Seven gymnasts from Ellan Vannin Gymnastics Club represent the island at the British Gymnastics National NDP Grade Finals last weekend.

The septet qualified at the island grades in March and were against the top gymnasts from all regions across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The youngest of the competitors were Ariane Murray and Gwen Quayle competing in performance grade one.

This was the gymnasts’ first major competition and they held their own against tough competition. Both girls put on a confident performance and came away with lots of experience.

In performance grade two Chelsea D’Ottavio, Lara Goosen, Ava Quirk and Jessica Shannon represented the island with style, achieving a 10th place finish as a team.

Both Quirk and D’Ottavio both showed significant progression in their gymnastics, building on their strong performances from last year.

Out of a field of 55 gymnasts, Goosen finished sixth on bars in a very strong field.

Standout performances came from 11-year-old Shannon, who showed exceptional grace and precision to take the gold medal on beam.

A further dynamic and controlled performance led to a second gold medal on range and conditioning.

Lora Markova was the only competitor for the island in performance three in a field of 53 gymnasts.

She showed great determination and demonstrated composure beyond her years.

This was rewarded with a gold medal on uneven bars and a further gold medal on range and conditioning.

Markova also showed strong performances on beam and floor with fifth and sixth place finishes respectively, ending the competition as the highest place all-around finisher.

The club would like to congratulate the gymnasts and thank them for all their hard work and dedication in training. It would also like to extend its thanks to coaches Nick Workman, Nicola Richardson and Jenny Duggan.