Arabian Gymnasts recently returned from San Diego in California with trophies and silverware in a continued year of success for the award winning Bletchley based club.

A team of eight gymnasts aged from 10 years old to 18 years old had an ordeal of a 25 hour trip to San Diego after missing their connection in Texas due to all things…Rain in Houston !

The gymnasts trained for 10 days and then took part in an open competition against gymnasts from California and a team from Texas in an epic 5 hour event.

The girls had 6 faultless Balance beam routines out of the eight girls, with amazing confidence shown in their acrobatic routines. The girls clearly shone on beam and were the strongest in depth.

FLOORS

They also performed some excellent floor routines with

16 year old Hannah Bond opening the sequences with

a memorizing dance and tumble sequence to Bolero music.

13 year old Poppy Gibbs

also back in form after her Christmas broken Ankle,

showed off her best ever routine with great confidence.

Another gymnast who also shone on floor was 12 year old Tionne Cumberbatch

who opened up her first tumble pass with a one and half full twisting straight somersault.

She closed her routine with a wonderful full twisting tumble pass.

Bex Whatmore the senior player at 18

in the team lit up the arena with her special Live and let die version

routine which turned many heads on the day.

A superb effort and

executed with her normal precision.

Sophie Fretwell aged 12 performed her new

routine with precise tumble

passes and stunning dance passages.

An all round good performance  from

the ever improving gymnast.

The youngest member in the team was 10 year old Tamzin Hill

who was fearless in all areas, a brilliant show by the youngster.

6000 miles away from home and parents yet she lapped up the

experience working alongside the older girls..

The most artistic gymnast was 13 year old Louisa Cuthbert who had everyone watching her memorizing likeability in her dance choreography and the final gymnast was 15 year old Ellie Hewitt who had a solid performance on floor.

All girls performed well on Bars and Vault but The Texas team and the Californian team were clearly stronger on these two pieces as a team. It was without doubt the girls strength on beam and floor which won them 1^st place medals and the awards of glass trophies of the Californian tri-classic Invitation.

Some of the training they did was remarkable which was headed by one of the most famous Gymnasts in the world in Cuban born Charlie Leon Tamayo who was only prevented from a possible return to the USA Olympic team by injury.

Charlie ( Pictured) took the girls to one of the worlds most famous landmark beaches… to Coronado beach and Hotel where the girls thought wearing their swimming costumes they were in for fun day.

Instead they were watched by hundreds of bemused tourists as they were put through a two hour grueling beach conditioning programme, an amazing sight to witness over 30 gymnasts made to condition in searing sunshine. Head Coach Lloyd White from Texas enjoyed putting the girls through their paces in the sea….

The group returned home on the eve of the Olympics stronger fitter and weighing a little more after their trophy collection was enhanced.

Head Coach Alan Armitage who took the group said " the girls worked really hard and performed as well as I could really ask. They were also given the opportunity to visit Hollywood and LA whilst we  were there so it was an educational visit as  well as a sporting opportunity. To be coached by a world class coach/gymnast in Charlie was such a bonus for them and for myself. I think the highlight was seeing them condition on the beach….white pasty English gymnasts against tanned USA girls with sun glasses on..that really was something you don’t get here in MK, I think that memory will stay with them for a lifetime.

Special Thanks to Shawna and her Victory gymnastic club for being great hosts, also to NETT gym from Texas who were wonderful alongside our own team of Molly Davies who was just excellent and of course our own photographer Mr Paul. A superb away performance by the very experienced travelling gymnasts.”