Beth Tweddle is widely recognised as Britain's most successful gymnast of all time. A three-time world champion, Tweddle capped off her career by claiming an elusive Olympic medat at London 2012.

Tweddle took up gymnastics aged seven, joining a local club for fun. While she enjoyed an array of sports including horse-riding and swimming, gymnastics soon became her first love and it wasn't long before she was competing as a member of the British Junior National Team.

Tweddle's first major senior international outing was at the 2001 World Championships, where she finished 24th in the all-around and ninth with the British team. Dramatic improvements enabled her to claim bronze on the uneven bars at the 2002 European Championships - a first medal for a British gymnast at the event. In 2003, Tweddle made further strides towards a gold medal, winning bronze on the bars at the World Championships.

Silver at the 2004 European Championships seemed the ideal preparation in an Olympic year. However, Tweddle failed to impress in Athens, finishing 11th in the team competition and 19th in the all-around. After injury affected her campaign at the 2005 World Championships, Tweddle returned to prowess with a stunning performance at the 2006 World Championships, scoring 16.200 on the bars to become Britain's first ever gymnastics world champion.

At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Tweddle qualified for the bars final and, although she performed the most difficult routine, she was unable to get on the rostrum, placing fourth.

At the Gymnastics World Championships in 2009, a lot was expected of Tweddle at London's O2 Arena, particularly on the bars. However, the home favourite, who is based in Liverpool, failed to realise her dream after a fall in qualifying dashed her hopes of medalling. In true British style, she dusted herself down and came back for more, completing a near-faultless routine in the floor competition. Cheered on by a deafening home crowd, Tweddle posted a score of 14,650 - a tally that proved unsurpassable as she became world champion for a second time.

Performing a "brand new and a lot more difficult" bars routine, Tweddle won gold at the European Championships in Berlin, in early 2011 - although she did fail in her bid for a record third consecutive floor title.

Tweddle called time on her career on August 6, 2013 - a year to the day after she claimed Olympic bronze - to turn her attentions to the first athlete-led legacy programme at East Village, the site of the Olympic village during London 2012.

At 27, Tweddle knew the London Olympics was her final shot at Olympic glory. She produced a superb routine on the uneven bars and was in with a shot at gold, but a slight slip on landing cost her points and she had to settle for bronze.

Career high
It may well have been bronze rather than gold, but Tweddle capped a stellar career by grabbing an Olympic medal that she had waited 12 years to get her hands on

Career low
Missing out on gold on the floor at the European Gymnastics Championships in Berlin

Quotes
"I was renowned for bars - this is my first medal in floor and it's the best feeling ever." Beth Tweddle, October 2009

"Everyone keeps telling me how old I am but the motivation is there, and the main motivation is London 2012." Beth Tweddle, October 2010

Trivia
Tweddle, the only gymnast ever to make the shortlist for the Sports Personality of the Year award - shown on the BBC, plans to become a physiotherapist when she retires.