Alton Members represent Team South at 2019 Regional Team Finals
The 2019 Regional Team Finals took place in Birmingham, and saw Alton members representing the South in both the Trampoline and DMT events over the weekend.
On the Trampoline, Elena came 4th in the Disability NDP1 Category 1 group. Unfortunately an extra bounce in her first routine meant that scored zero for it. She later admitted that her legs were ‘like jelly‘ as she got on to compete in front of the few thousand people in attendance, but she showed great composure to not only continue her first routine, but to get back on and performed an excellent second routine which actually received the same score as the girl who won!
Zaki was back again, having represented the region last year. This time around he had qualified in the higher NDP2 category. He improved upon his performance last year and finished in a very respectable 10th place.
On the DMT, Elliot had also qualified for the 2nd year running, and he too had moved up a level to compete in the 13+ NDP2 category. He was competing alongside Liam, who was competing his first season in DMT. Both successfully completed all of their passes, with Elliot finishing in 11th and Liam in 9th.
Jasmine and Molly competed in groups where the scores were very close throughout, where every wobble or misstep made a difference. For Jasmine in the 13+ NDP2 group there were fewer than 4 marks between 1st and 19th place, with Jasmine finishing in 12th. Molly’s NDP1 11-12 years group was even closer, with Molly finishing 17th yet only 1.3 off of a place on the podium!
We’re proud of all of our members, who were fantastic representatives of both the club and region at this event. Sylvia Comber, who was selected as one of the Regional coaches, was thanked for her support over the weekend, with one parent expressing for the gymnasts “what a memorable experience for them all”. There was great support throughout by all of the competitors and the coaches of various clubs, who all helped each other and made for a really positive team environment. When the overall results were announced, Team South finished the event in 9th in Trampoline, 6th in DMT, 5th in Tumbling, and 3rd in the Disabilities categories. Well done to all those who took part!
The full results from the event can be found on the British Gymnastics website, and the Southern Trampoline & DMT Facebook page contains a selection of photos from the event as well.
by Mike Wakely