Hollington starlets qualify for GB finals

The local club booked four spots in the south east regional team for the British Finals in Stoke at the end of the month.

The qualifying event was held over two weekends in Tunbridge Wells and Hollington’s grade two gymnasts were on excellent form.

In the grade two mixed pairs, Jamie Barton and Jaimi Phillips - who are the reigning regional champions - performed with supreme confidence to secure their place at the finals. Barton won the grade one men’s British title with his former partner last season and is keen to see if he can repeat this fantastic achievement with Phillips.

Despite only having trained together for a few weeks, the newly-formed partnership of Holly Weaver and Amy Robertson kept their composure to produce a routine which saw off the other competitors in the grade two women’s pairs.

Zara Hyland, Karma Corbett and Keeleigh Tribbeck completed the grade two categories with their women’s group. A clash with a pre-booked holiday almost prevented the girls taking part in the qualifiers, but Corbett was happy to fill the void left by the absence of Hyland and Tribbeck’s usual team-mate. Their hard work paid off with the girls booking their place at the finals by coming first in a field of eight ‘in age’ groups.

The final place at the nationals went to Hollington’s grade six mixed pair of George Lee and India Barrett. They performed two breathtaking routines, displaying a mixture of balance and dynamic skills. Their gold medals were thoroughly deserved for all the hard work they have put in to their training during the season.