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SECOND TRIALS FOR EUROPEAN SPORTS ACROBATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS, LILLESHALL 3 SEPTEMBER
BRITISH TEAMS SELECTED FOR EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS!
After watching the disgraceful performance of the overpaid and over rated England football team tonight in Belfast, I couldn’t help but compare their embarrassing display and huge salaries, with the incredible performances of our top sports acrobats and tumblers, who now have to raise their own funds to represent their country in major Championships!
The second Trials for selection for the European Championships took place at Lilleshall on Saturday, and what an amazing contest it was, with Matei Todorov describing the competition as “the best trials I have ever seen!”. Tears of joy, drama, great sportsmanship and competitors congratulating their rivals on some fantastic performances in a nail biting competition, this had it all!
Only one group of gymnasts could be selected for the honour of representing GB at European’s, and to demonstrate the fantastic standard of competitors, two out of the top three Men’s Groups in the World were competing head to head and only one would go through! The competitors also included Men’s Pairs Mark Fyson and Christopher Jones who are ranked number 3 in the latest F.I.G. Rankings and Women’s Pairs Julie Cameron and Yvonne Welsh who are ranked equal 4th in the World!
Imagine the tension and atmosphere as the gymnasts step up for the first routine, and what drama was to follow! The music system developed a fault which continued for the first four routines, testing the concentration and nerves to the limit of even the most experienced performers. But experience shone through and gymnasts who had performed routines hundreds of times were not going to let anything affect their chances of selection.
To pick individual performances in such a terrific contest is difficult as most of the contestants are already British Champions, and European medallists, but highlights included the hugely talented Katie Axten and Christian Beecher from Spelthorne in the Junior section, and of course the Men’s Groups. Katie performed with great poise, and beautiful dance with incredible flexibility earning bonus points for her artistry and performance, complimented by Christian whose experience and technique was a perfect match. This pair are a joy to watch. Their scores of 9.80 across the board by the judges in the Combined routine earned a well deserved 29.467 and fantastic total of 87.867, and on this form, they must be strong contenders for medals at Europeans.
In the Women’s Pairs age 12-19, Wakefield’s Sammy Rocket and Candice Slater performed to their normal high standard finishing 1.5 ahead of second placed Hannah Feeney and Joanna Fisher from Harrow who were disappointed to miss one of their balances, but still put in a great performance.
The Men’s Junior Pairs went right to the wire! After the balance and tempo routines, King Edmund’s Wayne Skivington and Elliott Woodman had scored 59.967 with ahead of Spelthorne’s Reece Durbridge and Edward Upcott with a height deduction, and Luke Rooney and Richard Hurst from Deerness who were joint second on 59.567. But a great combined routine from Reece and Edward also scoring 9.8’s in the Combined made it a nail biting finish with Wayne and Elliott winning by 86.800 to 86.567.
The Men’s Groups were a real crowd favourite with great displays and sportsmanship from both groups applauding and congratulating each other throughout the day in a great example of mutual respect. One of the t-shirts in warm up had the logo “Second place is the first loser!” which says it all about the desire and pride in representing their country. World number one’s Barrie, Scott, Stuart and David were on top form and slight errors from the Bromley Valley four left them in second place by 86.032 to 83.818. It was a fantastic contest with immaculate timing and superb technical ability including full twisting double and tucked somersaults to platform amongst the skills produced from both groups from heights of 25 feet in the air!
Mattei addressed the gymnasts at the end and described the trials “as the best he had ever seen.” The Trials produced tears of joy after their performance, but disappointment for others after months of practice ended with one tiny error. What remains with me was the image of a young gymnast preparing to compete, and praying for the performance of her life to achieve her dream of representing GB at European’s. Fortunately she will have another chance.
If only our gymnasts and coaches had a fraction of the obscene salaries paid to our footballers for their funding! In a sport which already boasts gymnasts who are ranked number one in the world, just imagine what they could do! A huge well done to all of the competitors and coaches at trials, it was fantastic to see such sportsmanship and superb performances, they are a great credit to British Gymnastics.
Following the trials, the British Team for the European Championships has just been announced!
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING GYMNASTS WHO WILL REPRESENT GB AT THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS ON THE 1-2 OCTOBER !
SENIOR TEAM
Women’s Pairs - Yvonne Welsh and Julie Cameron - Wakefield
Men’s Pairs - Mark Fyson and Christopher Jones - Deerness Valley
Mixed Pairs - Matt Bennett and Isis Clegg- Vinell - Horsham
Women’s Groups - Melanie Cook, Kathryn Chandler and Hannah Goggin - Deerness Valley
Men’s Groups - Barrie Hindson, Scott Patterson, Stuart Mckenzie and David Scott - Deerness Valley
JUNIOR TEAM
Women’s Pairs - Candice Slater and Samantha Rocket - Wakefield
Men’s Pairs - Wayne Skivington and Elliott Woodman - King Edmund
Mixed Pairs - Christian Beecher and Katie Axten - Spelthorne
Women’s Groups - Casey Morrison, Emily Grove and Eleanor Cooper - Spelthorne
Men’s Groups - Adam Mcassey, Adam Buckingham, Jamie Cowler and Sam Sturt - Spelthorne
Coaches - Seniors - Karl Wharton, Vladimir Makarchenko and Debby Novice
Coaches - Juniors - Neil Griffiths, Nikki Thorne and Nicola Yellop
Judges - Seniors - Sandra Sargeant and Tracey Coulton
Judges - Juniors - Amanda Green and Judith Woothon
Head of Delegation - Matei Todorov
Team Manager - Glen Wharton
Physio TBC
FULL RESULTS FOR WOMEN’S PAIRS, MIXED PAIRS AND MEN’S PAIRS FROM TRIALS APPEAR BELOW
CLICK HERE FOR RESULTS FOR WOMEN’S GROUPS AND MEN’S GROUPS AND HERE FOR PHOTOS FROM SECOND TRIALS
CLICK HERE TO SEE RESULTS FROM THE FIRST TRIAL AND HERE FOR FOUR PAGES OF PHOTOS!
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