British Gymnastics claim the number of recreational gymnasts have nearly increased by 100,000 since London 2012 ©British Gymnastics

British Gymnastics have claimed the number of recreational gymnasts have nearly increased by 100,000 since the last Olympic Games and that 1.1 million people are participating the sport across the country. 

The organisation revealed the figures as part of their legacy celebration from London 2012, following independent industry research.

The participation growth has been claimed to have been a result of a strategy which has incorporated facility investment, developed club support and the gymnastics workforce, with a particular focus on recreational gymnastics and increased the profile of the sport.

“As we stand on the cusp of the next Olympic Games in Rio it’s important to reflect on the legacy of London 2012 and the journey we’ve been on over the last four years,” said Jane Allen, British Gymnastics chief executive.

“I’m proud we’ve made the most of the opportunities that came with hosting a home Olympics.

“We have made significant progress since 2012 including this growth in participation.

“We’ve helped gymnastics become a part of more people’s everyday life – be it competing, taking their children to take part, being a part of a community club perhaps as a coach, volunteer or young leader or simply enjoying being a fan.

“I believe the future for gymnastics has never looked brighter.

“We look forward to this exciting Games in Rio and hope its impact will be positive for gymnastics and sport as a whole."

British Gymnastics announced the participation increase prior to the start of Rio 2016 ©Getty Images
British Gymnastics announced the participation increase prior to the start of Rio 2016 ©Getty Images

British Gymnastics state that 100 new dedicated gymnastics facilities have been developed by clubs in the past three years across the country.

Work on 14 facility expansions, 26 improvement projects and 120 satellite clubs has also been completed in that time, with the cost of the investment into facilities was given at £4 million for 2015.

Additional support for clubs to grow and increasing opportunities for people to take part in gymnastics in a non-competitive environment have also been cited as reasons for the growth.

British Gymnastics claim their recreational development strategy has seen the creation of a wave of recreational competitions and festivals, with gymnastics displays taking place at regional, national and international level.

They also highlight their work on trying to develop more opportunities for disabled people, with the National Governing Body having recently reached 1,500 disability gymnastics members.

The 2015 World Gymnastics Championships, which took place in Glasgow, reportedly caused a dramatic increase in the sport’s participation levels in the host city, it was claimed earlier this year.