West Lothian gymnasts on form to scoop medals for Scotland

Five members of a Livingston-based acrobatic gymnastics club represented their country in style by scooping medals for Scotland.

The Astro Gymnastics stars were on top form at the recent Inter-Regional Championships in Southampton as they picked up a silver and bronze, whilst also helping Scotland seal the overall silver medal.

The Grade Four Women’s trio of Kylah Souter and Carmel Johnston (both 13) and nine-year-old Colby-Ashlyn MacLeod grabbed silver, while team-mates Emma MacLeod (11) and 14-year-old Nathan Boyle won bronze in the Grade Four Mixed Pair event.

Both teams qualified for the event thanks to flawless routines at the Scottish Championships in March, having spent the best part of 12 months training for the event.

The mixed pair of Nathan and Emma elected for an ‘angry’ routine and were delighted to win bronze. Nathan said: “It was a great experience being part of the event and we all enjoyed it. We went for an angry and moody routine and thought we performed well.”

Emma added: “It went really well. We just focused on the judges for the routine but it must have worked.”

While the mixed pair went for angry, it was the opposite for the Women’s Trio who went with a cheerier routine as they won silver.

Carmel said: “There was a lot of training put in to the routine but it was all worth it to get that silver medal.”

Kylah added: “It was a happy, cheery routine that was quite upbeat and we loved performing it.”

Team-mate Colby-Ashlyn, the youngest of the club’s competitors, added: “It was so much fun being part of the event and winning a medal.”

Proud coach Nicole Higginson said it was the perfect way to end the season, adding: “It was the final big event for them and it was a great way to end things.”

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