BRACKNELL Gymnastics Club put the town on the European map by beating top Italian gymnasts in an international competition last week.
The Bracknell athletes travelled to Cesenatico, Italy for their annual summer training but also took part in three competitions to see how they measured up to the top gymnasts from Italian TeamGym.
It was the seventh year Bracknell had visited Italy and the fourth time they competed in the FISAC Italian National Championships for Tumble and Mini Tramp - and the youngsters made quite an impact on the competition.
Nine-year-old John Pitney beat all his competitors to land the Under 10 tumbling title, while his twin sister Ellen did the same in the girls trampet competition.
Jenson Hazel and Callum Donaldson took first and second respectively in the U12s tumbling and trampet competitions, while Sarah Overman took first place in the fiercely competitive girls trampet section.
In the senior section, coach Chris Bennett also competed and came second in the trampet competition.
Bracknell's mixed youth team was up against some tough competition from two of Italy's top clubs in the the TeamGym competition but they produced some outstanding skills to secure the win.
Many compliments were received from the Italian judges who were shocked by the skill level of such young children.
The twe Italian teams are already planning to travel to Bracknell in September for a rematch at the UK leg of the International TeamGym Cup at Bracknell Leisure Centre.
Members of the Bracknell Kestrels, Hawks and Raptors girls teams all formed micro teams of three or four gymnasts for the event . The Kestrels and Raptor teams both won their respective sections with the Hawks placing third.
The directors of Bracknell Gymnastics Club would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of team manager and coach Stuart Woods, welfare officer and judge Justin Frank, and coaches Chris Bennett and Zoe Offen. Bracknell Gymnastics Club train at Bracknell Leisure Centre in partnership with Bracknell Forest Borough Council.
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