Monday 26 October 2015
As the latest James Bond movie, Spectre, begins showing at cinemas across the UK, gymnasts at the 2015 World Gymnastics Championships in Glasgow have been demonstrating their own license to thrill.
Indeed, Jamaica’s British-born gymnast Danusia Francis and Georgia-Rose Brown of Australia took to the Floor at The SSE Hydro to theme songs from the most famous franchise in film.
Born in Coventry, Francis was a reserve for Team GB at the 2012 London Olympic Games and a member of the squad which helped Great Britain to fifth place at the 2011 World Gymnastics Championships in Tokyo.
Her Floor routine was choreographed to Paul Oakenfold’s remix of the original Monty Norman-composed theme music, which featured in the very first Bond movie, Dr No and reprised in Die Another Day.
The eponymous Skyfall, written and performed by UK sensation Adele for the 2012 film, meanwhile, provided the musical inspiration for Brown, one day ahead of the release of the 24th and latest Bond film.
A student at University College Los Angeles, Francis now competes representing Jamaica but Bond, a British institution, clearly still strikes a chord with the 21-year-old.
On channelling the spirit of Ian Fleming’s most celebrated creation, she said: “On floor I went out there and got into character. That’s something that ‘Miss Val’ [UCLA coach Valorie Kondos Field] really instilled in me. So I just went out there and got my guns out.
“I had such a great time in competition. I was really relaxed. I really think gymnastics in college really helped me get used to competing with the lights and the big crowd.”
Today marks the official release of Spectre, starring England’s Daniel Craig and German-Austrian Christoph Waltz. However, as all Bond fanatics are aware, the most famous British Secret Service agent in history has strong Scottish roots.
Not only did Sir Sean Connery, arguably, deliver the greatest portrayal of the debonair spy in his seven stints as Bond, but recent convention has it that the character was indeed a Scotsman.
With that in mind, it is highly likely that, had he not been confined to the pages of fiction and, in more recent years, the silver screen, Bond would have watched on at The World Gymnastics Championship – undoubtedly the greatest show in town. If only for athletic inspiration to enable escape from his next close encounters at the hands of the world’s greatest evil masterminds.
Avoid the ques at cinemas near you for a few days and come down to watch the thrills and spills at the gymnastics.
Tickets still available from here