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Medals haul for Royal Navy gymnasts at national contest
19 September 2018
Royal Navy gymnasts left the British Adult Gymnastics Championships with a clutch of medals and national titles.
The dozen athletes won 42 medals, three national team titles and five individual national titles, making it the most successful team in the contest to date.
The Royal Navy Gymnastics team were the first club in the competition’s history to have individuals and teams competing in every single discipline.
Lieutenant Commander Jamie Weller was also the first person to win an individual medal and team medal in every discipline, leaving the competition with a staggering ten medals.
The championships, held at Lilleshall National Sports Centre, attracted more than 300 participants.
Lt Cdr Weller said: “The performance delivered by each and everyone of the team members was extremely impressive and they did not only do themselves but the service proud.
“The Royal Navy Gymnastic team dominated the national competition, breaking numerous records on the way, we have now become the team to beat.”
The performance delivered by each and everyone of the team members was extremely impressive and they did not only do themselves but the service proud.
Officer Cadet Bethany Chambers took the bronze medal in the over-18 women’s novice trampolining category, with Midshipman Rachel Cox coming fifth.
Corporal Joanna Barnes took eighth place in over 30s, Lt Cdr Weller and Marine Daniel Bennett took the gold and silver medals in the over 30s and finally Lt Cdr Kevin Westbrook took the silver in the pro category. The team’s efforts won them the silver medal in the overall team championships.
The combination of Cpl Barnes and Lt Cdr Weller took the gold medal in the mixed pairs acrobatic gymnastics competition after an extremely closely-fought competition against last year’s National Champions from Bristol.
Mne Bennett and Lt Cdr Weller stormed the men’s pair’s category to also claim the national title. The team of Leading Writer Glen Parsonage, Aiden Sartin, Mne Bennett and Lt Cdr Weller became national champions for 2018.
The combined team score saw the Royal Navy win the national tumbling title against stiff competition, including last year’s national champions.
The RN men’s artistic team also took the national title for the third consecutive year. Lt Cdr Westbrook, who took the men’s over-30 novice category, was joined by LWtr Parsonage and Mne Bennett both in equal sixth place, Lloyd White came in in ninth place just in front of Colour Sergeant Tom Miller, who finished tenth overall but ensured that all of the RN team finished in the top ten nationally.
In the under-30 novice section Aiden Sartin took fifth place and Lt Cdr Weller took the bronze medal in the pro over-30s category.
The RN team put a team in the women’s artistic contest for the first time. Able Seaman Louise Dorset took the bronze medal in the newbie category, Mid Cox took the 25th spot in the under-30 novice section and Cpl Barnes’s nearly flawless performance across beam, vault and bars saw her take seventh place individually and the combined score left the female team in seventh place.
This year’s team comprised:
Lieutenant Commander Jamie Weller, Standing Joint Force HQ, (seven gold, one silver, two bronze)
Lieutenant Commander Kevin Westbrook, Fleet AV, (two gold, two silver)
Sub Lieutenant Aaron Wilding, DMS Wittington, (one gold)
Sub Lieutenant Lloyd White, HMS Scott, (one gold)
Midshipman Rachel Cox, BRNC, (one gold, one silver)
Officer Cadet Bethany Chamber, Devon URNU, (one silver, one bronze)
Colour Sergeant Tom Miller, 42 Cdo, (one gold)
Leading Writer Glen Parsonage, CNLS, (three gold, one silver)
Corporal Joanna Barnes, Portsmouth Band (3 Gold, 1 Silver)
Mne Daniel Bennett – Portsmouth Band, (five gold, three silver)
Able Seaman Louise Dorsett, HMS Diamond, (one bronze)
Follow the team on Facebook at Royal Navy Gymnastics.