Jessica Gadirova was born in Dublin to parents from Azerbaijan. Her passion for gymnastics began at age six when she first stepped into the gym alongside her twin sister, Jennifer. Today, both sisters are considered among the country's most skilled gymnasts.
Jessica Gadirova: European and Olympic medallist for Team GB
The 19-year-old began her senior elite career in 2020 after achieving numerous awards at the junior level. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the British star could not immediately participate in her first senior circuit competition.
She quickly made up for lost time. Her exceptional performance at the 2021 Basel European Championships, where she won three medals, including a gold medal on the floor exercise, established her as a dominant force.
Continuing her success, she participated in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics held in 2021, representing Great Britain alongside her twin sister. Jessica qualified for the all-around and floor exercise finals. In the team final, her stunning performance on vault, uneven bars, and floor exercises contributed to Great Britain securing their first team medal in over nine decades—a historic bronze medal.
Jessica's list of accomplishments did not end there. In 2022, she added several medals to her collection. At the British Championships, she won three gold medals in the all-around, vault, and floor exercises. She also won a gold medal in the floor exercise at the European Championships. At the World Championships, she made history by winning the bronze medal in the all-around event, becoming the first-ever British athlete to secure a World all-around medal. She also won the World title on floor exercise at the event.
Her outstanding performance won her the 2022 BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award.
At the 2023 European Championships, the British star was essential in leading Great Britain to their first-ever team gold medal. She also achieved a personal milestone by winning her third consecutive title and third gold medal of the championships in the floor exercise event. This historic feat made her the first woman to win three successive European floor titles.
With numerous accolades, Jessica's future in gymnastics was looking bright. However, her journey hit a roadblock in 2023 when she suffered a complete tear of her anterior cruciate knee ligament during the warm-up for the individual all-around final at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. Despite the setback, Jessica is determined to get fit for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
