Big Interview: Pocket Rocket Claudia Fragapane still looking up

Not in gymnastics. Claudia Fragapane is now classed as ‘experienced’ despite only recently leaving her teens. In her sport, she is well into her prime.

Though, indeed, most would argue that it would be tough to top her birth in the public eye after bursting on to the scene with four Commonwealth gold medals in Glasgow at the tender age of 16.

But ‘Frags’, also known as the Pocket Rocket as she stands at just 4 ft 7 in, is fully-focused on a shot at replicating her great moment – by doing it all again in two months, this time Down Under.

There is much pressure in gymnastics – perhaps more than in any other sport – for budding stars to mature at a young age so they are ready to handle the pressure.

Stars are generally born in their teens and, by their mid-20s, it is time to hang up the leotard.

It says everything about the unique nature of gymnastics that, after the 2020 Olympics at Tokyo, Fragapane will consider her future ventures. She will be just 22.

“A lot of gymnasts give up when they reach 20 but there is a lot that go on until they’re 25,” she said. “It depends how long you want to go for.

“At the moment I want to go until the 2020 Olympics and see what happens after that.

“I would like to coach at some point but I’m not sure. I’m very-open minded about what I want to do. I still do a little TV work.”

She added: “I would love to go to the 2020 Olympics and get a medal for the team and for myself. That would be an amazing thing to do. Then I’d probably have a little break, maybe go back into it and see how I feel.”

Bristolian Fragapane is also a three-time European medallist and a two-time World Championship medallist. She also found time to finish a commendable fourth on TV’s popular Strictly Come Dancing.

While she is clearly very comfortable in that focused, professional and competitive mindset, it was refreshing to hear her exuberance ahead of the Australia trip.

“I’m really, really excited. I’ve never been to Australia before – it’s going to be incredible, there will be such nice weather!” Fragapane added.

“Hopefully we’ll do really well. We’ve got a really good team so fingers crossed.

“It’s so nice to be a part of it all.

“If we look to target a few team golds then that will be amazing and if I can get a top three on some of the apparatus then that would be massive bonus to me.

“I’m just going to go with the same mindset as I did in 2014 and do my absolute best and see where it takes me.

“There’s a bit more pressure because of what I did in 2014 but I’m going to do the best I can. People might expect more from me but I’m just going to listen to my coach and fight for the team.”

Before the challenge of competing on the other side of the world Fragapane, who has been coached by Helen Pitter at Bristol Hawks since she was six and more recently Rory Weavers, is competing closer to home.

She is part of the quartet that makes up the British World Cup squad.

Each year the competition travels the globe and makes four stop-offs, with the overall winners crowned world series champion.

The UK host the third of this year’s showpiece events, with the final staged in Japan later in 2018. Fragapane & Co head to Arena Birmingham on March 22, while the male gymnastics do battle the day before.

The 20-year-old is anticipating superb home support and hopes to see fans turn out that would not necessarily have the opportunity to watch top-level gymnastics.

“It’s a massive advantage to have the home crowd,” she added. “It’s all the best gymnasts going against each other and it’s really good competition.

“You never know what will happen in competition. It’s so different to other sports, you can miss out on a gold by just a few points, which is basically just a toe point – it’s nothing!

“Whoever comes to watch is going to absolutely love it.”

Fragapane is a big part of British gymnasts becoming more household names. She is a trailblazer, alongside the likes of Max Whitlock and Louis Smith, for the next generation of youngsters.

She enjoys giving advice back to six-year-olds that watch her on TV, just as she was glued to the screen as a child.

“I feel like everyone’s been doing so well and getting more and more results that little kids are wanting to do gym, which is actually really nice,” Fragapane added.

“Even if they don’t reach the very top level, we try and encourage them that the best level they can do is good enough.

“It’s really nice that little kids are coming up to me and saying the reason they started gymnastics is because they watched me at the Commonwealth Games.

“I used to watch all the gymnastics but the team results have just gone up and up. It’s getting better and better.

“We’ve got up and coming little junior gymnasts that will be moving into seniors. We’re trying to have that back-up of amazing athletes to have a strong team.

“When I’m at my gym (in Bristol) or at the national centre (in Lilleshall, Newport) once every month or so I do give the younger ones a bit of advice in trying to help them in using what I’ve gone through.”

Fragapane has an old head on young shoulders. She achieved at 16 more than most would in a career and has achieved much more since.

With another Commonwealths on the horizon and the end goal of Tokyo in two years time, she has much still to conquer. There is hope now, in her head, that with age comes wisdom and experience. And those factors could bring more success.

“The Commonwealths was when I made a name for myself and realised that I can do it,” she continued.

“It definitely did change my life. My coaches always said that I could do it but it was about me having self-belief. It came as a massive shock to me but they weren’t shocked at all.

“It was a major boost for me. It gave me more confidence to do my best in competition.

“Now I have experience behind me and I know how to train and work my body.

“I feel experienced but I’ve still got more to learn. It’s good to be prepared though, it’s nice to go to each event and be prepared for what’s coming.”

She may just enjoy better weather in Australia than in Glasgow four years ago...