SPECTATORS were treated to one of the closest fought gymnastics competitions in recent years during the Hertfordshire Level Five Championships held at Marriotts Gymnastic Centre, Stevenage. Jenna Hoyte, of local club SAADI, tied for first place honours w

SPECTATORS were treated to one of the closest fought gymnastics competitions in recent years during the Hertfordshire Level Five Championships held at Marriotts Gymnastic Centre, Stevenage. Jenna Hoyte, of local club SAADI, tied for first place honours with 10/11 age group rival Ashleigh Wright from the Dolphina club in Watford.

Hoyte, who trains at SAADI headquarters in Redbourn, took the gold medal on the beam and bronze on bar. Her unrivalled performance on the beam was one of the most outstanding of the day, earning her a huge 11.25 score from the judges. However, strong overall performances from Wright, who earned gold on the vault, saw the Watford gymnast fight back to share overall gold.

Hoyte's teammate Olivia Campion was unlucky not to finish in the first three overall, having won gold on the bar and silver on the beam. The high standard in the 10/11 age group saw her miss out on a top-three place by 0.25 points.

Team coach Penny Collins was delighted with the team's performance. "This was one of the closest competitions I have seen. We were all on the edge of our seats as the judges awarded their final marks. I'm delighted for Jenna and Olivia, they have performed like real champions. Both girls have worked hard with their coaches to get this far and the results today have been a great reward for all their effort.