KING EDMUND GYM CLUB

LATEST NEWS

By Simon Parkinson

JUBILANT coaches at King Edmund Gym Club have hailed the past year as the “most successful” in the club’s proud history.

Medal-winning performances at the World Games and, more recently, the European Championships in Portugal have confirmed their status among the elite in global acrobatic gymnastics.

The achievements appear to justify heavy investment in acquiring a new all-purpose gymnasium and HQ at Armstrong Way in Yate, where training and administrative duties are carried out.

On the floor it has been business as usual, with the club dominating the South West Championships to such a degree that their 100-strong team of competitors claimed gold medals in every category entered bar one, in which a creditable silver medal was attained.

King Edmund’s senior women’s duo of Maiken Thorne and Mollie Grehan took the Taiwan World Games by storm in seeing Great Britain to a bronze medal finish in the women’s pairs event - their first senior outing together.

The club hit the heights again in October when the men’s pairing of 12-year-old Jake Underdown and James May; the men’s four comprising Jacob Bates, Max Hitchcock, Jack Pothecary and Chris Child, and the junior section of Chris Rogers, Barnaby Llewellyn, Chester Wilmot and Danny Bates, turned in splendid showings to see Great Britain to an overall third-place finish in the Euro Championships at Vila Do Conde.

They were ably assisted by Maiken and Mollie, whose second placing in the senior women’s pairs category helped GB clinch that top-three berth.

Coach Nikki Thorne said: “It capped a fantastic 12 months for Maiken and Mollie, winning a world junior silver medal, World Games bronze as seniors and now European silver.

“They’ve given us the best set of results King Edmund has ever had and they’ve become the most successful women’s pair to represent Great Britain.

“On the strength of that Maiken and Mollie were invited to perform at the (BBC-televised) World Artistic Gymnastics at the 02 Arena in London. They gave a superb display in front of 15,000 spectators and it had people swamping them for autographs.”

More recent activity saw King Edmund take 35 gymnasts to an inter-club competition at Spelthorne in London, in which fast-emerging starlet Tianna McClurg won a stunning three medals in three different categories.

Tianna claimed gold with Becky Adams in the women’s pairs Prep A section, before going on to take silver in a Grade 1 competition with sister Shannon McClurg, and bronze in the women’s Grade 1 Trio with the help of Megan Foot and sibling Shannon.

Nikki explained: “Tianna is coached by Maiken, my daughter, and for a seven-year-old to perform like that shows ability and dedication beyond her years.”

Despite their successes, King Edmund Gym Club say they are not prepared to rest on their laurels and opportunities are available to the next wave of potential stars. Anyone wishing to join the club can contact staff on 01454 320662.

Rooms at their exciting new premises are also available for hire to local clubs and organisations.