Congratulations go to Okehampton Flyers’ tumbling team, who achieved high scores and medals across all grades in the British Gymnastics South West tumbling competition in Sherborne in June.
At tumbling competitions, gymnasts compete three passes down a 25m sprung tumble track.
At beginner levels, passes comprise skills such as cartwheels and round offs. At a more advanced level, gymnasts compete a series of flics, whips and somersaults.
Gymnasts are also required to perform a range and conditioning routine, to show the judges that they have adequate physical preparation in strength and flexibility for the skills they are performing on the tumble track.
At club level one, 9-10 girls, Myla Spencer completed three neat passes in her first tumbling competition to win gold.
In their second tumbling competition, Evie Nicks performed three fast and tidy passes to come first in club two, 7-8 girls, with Emily Tripp performing three neat passes in club two, 9-10 girls, to come fourth.
In club level two, 11-12 girls, Bracken Granger and Vanesa Valdmane showed style in their passes, securing a silver and bronze medal respectively, with Bracken narrowly missing the gold medal position by 0.1. Toby Uglow also performed quick, solid passes to come second in the club two, 11-12 boys class.
In the more advanced club level three, 11-12 girls, Ella Godfrey took the silver medal, with Connie James coming fourth. Sophie Ware took the gold medal in club three, 13-plus girls, all with tidy passes and flics.
Teegan Smith and Amelie West performed three series of fast flics and somersaults to secure a bronze medal and a sixth place in club five, 15-plus girls.
To top an excellent day, Teegan Smith won the range and conditioning class, achieving extremely high scores in both strength and flexibility.
Thank you very much to Teegan Smith for judging, and to Vicki Pritchard for coaching over the day.
Okehampton Flyers has had a great many competitive successes, with numerous British Gymnastics national and South West medals before the pandemic, and has continued its success this season in trampolining, double mini trampoline and tumbling, with one of its gymnasts already achieving a British Gymnastics national ranking of sixth in individual trampoline.
Okehampton Flyers continues to trial for its squads for 5-8 year olds in trampolining and tumbling. Children don’t need any experience of gym or trampolining to trial – anyone who’d like their children to trial can contact Vicki Pritchard at [email protected].
More details can be found at okehamptonflyers.org.uk, or on the club’s Facebook, Instagram and TikTok pages @okehamptonflyers.