Local gymnasts excelled again when they brought home a haul of 16 medals from the Fromeside Invitational Gymnastics Competition at the weekend. The boys and girls teams were both successful with 13 gymnasts representing the Forest of Dean Gymnastics Club.

The day started with nine-year-old Cara Charles deservedly winning three medals. She took the overall silver medal in the under nine Level D group and bronze medals for both floor and vault. Cara’s floor routine was graceful and assured with dynamic tumbles.

Bella Baldwin then added another bronze for her vault in the under 11 group. Bella also performed an excellent floor routine achieving fourth place and finishing in fourth place overall.

Angus Phillips was star of the day when he became the under seven Boys Intermediate champion. He won the vault, came second on the floor with a well controlled routine and took gold overall. In the same group Elliott Baker won bronze for his floor routine. He narrowly missed an overall bronze medal.

In the under 11 Boys Intermediate competition Sam Perkins and Finlay Smith competed in a large group with Finlay finishing fourth on floor and Sam in seventh place.

Five girls from the Club’s Mini Squad competed in the afternoon adding another four medals to the morning’s tally. The standard was high and all performed well with confident floor routines and vaults.

Holly Murray, competing in her first competition took home an amazing three bronze medals in the under nine Level B competition.

In the largest group of the day, the under seven Level C competition, Amelia Seal was rewarded for her excellent handspring to flat back vault with a silver medal and was only 0.03 away from being on the podium. Anastasia Hughes came fourth on vault with Lily Goodway fifth. Eloise Smith was eighth overall.

The under 9 boys then followed with an excellent three medals from James Hadfield who won gold on vault, bronze on floor and bronze overall.

Alex Cook won bronze on vault and came fourth overall with Teddy Frith in overall fifth place.