New gym academy off to a flyer in Chichester

EarlIER this year, a new gymnastics club opened its doors to a stream of enthusiastic and promising young gymnasts in Chichester.

The Gym Academy, based at Westgate Leisure, was set up by Tracey Angell and Kris Dorney, friends who met through coaching.

It is early days for the club but things are looking good already. A £500 donation through Sussex Gymnastics has helped towards the cost of a new platform vault table.

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This provides a valuable asset to updating the gym, as gymnasts nowadays are regularly competing over these.

“We are hoping to build on our equipment, so we can provide our gymnasts with good variety to their sessions,” said Angell.

“The platform is already proving an exciting challenge for the younger gymnasts as it seems like a mountain for them to vault over.”

The club are delighted with their small team of BG coaches, who provide a friendly attitude which goes towards making the Gym Academy an ideal environment for gymnasts to develop their potential.

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Head coach Dorney operates a sister club in Thorney Island where some of the competitive girls train during the week.

The squad returned from the Sussex four-piece competition at Burgess Hill with outstanding results from their team of ten novice and intermediate gymnasts.

In the key steps competition, six-year-old Comfort Yeates was first to the podium with first place overall. For the seven-year-olds Sophie Hogton was first overall, Lucy Stray fifth and Ana Maria Ravai seventh.

Competing in her first four-piece competition, seven-year-old Liana Dorney, competing in a total field of 27, certainly impressed the judges. Liana gave consistent performances to gain gold on floor and silver on bars, beam and vault, giving a well-deserved gold overall.

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Liana went on to accept the shield for highest overall score in the eight-nine year category. In the same category, a clean bar routine from Grace Mihell earned her bronze.

Promising displays came from Emma Wells finishing in seventh and Caitlin Robinson in ninth.

The eight-nine year intermediates saw Lara O’Brien and Loren Pegg (10/11 year novice) competing. Both girls were consistent in their routines, a solid beam routine giving Loren a bronze on beam and seventh overall.

For further information, call 01243 780198.

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