The British win four Gold, three Silver and four Bronze
medals!
1st LG Rhythmic Gymnastics International
Fenton Manor, Stoke on Trent, 7/8th April 2007
ALL-AROUND AND TEAM EVENT, Saturday, 7 April 2007
Francesca Jones (GBR) won the Senior All-around competition
of the 1st LG Rhythmic Gymnastics International at Fenton
Manor Sport Complex, in Stoke on Trent on Saturday, 7th April
(60.317), followed by the Bulgarian Monika Vedrichkova (Silver,
60.133) and Demetra Mancheva, Canada (Bronze, 57.783).
The second British Senior in this event, Heather Mann was
only 0.341 points short of the rostrum, finishing in fourth
place.
The Junior section was dominated by the Russians, Diana Botsieva
(Gold) and Yana Loukonina (Silver) with the Canadian Clara
Bernier winning the Bronze.
The best British Junior, Francesca Fox, was also very close
to the medallists (fourth).
Seven countries took part in this very attractive event which
revealed much of their potential for the 2008 and 2012 Olympic
Games: Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Canada, Russia,
Slovakia and Great Britain.
In this respect, the well-deserved victory of the GB Team
(Seniors: Francesca Jones and Heather Mann and Juniors: Francesca
Fox, Maria Popova, Rachel Smith, Keziah Gore and Jade Faulkner,
led by National Coach Nadia Alexandrova) is very encouraging
and revealing the huge progress achieved by all the gymnasts
over the last two years.
The GBR’s winning Total score was 147.125. Second was
Canada, 145.616, third Czech Republic, 136.450 and fourth
Slovakia, 137.850. Russia, Bulgaria and Belgium didn’t
present full teams and competed only with individuals.
APPARATUS FINALS, Sunday 8 April
The top eight Juniors and Seniors on each piece of Apparatus
proceeded to the Apparatus Finals, which confirmed the new
status of the British gymnasts and the traditional strength
of the Russians and the Bulgarians in this discipline.
Francesca Jones added another Gold (Rope), 2 Silver (Hoop
and Ribbon) and Bronze (Clubs) to her Overall victory, going
through the competition with completely new confidence.
Great improvement was also seen in Heather Mann’s performances,
which won her the Gold with Hoop and Bronze medals with Rope
and Ribbon.
Francesca Fox deserved a Silver medal with the Ribbon and
Bronze with the Ball in the Junior Finals dominated, once
again, by the two incredibly talented Russians Diana Botsieva
(winner on Rope, Ball and Hoop) and Yana Loukonina, whose
Ribbon routine on Charlie Chaplin’s “Limelight”
was the most artistic piece seen over the weekend.
This was also the day of Monika Vedrichkova from Bulgaria,
who swept both the Clubs and the Ribbon Gold medals with highly
difficult routines performed with grace and enviable technique
of handling the apparatus
MEDAL TABLE
Russia (participating with 2 Juniors: 5 Gold and 3 Silver
medals
Great Britain (full Team): 4 Gold, 3 Silver and 4 Bronze
Bulgaria (participating with 1 Senior): 2 Gold, 2 Silver
and 1 Bronze
Canada (full Team): 2 Silver and 4 Bronze medals
Slovakia (full Team): 1 Silver medal
Czeck Republic (full Team): 1 Bronze medal
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