Youngsters help Scotland win cup Gymnasts excel at major event in Wales
Young gymnasts from Dynamic Gymnastics Club did better than expected at the Acro Celtic Cup in Cardiff last weekend as they helped Scotland take the trophy.
Acro head coach Michelle Diniz admits she didn’t think her students were anywhere near that level at this stage, and was delighted to see them do so well.
The girls only started competing at top-level competitions in March of this year, and the Celtic Cup was the biggest event they have been involved in.
At the tournament in Wales the Grade 3 Scottish group of Carly Curran and Neive Grant won gold, the Grade 5 Scottish group of Amy Miller, Karla Hillcoat and Arianna Lawlor won silver and the FIG 11-16 Scottish group of Emma Mcconville, Caris Smith, Olivia Forsyth and Sophie Blood won gold.
The girls have now qualified for the NDP British finals in May.
Michelle, who was one of the Scottish squad coaches, said: “Being selected for the Celtic Cup was such a big deal for them all, and we didn’t expect them to be at that level yet, so they were over the moon just to be there.
“They did really well and won five out of the six categories, which meant Scotland won.
“They performed so well. It was a big competition, so they were feeling the pressure, but I’m really proud of how they performed.
“They did their routines very well and our scores contributed to the Scotland win, so that was a big achievement for them.
“They were amazing, and there wasn’t a lot of experience in there.
“In March it was the first Scottish Championships that they had ever done, so this was the biggest competition they had ever done.
“It was such a big competition that there was a lot of pressure, but they performed so well and got such good scores.
“That’s so good for them, because it let them bond together, they got to meet girls from other clubs and they were representing Scotland, so it was such a big achievement.”
Michelle says the Motherwell club is doing well and said: “Dynamic Gymnastics has gone from strength to strength.
“The club has such a strong artistic section and we hope they now have a strong acro section.”
Dynamic Gymnastics meets at Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and cater for a range of ages.
For info on spaces or availability email enquiries@ dynamicgymnastics.co.uk.