THE new extension at Dorchester YMCA is not the only good news to come from the county town gmnastics club after 11 of their young women’s artistic gymnasts competed at the Dorset Floor and Vault Championships.

This well attended competition, held at Rossmore Leisure Centre, Poole, saw gymnasts from Weymouth, Poole, Bournemouth and Blandford displaying their floor routines and vaults in front of packed audiences.

The first round of the day saw YMCA competition debuts for Elizabeth Legg and Orla Adams while Danielle Brunell was competing in her first floor and vault competition.

The first round also saw Caitlin Chapman and Amy Lillington compete for the YMCA. All the girls began their competition on floor, with Brunell the first gymnast of the day to compete.

All the girls performed excellently with Brunell taking a gold medal in her group on the floor, which helped her to capture an overall bronze medal.

Despite what coach Sam Welch called some “interesting” vaults both Chapman and Lillington walked away with silver and bronze medals respectively on the vault.

Chapman, like Brunell, went home with an overall bronze medal.

Lillington missed out on an overall medal by just 0.2, while Elizabeth and Orla both gave positive displays in their respective groups.

The second round saw only two YMCA gymnasts as Poppy Martin and Toni Bugler began their quest for medals. Both girls performed well, doing a high, handstand, flat back vault and both finishing with silver medals.

The duo also earned silver medals for their floor routines, meaning both went home with very well earned overall silver medals for their respective groups.

Round three saw three YMCA gymnasts competing in the same group as Imogen Slade, Jessica Hughes and Holly O’Flanagan took to the competition floor.

All three started their competition on the vault all performing a handspring vault on a table vault for the first time.

This proved to be a very close group with Hughes finishing second with O’Flanagan and Slade finishing joint third.

On the floor all three girls had to perform a round-off flic, something they had never competed before. They did not disappoint all three taking medals on the floor.

On this occasion Slade claimed gold, for the first time, Hughes silver and O’Flanagan bronze.

The overall scores also proved close with Hughes piping Slade to the gold medal by just 0.05.

O’Flanagan was unlucky not to join her YMCA team-mates on the podium, missing out on bronze by just 0.3.

The last YMCA gymnast of the day was Georgia Cochrane, who was not left alone as her junior team-mates all made the decision to stay and support her from the stands.

Unfortunately her vaults did not go as well as normal, which left a lot to do on the floor.

Like the girls before her, Cochrane had new skills in her routine including round-off flic, tucked back somersault and front somersault, and step out in to handspring.

She performed her routine very well and although she did not take home a medal she performed her new skills very well.

YMCA’S Sam Welch said: “For Georgia this wasn’t so much about winning but performing her new routine well and doing the new skills, which she did.

“Julie and Jodie Membury do come up with some excellent routines.

“Parents and coaches always comment on the choreography of the routines. They just fit the character of the gymnast. Getting the right music for the right gymnast isn’t easy but they get it right every time.

“The girls are really enjoying their gym right now, which really shows in their performances.”

Dorchester YMCA not only offers competition gymnastics but also recreational, rhythmic, GMPD, adult and pre-school gymnastic classes. Sessions run during term time and are available for all ages.

To find out what classes are available as well as the other varied sessions available at Dorchester YMCA contact 266467 or go to dorchester-ymca.co.uk