BULMERSHE’s aerobic gymnasts were in action recently at the Heathrow International competition.

Held across three days, it attracted hundreds of performers from countries as far afield as China and Peru as well as some of the best British gymnasts – all competing for medals across individual, pairs, trios and group combinations.

The first medals of the competition for theWoodley-based squad came in the Regional (RAC) code level where medals of all colours were won; including gold medals for the group performers at the 12-14 age range, as well as for the trio of younger girls who also won gold.

At the National (NAC) code level, in the 12-14 age group, Naia Charman-Vasquz and her teammate in the older 15-17 age group, Alice Hadjiloucas, performed superbly to take gold medals in their respective categories.

Also in the NAC code, the group performers won gold for their well-coordinated routine in the 12-14 age category, while the younger pair, also NAC, impressed the judges to also win gold for their dynamic display.

The last level to compete were the international (FIG) code gymnasts where once again, the depth and strength of the Bulmershe aerobic squad shone through with podium positions for performers in several categories.

Achievements included Sorina Nistor (15-17) who, having qualified for the final the previous day narrowly missed the gold medal by 0.1 to win silver with a score of 19.300, while the FIG trio in the same age group, gave an eye-catching display to take gold, showcasing some dynamic skills. Marvin Gordon was also delighted to win bronze in the FIG senior men’s category.

Just missing out on medals were FIG gymnasts Emily James and Katie Guinn (12-14) who both qualified for the finals in their category out of a competitive field of almost 70 international gymnasts, ultimately finishing a creditable eighth and 10th place respectively.

Delighted coach Kerry Scotts commented: “This was a tough competition with many of the performers being national squad members in their home countries, so to come away with so many medals is a huge achievement at this level.

“We’ll continue to build on these performances back in the gym, and continue our preparations for the British competition later this month.”