GYMNASTS Maiken Thorne and Mollie Grehan clinched a superb bronze medal at the World Games in Taiwan.
The King Edmund Gym Club duo were representing Great Britain in the senior women’s pairs section for the first time, despite able to compete still at junior level.
They joined five other elite acrobatic gymnastic countries vying in Kaohsiung Arena for the top prizes, and having made it into the four-nation final, 17-year-old Maiken, from Yate, and Mollie, 15, from Thornbury, secured themselves third spot behind Belgium and Azerbaijan respectively to ensure they returned to South Gloucestershire proudly clutching bronze medals.
To cap another magnificent competition for King Edmund GC, Douglas Fordyce, 19, currently training with London-based Spelthorne, also claimed bronze with new partner Edward Upcott in the senior men’s pairs event.
King Edmund coach Nikki Thorne, who is Maiken’s mum, hailed the achievements as “the most significant for the club”, which boasts a glittering array of medals from many years of competition on the national and world stages.
She glowed: “All three of them did fantastically well. They were watched by packed crowds of up to 6,000 spectators and for Maiken and Mollie, who were the youngest performers in our sport, to have done so well in their first major senior competition together has made us all very proud.
“Both of them can compete at junior level until the age of 19 so it sums up just how maturely they performed against the world’s top senior women’s pairs.
“To be honest we weren’t sure whether to throw them in at the deep end or not but our decision was certainly justified.”
The World Games, which gains International Olympic Committee recognition, is held every four years for non-Olympic sports and Nikki said: “There was certainly an Olympic feel about the whole thing.
“It was nice too that Mollie was able to stand up and take an oath with the judge on behalf of all the gymnasts before the event began.
“We are indebted to South Gloucestershire Leisure Trust, who operate Yate Leisure Centre, for agreeing to support our international gymnasts with their training.”
The Taiwan success caps a great year for Maiken and Mollie following their silver and gold medal-winning triumphs at the World and British Championships.
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