Craig Heap
{{Short description|English retired gymnast (born 1973)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2012}}
{{Infobox gymnast
| name = Craig Heap
{{post-nominals|OLY}}{{cite news |url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1057866/athletes-guilty-of-doping-or-bringing-sport-into-disrepute-will-be-barred-from-oly-lettering-woa-reveal |title=Athletes guilty of doping or bringing sport into disrepute will be barred from "OLY" lettering, WOA reveal |date=13 November 2017 |last=Butler |first=Nick |website=Inside the Games |access-date=16 August 2021}}
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| full_name = Craig Heap
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| country = {{GBR2}}
{{ENG}}
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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1973|07|10}}
| birth_place = Burnley, England
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| discipline = MAG
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{{Medal|Comp|Commonwealth Games}}
{{Medal|Gold|1998 Kuala Lumpur|Team }}
{{Medal|Gold|2002 Manchester|Team }}
}}
Craig Heap (born 10 July 1973) is a retired Commonwealth Games Gold medal winning gymnast, who has represented England over 100 times in various international gymnastic competitions,[http://www.olymfituk.co.uk/about_us.html summer olympic games national park at olymfituk.co.uk] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929230439/http://www.olymfituk.co.uk/about_us.html |date=29 September 2007 }} including at the 2000 Summer Olympics.{{cite Sports-Reference}} He has been the English and British champion, as well as the Captain on many occasions. He was born in Burnley, Lancashire attending Heasandford Primary School and Barden High School.{{cite news | url=https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/9121626.a-whole-heap-of-support/ | title=A whole Heap of support | newspaper=Lancashire Telegraph | date=5 July 2011 }}
History
Heap began as a gymnast when he was just nine years old, after his parents took him to classes out of simple desperation, as he was very hyperactive as a child. In an interview with the BBC he stated;
I was a bit of a tearaway as a kid, always jumping over the sofas and racing around the yard. My sister Nicola used to go to gym classes and one day my mum said: 'Instead of leaping over the furniture, get yourself down to the gym with your sister.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/commonwealthgames2002/hi/gymnastics/newsid_1970000/1970965.stm|title=English prepare double assault|date=5 June 2002 | publisher=BBC News | accessdate=2 January 2010}}
After progressing as a junior gymnast, Heap eventually became professional and trained full time though he struggled for money as the grants from Sport England were not vast sums of money nor was much money generated through sponsorship. A series of injuries only helped to exacerbate his financial shortfalls, as long periods out meant even less money.
Heap had many such injuries throughout his career, undergoing five operations on his left elbow, surgery to both shoulders, calves, shins, an ankle and a wrist. Since retiring from gymnastics, Heap has taken a more media related role, appearing on Blue Peter, They Think It's All Over, Simply the Best and commentating for the BBC on gymnastics, as well as visiting schools around the United Kingdom. For the BBC he commentated on the gymnastics at the London 2012 Olympics alongside Alison Mitchell for 5 Live.{{Cite news |date=2012-05-15 |title=London 2012 Olympics: BBC presenters and commentary teams |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/18070768 |access-date=2025-05-02 |work=BBC Sport |language=en-GB}} At the Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics, Heap provided TV commentary alongside Matt Baker and Christine Still.{{Cite web |title=Rio 2016 on the BBC - TV |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/rio/tv/ |access-date=2025-05-02 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Tokyo 2020 on the BBC |url=https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/mediapacks/tokyo-2020/ |access-date=2025-05-02 |website=www.bbc.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Fall in love with the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on the BBC |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/olympic-games-paris-2024-on-the-bbc |access-date=2025-05-02 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en}} He did the same for the Glasgow 2014, Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.{{Cite web |title=Biographies |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/cwg/biogs/ |access-date=2025-05-02 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games on the BBC |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/birmingham-2022-commonwealth-games-on-the-bbc#:~:text=Daily%20coverage%20will%20begin%20on,for%20all%20the%20athletics%20events. |access-date=2025-05-02 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en}}
In January 2007, Heap received the backing of Gordon Prentice, MP for Pendle, to build a specialist gymnastic centre for the 2012 Summer Olympics.{{cite web|url=http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/pendle/1160447.Craig_wins_Prentice_backing/|title=Craig wins Prentice backing|publisher=lancashiretelegraph.co.uk|date=31 January 2007|accessdate=28 October 2017}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.craigheap.com Official site]
- {{FIG|bio=19209|lic=189|name=Craig Heap}}
- {{Olympics.com|craig-heap}}
- {{Olympedia}}
- {{CGF profile}}
{{Footer Commonwealth Champions Artistic Gymnastics Team Men|1998|2002}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heap, Craig}}
Category:British male artistic gymnasts
Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for England
Category:Gymnasts at the 1998 Commonwealth Games
Category:Gymnasts at the 2002 Commonwealth Games
Category:Gymnasts at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Category:Sportspeople from Burnley
Category:Olympic gymnasts for Great Britain
Category:21st-century English sportsmen
Category:Medallists at the 1998 Commonwealth Games
Category:Medallists at the 2002 Commonwealth Games