Young gymnasts from an Oldmeldrum club are celebrating podium success after recently participating in the Allander Floor & Vault Competition at Allander Leisure Centre.
The L Gymnastics representatives, many of whom were competing at this level for the first time, achieved team silver in both the under 8s and 8-9 year old categories. There were also individual successes for Amy McKay and Ava Mackie, who achieved bronze medals in the under 8s and 8-9 year old overall competitions respectively.
The medal winners were part of a squad of five L Gymnastics teams, who made the trip to Allander earlier this month. Their training is overseen by former international gymnast Laura Etko, whose company Etko Sports Academy has recently developed a new gymnastics centre for both recreational and competitive gymnasts.
“I am immensely proud of what our young L Gymnastics representatives achieved in Allander,” said Laura Etko, head coach. “For the vast majority, this was their first competition away from home and they rose to the challenge admirably.
“Our new training facility has only been open since October, however it is already making a huge difference to our gymnasts’ confidence and skills development. It is equipped with a full-size sprung floor for the children to practise their routines, as well as a full suite of competition-standard gymnastics apparatus.”
Full medal results for L Gymnastics were as follows:
Under 8s
Overall – Amy McKay, age 7, bronze
Team – Amy McKay, Ava Rankin, Lily Park, Niamh McIntosh, silver
8-9 year olds
Overall – Ava Mackie, age 8, bronze
Team – Ava Mackie, Madelyn Mair, Daisy Wright, Louise McIver, silver
L Gymnastics is based at Etko Sports Academy within the Hoodles Playbarn complex at Oldmeldrum. The club is led by head coach Laura Etko, who has represented Scotland at an international level as both a junior and senior gymnast.
Further information on Etko Sports Academy’s gymnastics coaching programmes is available by calling Etko Sports Academy on 01651 or by visiting www.etkosportsacademy.co.uk.