PLYMOUTH Swallows Gymnastics Club have spoken of their pride at the success achieved by 12-year-old Ruby Stacey.

In February, the youngster became English espoir champion for the 12/13 age group.

She also won an individual gold medal on the bars, silver on floor and bronze on beam at that event held at Redbridge Sports Centre in Barkingside, near Ilford.

She then followed that up last weekend by finishing second overall and winning gold in the beam and bronze in the vault at the British Championships at the Echo Arena in Liverpool.

“By coming away with a medal in each colour at the 2018 British Championships, Ruby has surpassed all expectations,” said Plymouth Swallows’ head girls’ coach Jemma Maskell.

“We are beyond proud of how Roo took this new experience of competing on a podium in the Echo Arena in Liverpool in her stride and blew us all away.”

The 12-year-old trains 21 hours a week and her hard work and passion for her sport paid off at the national events in Liverpool and Essex in the last few weeks.

On the bars she is in a league of her own. At the English Championships she was the only competitor in her age group to include a ‘release and catch’ element in her routine – a sky-high jeager. She executed that beautifully at the British Championships, catching at full stretch, and then finishing with a new upgrade – a full twisting double back away.