Ellan Vannin

Results

On Saturday 21st May 20 young gymnasts from Ellan Vannin Gymnastics Club held a Somersaultathon in the Strand Shopping Centre. They had set themselves a time limit of 2 hours and a target of 2500 somersaults to be performed.

On the day, led by British Olympic snowboarder
and ex Ellan Vannin Gymnast Zoe Gillings, accompanied by two of the gymnasts who carried out the original feat in 1998, Jenny Duggan and Hayley Curtis, they got off to a flying start, and soon got into their stride. The two thousand mark was passed with ease and the gymnasts finally stopped after 90 minutes and a grand total of 3227 somersaults. An incredible feat; An average of 161 somersaults performed by each gymnast!

The Club would like to thank the management from the Strand Shopping Centre for providing the venue, the official counter, Chloe Macdonald, the parents who helped move the equipment and to members of the public who gave the gymnasts support. The Club held a bucket collection on the day towards the extension they are building onto the gym.

If anyone would like details of the building project or how to sponsor the Club please contact Helen on 421358.

A record of 2317 continuous somersaults in two hours set in 1998 by members of the Ellan Vannin Gymnastics Club is under threat.

Members of the same Club have set their sights on 2500 somersaults in a repeat event on Saturday 21st May. The venue this year, as in 1998 is the upper level of the Strand Shopping Centre and the gymnast will start their record attempt at 2 pm.

The Club is urging members of the public to come along and cheer the gymnasts on. In training they can average 24 somersaults in a minute so the record can be broken, but they are going to need encouragement. People are also being asked to sponsor the gymnasts or give a donation to the Club, with all funds going towards the Club’s Commonwealth Games extension building project.

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Results attached.

On Sunday 15th May 8 gymnasts from the Ellan Vannin Gymnastics Club joined their friends from Clubs all over the Cheshire and Merseyside region at the Park Road Gym in Liverpool.

Sophie Macdonald was the Club’s sole representative in the pre novice class and competing in her first off Island competition she proved to be a good competitor, keeping calm and focused throughout. Her highest place was 6th on beam and she finished 7th overall.

The remaining 7 gymnasts took part in the novice class. Lucy Callow, Olivia Dale-Beeton and Natasha Hird were in the 9, 10 & 11 years category. Highest placed was Lucy with 6th overall and 4th on bars. Olivia’s best piece was also bars, where she finished 6th and Natasha Hird did well on vault getting over the table twice and she also finished 7th on floor. Lauren Wright was in the 12 years category against some stiff opposition. She did really well on floor to claim the bronze medal here, this following an entertaining slow motion fall from her mount on beam!

In the 13 & 14 years category Imogen Wild, Ciara Wilders and Alexandra Burns took part. Alex had a good steady competition and claimed a bronze medal on beam, and 5th overall. Imogen unfortunately had a fall from beam on one of her backflicks, which kept her off the podium on this piece, but she still claimed the bronze medal for the overall scores of the 4 pieces.

Ciara had a great day, claiming Silver on floor, Gold on vault and bars, bronze on beam and the Gold medal overall!!

Thanks to Helen Macdonald for arranging the transport and to the parents who helped with the scoring.