Gym club cashes in on bars

More than £3,000 worth of new equipment was officially christened at Telford Gymnastics Club's annual competition.

The club has updated its asymmetric bars and beam, thanks to a Local Network fund grant administered by the Community Foundation for Shropshire and Telford.

The grant was made two years ago and has already helped the club buy a sprung tumble track, springboards and beam covers - as well as train five new coaches - but the new bars had to wait until suitable safe storage could be found at the clubâs base at Madeley Court sports centre.

They have now been delivered, courtesy of Telford-based supplier Gymnova UK, and the gymnasts are slowly getting used to them before their next big competition. Head coach Jacqui Bennett said: "Our old bars didn't meet current competition standards - they had oval rails instead of round ones and did not have the correct distance between them.

"At competitions in the past our girls have had to spend the whole of their warm-up just getting used to the different feel of the bars and adjusting to the fact that fibreglass bars are far more bouncyâ than the solid ones they are used to."

The club competition saw girls in four age and ability groups, plus a group of boys, compete for medals and trophies. Leanne Ridley just pipped Sophie Worrall to the senior girls title before multi-talented Sophie flew off to claim more medals at the Shropshire sportshall athletics championships.

Ross Preece used his experience to sweep the board in the boys' section, while Tayla Glover and Alicia Bennett won the two novice age groups. Sian McLeod won the pre-novice section for girls who are not yet old enough to compete in external events.

The club competition was a warm-up for the 18 gymnasts who will be taking part in the West Midlands novice competition at Worcester on May 6, where last year Telford girls won three of the four age groups.

Awards

Endeavour awards - Rosie Dwyer and Jordan Willis

Level 5+ - overall: 1 Leanne Ridley, 2 Sophie Worrall, 3 Abbie Moore; vault: 1 L. Ridley, 2 S. Worrall, 3= A. Moore, Nicole Cartledge; bars: 1 L. Ridley, 2 S. Worrall, 3 N. Cartledge; beam: 1 A. Moore, 2 S. Worrall, 3 L. Ridley; floor: 1 S. Worrall, 2 L. Ridley, 3 A. Moore.

Novice 10 years+ - overall: 1 Tayla Glover, 2 Rosie Dwyer, 3 Phoebe Jones; vault: 1 Abbie Wall, 2 T. Glover, 3 Queenie Gibb; bars: 1 T. Glover, 2 R. Dwyer, 3 Emmalie Moore; beam: 1 T. Glover, 2 P. Jones, 3 R. Dwyer; floor: 1 R. Dwyer, 2= T. Glover, Rhea Jordan, 3 Chantelle Webley.

8-9 years - overall: 1 Alicia Bennett, 2 Lily Marcou, 3 Jennifer Ballinger; vault: 1 A. Bennett, 2 L. Marcou, 3 Hayley Rees; bars: 1 A. Bennett, 2 L. Marcou, 3 J. Ballinger; beam: 1 A. Bennett, 2 L. Marcou, 3 J. Ballinger; floor: 1 J. Ballinger, 2 A. Bennett, 3 L. Marcou.

Pre-novice - overall: 1 Sian McLeod, 2 Lucy Faulkner, 3 Eleanor Bristoll; vault: 1 L. Faulkner, 2 E. Bristoll, 3 S. McLeod; beam: 1 S. McLeod, 2 E. Bristoll, 3 L. Faulkner; floor: 1 S. McLeod, 2 L. Faulkner, 3 Saskia Morris.

Boys - overall: 1 Ross Preece, 2 = Kane Sweeney, James Hughes, 3 Jake Hughes; vault: 1 R. Preece, 2 James Hughes, 3 K. Sweeney; floor: 1 R. Preece, 2 K. Sweeney, 3 Jake Hughes.