Clondalkin gymnasts scale the podium at Slater International Cup

By Stephen Leonard

CLONDALKIN Gymnas-tics Club saw a number of their members really turn heads at the recent Sharlene Slater Internat-ional Cup in Newcastle.

In total 37 people from the club, including 18 gymnasts and coaches Emer Kavanagh and Yvonne Kavanagh, flew out for the competition.

Gymnasts ranged in age from 10 to 21 years and were competing in Grade Three, Four and Five up to ‘Out of Age’ Category.

For many of the younger gymnasts this was their first time to compete inter-nationally and all per- formed exceptionally well.

After getting the opportunity to train at the Temple Park Sports Arena, the competitors lined out in the competition which was run over two days with more than 400 travelling from all over England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales to take part.

Clondalkin’s ‘Out of Age’ Women’s Trio of Sophie Toomey, Fiona Tapley and Orna Lamon, the Grade Five Women’s Trio of Grace Carey, Katie Cowzer and Leia Scales and the Grade Five Men’s Pair of Reece Ward Hughes and Rian Bailey competed on both days of competition doing their Balance routine on one day and their Dynamic routine on the other day, with both scores being added together to give their final total.

Ward Hughes and Bailey scored 23.82 for their Balance routine which, when added to the 25.17 for their Dynamic routine, gave them a total of 48.99 and subsequently earned them gold.

The Clubs most Senior Trio of Sophie Toomey Fiona Tapley and Orna Lamon also went top of the podium after they scored 24.250 for their Dynamic routine before performing an excellent Balance routine to card 25.20 to give them an overall score of 49.45.

Also in action were the Grade Three Woman’s Pair of Ciara McGrath and Grace Connolly and Grade Three Woman’s Trio of Zara O’Reilly, Daisy Smith and Kate Thomas.

All were competing internationally for the first time and they took to the floor and produced excellent routines with the Trio achieving a personal best score.

The Grade Four Women’s Pair of Evana Downey and Ella Rice and the Grade Four Trio of Evana Downey, Hannah Brennan and Ellen Doyle all performed one combined routine each.

Downey only stepped in two weeks prior to the competition to replace an injured member of the team and turned in an impressive routine while the Grade Four pair also scored a personal best.

The Grade Five Pair and Trio as well as the ‘Out of Age’ Trio all completed their second routines on Day Two.

“It was a very successful International trip for the club, with all the gymnasts producing excellent routines and doing Clondalkin Gymnastics Club and Ireland proud,” said Clondalkin’s Julia Toomey.