Clondalkin Gymnastics team bring home silver from Norway
By Brendan Grehan
THERE WAS silver in the clouds across Dublin when Clondalkin Gymnastics Club returned from the GFA World Championships in Norway with a silver medal.
It was an amazing achievement for the club. Team Manager Julia Toomey told The Echo: “This is the first time ever an Irish Team has brought home a silver medal from this event, so we are extremely proud to be the highest-ranking Irish team at this World Championships. It is a huge achievement for a small club like ours”.
The GFA World Championships was held in Oslo. The competition is held every four years.
Coached by Yvonne Kavanagh, the team of 12 gymnasts, along with 12 supporters flew out last week to Norway. Competition was of an extremely high standard as teams from 22 countries were represented in the championships.
Ms Toomey told The Echo: “The team spent five days living and competing in an Olympic-style village, which was an amazing experience for all involved”.
The teams’ ages were from 11 to 22 and they have been working towards this competion for the last four years by successfully attending and winning International Competitions in countries such as France and the UK to gain experience and be ready to compete at this event.
With members aged from four upwards, the club is going from strength to strength and now has 100 members. Their latest success will be a major boost for the club.
Ms Toomey said: “I knew we had a good team, but one slip and it could all go backwards. We were hoping to get a medal and we have come home with a silver.
