MX23RW : Friday, April 26 05:07:27| >> :600:54145224:54145224:

Interview: Team Wales bronze medallist Angel Romaeo

Sports Mole speaks to 16-year-old Welsh gymnast Angel Romaeo after the team won a surprise bronze at the Commonwealth Games.

Wales's all-teenage women's artistic team didn't know what to do with themselves earlier this evening when it was confirmed that they had won bronze in the Commonwealth Games team final.

The quintet of Elizabeth Beddoe, Georgina Hockenhull, Jessica Hogg, Angel Romaeo and Raer Theaker were watching on nervously in the middle of the stands at the SSE Hydro and "burst into tears" when they realised that Canada could not better their total.

It is Wales's first-ever medal in the artistic team final and the first time since 1998 that a country apart from Australia, England or Canada has won a medal in the event.

The youngest member of the Welsh team is Romaeo at 16, and she caught up with Sports Mole moments after the bronze medal had been placed around her neck.

Team Wales gymnasts Elizabeth Beddoe, Raer Theaker, Jessica Hogg, Angel Romaeo and Georgina Hockenhull pose with their bronze medals after the women's artistic team final at the Commonwealth Games on July 29, 2014© Getty Images

You were in the stands when it was confirmed that Canada had fallen short of your total and you looked completely gobsmacked. How does it feel to be bronze medallists?

"We couldn't believe it at all. Coming into this competition we said that our goal was to try our hardest, hit clean routines and have five smiles on our faces at the end of the competition.

"We were waiting up [in the stands] and we only came just to see as it was a maybe, but we were thinking in our heads that it was probably not because Canada, Australia and England have amazing gymnasts.

"We saw the scores and we thought 'oh my god, we actually have a chance', and then when the scores came through we all just burst into tears. We couldn't feel our bodies. It was just so amazing."

What a great Games for Welsh gymnastics on the whole after the rhythmic team's eight-medal haul as well. Did you have a target beforehand?

"We had a medal goal and that was three medals with a maximum of five and that was throughout the girls, boys and rhythmic. The rhythmic girls did a fantastic job getting eight medals so they beat our goal in themselves and that took so much pressure off us and it helped loads."

At just 16, you could be peaking by the time Rio 2016 comes around. Have you thought about qualifying for Team GB there?

"That's always in the back of everyone's mind in the GB team, but I think everyone likes to take competition one step at a time. You don't want to prepare for Rio too much because then you won't be ready for other competitions. I think that is everyone's goal though."

England won gold in team final, with Australia having to settle for silver after winning the title at the last four Commonwealths.

ID:168142: cacheID:168142:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:5053:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Raer Theaker of Wales competes on the first day of the artistic gymnastics at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on July 28, 2014
Read Next:
Hogg: 'Crowd helped massively'
>