Welsh gymnasts looking good for the Gold Coast

WITH just over a year to go until the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games kicks off, Welsh gymnasts struck gold at the British Championships in Liverpool.

In the men’s competition, twentyyear-old Jac Davies from Carmarthen, who trains at Swansea Gymnastics Centre, took gold in the pommel horse – and because of his success he was invited to compete in the Men’s Masters Competition.

The Masters is a contest where gymnasts with the top eight scores across all age groups compete against each other. Jac came fourth in the Masters.

Barry’s Josh Cook was also invited to compete in the Masters floor competition. The sixteen-year-old Barry YMCA gymnast was competing in the Under 18s age group and so it was a great result for him to be invited to contest the Masters and challenge the senior gymnasts.

Holly Jones from Swansea, who trains at Swansea Gymnastics Centre, scooped the silver in vault. This was also the first year 16-year-old Holly has competed in a senior competition.

Pontypool’s Maisie Methuen, who trains with Phoenix Gymnastics, came away with a gold on the floor, beating 2016’s all-round British Champion and Olympian Claudia Fragapane. Her gold was even more impressive as this was 15-year-old’s Maisie’s first competition as a senior. She also won a silver in the all-around competition.

Sixteen-year-old Latalia Bevan from Merthyr Tydfil, who trains at St Tydfil’s Gymnastics Club, came away with a silver on beam.

Again, a great achievement for Latalia as this is her first senior competition.

Welsh gymnasts also swept the medal boards in the Junior competition. Fifteen-year-old Jolie Ruckley from Cardiff, who trains with Cardiff Olympic, took home bronze medals in all-around, uneven bars, beam and floor after being out with an injury for over a year.

Meanwhile fifteen-year-old Zoe Simmons who lives in Somerset, but competes for Wales, won silver in the Junior floor competition and bronze in the vault.

Chief executive of Welsh Gymnastics, Rhian Gibson, said: “It was an amazing weekend for our Welsh gymnasts. To see so many bring home medals against some of the UK’s best gymnasts was wonderful.

“It was even better as we are nearly a year to go until the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast and so it is a really promising start to our preparations for the games.” SATURDAY’S games were reduced to just two fixtures when Cardiff Council pitches were called off.

However, the two games at the University playing fields produced some twist and turns in the race for the Premier title and relegation battles.

STM Sports OB’s moved to within a point of leaders Tiger Bay with their home win over RAFA FC.

Playing against the strong breeze the OB’s were 3-0 up at the break, but could only add one more in the second half for a 4-0 win.

Mathew Gold (2), Nicky Palfrey and Robert Partridge got the goals and with three games in hand the title looks STM’s to loose.

The other game was a much closer match between Thornhill AFC and Aberystwyth Exiles in which an early strike from Alex Davies gave Thornhill the lead at half time.

Exiles raised their game after the break and missed a great chance to level when Will Eastwood fired wide when clear.

Minutes later he made amends with a well taken equaliser.

The game became end to end before Alex Davies got his second sliding the ball in at the far post to clinch a hard fought 2-1 victory.

The win moves Thornhill away from the relegation zone.