SOME of the Forest’s youngest gymnasts won an array of medals last month.

Forest of Dean Gymnastics Centre (FDGC) at Five Acres, Coleford hosted the Gloucestershire County Novice Championships in which competitors from five Gloucestershire clubs took part.

Members of the Club’s Mini Development Squads won three silver and three bronze medals.

Seven-year-old Hannah Roberts won the silver medal in the Novice One, under-eight group, one of the largest groups of the day with 17 competitors. Hannah won the vault and performed a neat floor routine to earn her medal.

Lola Newman, aged seven won the floor routine and also won the bronze medal overall in the same age group. Alyssa Howard came fourth on floor and seventh overall, Florence Eaton was eighth overall and Sienna Reid twelfth. Head coach at FDGC, Lynn Hammersley says: “This was a very creditable result in such a large group.”

Seven Forest gymnasts competed in the under- seven age group in which 19 gymnasts took part. Molly Hughes was the highest placed at ninth, with an eighth place for floor work. Lily Jamieson was close behind in twelfth place. Eden Addis achieved third place on vault with Holly O’Brien in fourth place. Anastasia Shaporta, Lily Bridges and Ashleigh Williams also did well. Lynn says: “For most of the girls this was their first experience of competition.”

More medals followed in the Novice Two age eight group.

Lynn says: “Amelia Seal deservedly won the silver medal overall after coming second out of a group of eight with an expressive and well timed floor routine and vault. Anastasia Hughes followed with an equally expressive and confident floor routine and vault to take the bronze medal and third place on both floor and vault. Eloise Smith came fifth on floor and overall and Lily Goodway sixth on both.

Millie Eaton won vault and a bronze medal overall in the Novice One age 11 group where there were 10 competitors. In the final round of the day, Chloe Heenan’s expressive floor routine clinched her second place and a silver medal to take home.”