Marfa Ekimova wins all-around gold in rhythmic gymnastics first for England

Marfa Ekimova won England’s first Commonwealth Games gold medal in rhythmic gymnastics as she clinched the all-around title at Arena Birmingham.

The 17-year-old top-scored on hoop and clubs to total 112.300, narrowly ahead of silver medallist Anna Sokolova of Cyprus.

It was Ekimova’s second medal of the Birmingham Games after teaming up with Saffron Severn and Alice Leaper to win a team bronze medal on the opening day of competition on Thursday.

That bronze had represented England’s first rhythmic gymnastics medal since they also won a team bronze at the Delhi Games in 2010.

Ekimova said: “It’s amazing and a dream come true. It was a roaring crowd and everything a gymnast could ever have wished for.

“I hope children will have been watching and I hope to have inspired them to want to be a rhythmic gymnast. I love to perform and for people to enjoy my performance and my passion, it means everything.”

Ekimova has more chances to add to her medal tally on Saturday having qualified for all but one of the individual apparatus finals in hoop, ball and ribbon.

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