Welsh Gymnasts Succeed in Spain
december 15th 2007

Swansea Gym Club (Wales) competed this weekend in Vic (north-east of Spain) with brilliant results. Lizzie Beddoe and Jessica Hogg came first and second in the all around while Swansea won the team competition.

The competition, the 3rd edition of Tornieg de Vic, featured the top clubs in Spain (Xelska, Covadonga and Gimnàstic Osona), and gymnasts from the Netherlands, Norway and Czech Repbulic. Last year, Grace Imeson and Joana Lawrence-Pledge representing Newcastle had an extraordinary performance as well, making this tournament a good build up competition for young British gymnasts.

The Welsh started on vault with layout yurchenkos from Jessica Hogg (Video) and Lizzie Beddoe while Emily White (Video) fell on a piked tsukahara. A few other gymnasts competed a layout yurchenko (Tatjana Gúnther) while most of participants went for piked/tucked tsukaharas. Spaniard Anna Serra did a handspring front.

Following the Olympic order, the Welsh went to bars, probably the most difficult apparatus for young gymnasts. Jessica Hogg (Video) showed from issues throughout the routine to dismount with a double Arabian. Next up was Emily White (Video) who fell in the tucked tsukahara dismount but had better form overall. Lizzie Beddoe (Video) was the next on bars where she had the best set of the competition that included a Tkatchev and a Pak although she had the weakest dismount among the Welsh, a double pike. Vera van Pol (Netherlands) came second in this apparatus with a gienger (legs open) while Tatjana Günther (Germany) was third showing the best form and a jaeger. Another highlight of the morning on bars was Spaniard Laura Amengual who attempted a Comaneci on the low bar but fell trying to catch it.

On beam, Lizzie Beddoe (Video) finished third with a strong routine that included a flic - layout, a front aerial to scale, back pike, back tuck and clean and nice leaps, a fall on a free aerial prevent her to score higher. Jessica (Video) didn't show the same extension on the jumps and leaps and had a fall on the full turn with leg up to the horizontal. Her other skills were a free aerial, flic - back tuck and double twist off. Emily White (Video) fell as well, in the flic - layout and in the free cartwheel, but showed originality in a back tuck to knee landing (movement that Jana Bieger competed before). German gymnast Adina Hausch had great presentation on jumps and leaps but somehow questionable execution on the saltos (flic - back pike, free aerial, free cartwheel). Vera van Pol competed an onodi and onodi to two feet (fall). Spaniard Ainhoa Carmona, the oldes in the competition, won this apparatus without falls.

Nice choreographed floor routines were performed by the Welsh. Jessica Hogg (Video) mounted with a double pike, double tuck, front somi through double twist but a fall on the 2 ½ dismount. Emily White (Video) took the silver in this apparatus with a tango routine that included a double pike mount, front full punch front tuck, full twist and double twist dismount. Lizzie (Video) danced beautifully to take the gold with a double pike mount, front full to front tuck and double twist dismount, with a very nice executed ring leap and choreography. Katja Roll (Germany) obtained the bronze with a speedy routine but it was Vera van Pol who showed the most difficult tumbling (tucked tsukahara, double pike, double twist, 2 ½ dismount).

Team
1. Swansea Gym Club 102.567
2. Kunst Turn Forum Stuttgart 99.699
3. Patrick Topturner Echt 96.734

AA
1. Lizzie Beddoe 52.100
2. Jessica Hogg 50.301
3. Vera van Pol 50.133
4. Adina Hausch 49.133
5. Ainhoa Carmona 48.633
6. Marcela Molackova 48.499
7. Katja Roll 48.133
8. Tatjana Günther 48.067
9. Emily White 47.766

VT
1. Lizzie Beddoe 13.467
2. Tatjana Günther 13.400
3. Lucía González 13.367
.
5. Jessica Hogg 13.267
26. Emily White 12.000

UB
1. Lizzie Beddoe 12.633
2. Vera van Pol 12.333
3. Tatjana Günther 11.833
.
4. Jessica Hogg 11.767
11. Emily White 10.433

BB
1. Ainhoa Carmona 13.233
2. Adina Hausch 12.667
3. Lizzie Beddoe 12.567
.
5. Jessica Hogg 12.500
7. Emily White 12.400

FX
1. Lizzie Beddoe 13.433
2. Emily White 12.933
3. Ainhoa Carmona 12.800
.
5. Jessica Hogg 12.767

Report written by Albert