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AARHUS, Denmark, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Beth Tweddle might never have become Britain's most successful women's gymnast had it not been for her hyperactive childhood.
Looking to find an outlet for their daughter's boundless energy, Tweddle's parents enrolled her at their local gym in Cheshire, northwest England, in 1992.
The move paid huge dividends on Friday when Tweddle became the first Briton to win a world gymnastics title by claiming gold on the asymmetric bars.
"I was seven when I started training," Tweddle told Reuters in an interview before the championships.
"I had too much energy around the house and I was always jumping up on beds and climbing up walls, so my parents wanted to channel my energy in some way.
"My mum took me to the local sports centre where some of my friends did gym and I tried it out."
But Tweddle's gymnastics career was almost over before it began when she broke an ankle in a warm-up routine eight years ago.
The injury, on which she has had two operations, still causes pain and restricts her movement but she wears the scars well.
BRONZE FIRST
Over the last two Olympic cycles, the South African-born Tweddle has confirmed her mastery on the asymmetric bars.
She followed a gold medal-winning performance at the 2002 Commonwealth Games by becoming the first British woman to win a medal -- bronze -- at the world championships in 2003. She won bronze again last year before triumphing this year.
"All my hard work has finally paid off," the 21-year-old told reporters shortly after her performing her winning routine in Aarhus. "A lot of people told me it would come, but I didn't think it ever actually would. It hasn't sunk in yet."
She glided between the bars effortlessly to a winning score of 16.200, outshining American favourite Nastia Liukin, who scored 16.050 with a gutsy performance despite an injured ankle.
"I didn't know if I'd win because I hadn't seen Liukin's routine, but I've seen her in training and she was pretty spectacular," the new world champion said.
Liukin returned the compliment and congratulated Tweddle.
"She's a phenomenal gymnast," Liukin said. "She did a really good job and I'm happy for her."
A product of Amanda Kirby's gym club at the Park Road Sports Centre in Liverpool, the 1.62-metre Tweddle has been busy perfecting her dynamic routine on not only the bars but also on the beam.
"Beth is like a dog on a lead before competitions, she is so eager to go out and perform that I can hardly handle her," said Kirby.
"She has this unique talent to feel the bars and works very, very hard to feel completely at ease with it."
A gold at the European championships in Greece this year boosted her confidence further and now she has broken into the world gymnastics elite. (Additional reporting by Gelu Sulugiuc)