Acrobatic | 4 Medals for Team Scotland in Budapest
A twenty-one strong team of acrobatic gymnasts travelled to Hungary to compete at the 5th Budapest International Acrobatic Cup from 30 September to 2 October securing four medals for Scotland.
There was a strong start to the team’s campaign for qualification on day one, with experienced women’s 11-16 pair, Ava Curtis and Grace Crawford from Acrobay third in the running order for their dynamic routine. Jam-packed and energetic, it gave them a great starting score of 23.350.
Daisy Campbell and Nephele Idehen gave us an impressive and theatrical performance in the 12-18 category which put them in second place with their second routine coming in the preliminary round on Sunday morning.
All pairs, including Dynamic’s Emma Logan and Gemma Russell went on to qualify for finals, matching the success of the team who last travelled to the event. We saw strong representation for Scotland across the categories and hopes of medals in the afternoon session on day two.
East Kilbride trio Ellie Farwell, Eve McFarlane & Nieve Ewart had a beautifully lyrical performance to take us into the second session of qualification on day one, scoring a brilliant 25.830 for their first routine, and a qualification total of 51.030 placing them in fifth ahead of the final. By the end of the day all of Scotland’s groups had qualified for the finals.
With the largest pool of competitors of the competition, the 11-16 women’s group of Belle Temple, Rosa Morrison & Poppy Pain started well to finish the qualification round in seventh place ahead of the final. They were joined in the category by Ella Gracie, Scarlett Haldane & Emma Nelson who ended the first day in first place thanks to an outstanding balance routine, expertly performed for a score of 27.000.
Second-time Budapest competitor Karla Hillcoat joined Tia Kidd and Emilie Keenan as the first 13-19 women’s group to take to the floor and did well in their balance routine to score 25.220. Their dynamic received 26.260 which meant they qualified in second place behind Scotland’s other group, including the flagbearer for the opening ceremony, Caitlin Mackinnon from East Kilbride, Abbie Mailey and Eva Ross.
Following the success of day one and the high placings in the qualification round, spirits were high as the team prepared for the finals.
Belle, Rosa and Poppy returned to the floor first for Scotland and showed us their unique personality to get the crowd smiling. They scored 25.400 and finished the final in seventh place – which was a great result for the young partnership. Ella, Scarlett & Emma went on to take the top spot in the 11-16 women’s group final – after a dazzling performance and a score of 26.850.
We turned our attention to the 11-16 women’s pairs next, where Grace and Ava made it into their first international final – and gave us sparkle and skill for 24.950 and claiming a bronze medal. Scotland’s 12-18 trio, Ellie, Eve and Nieve performed well in a tough final – finishing in sixth place against a very strong field.
In the 13-19 women’s group final – Scotland just missed out on medal placings – with fourth place for Emilie, Tia and Karla’s James Bond inspired performance and fifth for Abbie, Caitlin and Eva whose consistency and composure against nerves showed in their first international competition.
It was an exciting end to the competition, with the 12-18 women’s pairs returning to the floor after qualification earlier in the day. Scores were tight, and it was Gemma and Emma from Dynamic’s pure theatre who secured second place behind Poland’s Gabriela M?ynarczyk and Nikola Kami?sk. Daisy and Nephele gave us disco fever in the last Scottish routine of the day and gained a second bronze medal for Team Scotland.
Scottish Gymnastics performance manager Wendy Purdie said: “What a fantastic opportunity for Scottish acrobatic partnerships to compete on the international stage. I am extremely proud of all the partnerships, the coaching team and everyone who gave their all in Budapest.
It is clear there is a bright future for these partnerships, with unique choreography and brilliant skills on show at the competition. We look forward to seeing the partnerships back at home at the Scottish Championships later this month and continuing to develop their skills in our performance programmes.
A huge congratulations to all the partnerships, their coaches, judges and the team who made the most of this experience to compete at international level and represent Scotland in Budapest this weekend.
You can find out more about the competition, including the full results below:
> Budapest International Acrobatic Cup
> Full Competition Results
> Acrobatic Performance Pathways