Beth Tweddle won Great Britain’s first gold medal at the gymnastics World Championships in the uneven bars competition, on this day in 2006.

Tweddle had suffered injury disappointment at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne earlier in the year, but bounced back in Aarhus.

A score of 16.200 points was enough for Tweddle to beat defending world champion Anastasia Liukin and Italy’s Vanessa Ferrari to the title in Denmark.

British hopeful Tweddle had claimed bronze during the World Championships 12 months earlier, but a right ankle injury halted her momentum and forced a watching front for the Commonwealth Games.

Tweddle recovered to star at the European Championships in April with victory before she cleaned up at the British Championships later in the summer.

It raised expectations over what the Olympian could achieve at NRGi Arena and after Tweddle ranked fourth overall during the qualification phase, she suffered a fall the day before the uneven bars final.

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It did not knock the Liverpudlian off her stride and she peaked perfectly to post 16.200 points, beating Liukin’s total of 16.050 and Ferrari’s 15.775 tally.

Tweddle told BBC Five Live: “All my hard work has finally paid off and I’m absolutely ecstatic. A lot of people told me it would come, but I didn’t think it ever actually would. It hasn’t sunk in yet.

“I’ve had the bronze medal at the last two World Championships and to come out today after the fall yesterday and get through, it is an achievement.”

Beth Tweddle announced her retirement from competitive gymnastics on this day in 2013, a year to the day after winning Olympic bronze.

Tweddle, regarded as one of Britain’s most successful gymnasts, revealed her decision nine years after making her Olympic debut as a 19-year-old in 2004 in Athens.

Her Olympic bronze came in the uneven bars at London 2012, while she won three world gold medals, six European titles and was British champion on seven occasions.

Speculation over Tweddle’s retirement came when she dismissed the possibility of competing at the 2016 Olympics in Rio and she finally announced her decision one year before the 2014 Commonwealth Games which took place in Glasgow.

The then 28-year-old followed several Olympians who called time on their sporting careers following the London Games, including cyclists Sir Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton and swimmer Rebecca Adlington.

Tweddle said: “Following the Olympics I’ve had a lot of projects on and recently I’ve had a bit more time to get back into the gym and decide whether I could put 100 per cent into it.

“I know now deep down that I can’t commit to the hours and training to remain at the very top.

“I don’t think my achievements will ever really sink in but, when I do look back, I can be very proud of what I’ve done and how I’ve done it.”