downie and her family at this grieving hour. 

Downie, who was scheduled to take part in UK's final Olympic trials in Cardiff, was forced to skip the event after the death of her cricketer brother John, who passed away in the middle of a practice session.  

The women's Olympic selection process has been extended.

Read more on our website  https://t.co/6zsmaqX7Ru pic.twitter.com/JebPSyOnDr — British Gymnastics (@BritGymnastics) May 13, 2021

“We felt it important in such an unprecedented situation to take time to look at how we might be able to grant an extension to the selection window to allow for a further opportunity to complete the trial,” British Gymnastics said in a statement on last week. 

“In such difficult circumstances we feel strongly that this is the right thing to do,” it added. 

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As per reports, Josh Downie collpased during a pratice session in Birkenhead, near Liverpool, on May 6 and was later died due to a heart attack in the same evening.

The reports mentioned that Josh was one of the premier batsman of Burton Joyce, a cricket club, who also held the record of accumulating the highest individual score in its history. The cricketer had also featured for several other cricket clubs including Hucknall CC, Fikserton & Thurgarton CC, and Burton Joyce CC in Nottinghamshire. 

Meanwhile, Becky also dedicated a post to her late brother on social media, in which she described the phase as the hardest three days of her life. 

The hardest 3 days of my life but I didn’t come this far to only come this far. I know Josh would want me to take it as far as I could go & I owe it to myself to finish what I started.
Doing it for us both  pic.twitter.com/TwPHMfksp6 — Becky Downie (@Bdownie) May 10, 2021

The 29-year-old has bagged a silver medal on the uneven bars. at the 2019 Stuttgart world championships.