Academy’s golden year of success on the floor
GYMNASTICS
IT was another year of success for Durham’s Deerness Gymnastics Academy in 2017.
Younger gymnasts returned from the National Championships with two medals.
The elite men’s group took gold in a World Cup competition and the elite women’s trio brought a bronze medal back from the European Junior Championships.
It was in March 21 gymnasts from Deerness qualified for the national finals.
The club won more medals than any other club as it clinched nine gold, three silver and one bronze the gold medallists qualifying for the national finals in May.
At the finals two women’s pairs, Amber Askew and Poppy Wilthew and Chelsea Nesbitt and Eilidh MacDougal, took gold their categories, The club also won one silver and four bronze gongs
Katie Lawton, acrobatics coach at Deerness, said: “Yet again our gymnasts did themselves, their parents and the club proud at the National Championships.
“We are very proud not only of all the medalists but of all the gymnasts who worked so hard to reach the national finals.
“Here at Deerness we have a strong history as a competitive club from regional to international level.
“Our young gymnasts worked really hard to prepare for the competition, gaining the confidence and skills participating in competitive events brings, so it was great to see their hard work and commitment resulting in success.”
In June four gymnasts from Deerness beat the world’s best acrobats to secure gold in an international competition in Switzerland.
Jesse Heskett, Finn Gavin, Paul Dixon and Stephen Dixon were competing as a men’s group and were up against world champions from China in the Geneva World Cup.
However, the Durham gymnasts competing for Great Britain in their first international competition together - beat the Chinese.
Stuart Thompson, head of acrobatics, said: “It is always great to win gold but even more so when it is unexpected.
“We entered that competition not expecting to win but to benchmark ourselves against the other acrobats from around the world.
“The results are great for all of the gymnasts, the coaches and parents but also the hundreds of younger gymnasts at the club who were inspired by this success.”
In October three gymnasts headed to the European Championships as British champions and returned with a bronze medal.
The trio, Caitlin Owston, Amelia Palmer and Bethany MacDougall all from County Durham - took third place in the women’s group dynamic final and finished sixth in the overall competition.
They helped Great Britain to one gold, six silvers and a bronze medal.
The girls were competing for Great Britain in one of the most jaw-dropping disciplines in gymnastics against 11 other nations in Rzeszow in Poland.
Thompson added: “I am so pleased with our gymnasts winning their bronze medal.
“This was a very hard championships and this trio of gymnasts worked really hard all year, continually improving through their hard work and commitment to the sport.
“They thoroughly deserved their medal success.
“This was their first call-up to represent their country and the whole club is very proud of what they have achieved.”