A BRADFORD gymnast is celebrating after becoming a national champion.
Teenager Jack Stanley became the Under-16s champion, as part of a haul of medals at the English Gymnastics Championships.
He won gold medals in the all around u16s event, floor, pommel and parallel bars. He claimed silvers in the rings, high bar and finished fifth in the vault competition.
Stanley's overall score of 76.400 at the event held in Ilford, East London, was a new personal best.
He is a Year 10 pupil at Immanuel College in Idle and is a member of the British Gymnastics Elite Performance Squad.
Stanley is continuing his success in the sport, after he competed at the 32nd International Junior Gymnastics Tournament in Cottbus, East Germany, for Great Britain last September and won the Under-15s All Around Championship.
His team-mate, Simon Toussaint from Gomersal, took the silver medal on pommel, finished fifth on rings and sixth on P-Bars, while carrying an injury.
Patrick Watkinson, from Thornton, also scored a PB of 70.700, finishing eighth in the u14s competition on the Friday with a bronze medal on floor, sixth on pommel and eighth on rings.
All three boys train between 28-32 hours a week at Leeds Gymnastics Club and are coached by Dave Murray and Andy Butcher.
Stanley as awarded Young u16s Sportmans of the year for 2018 at the Leeds Sports Awards last week and is also a finalist in the Bradford Sports Awards which he will be attending this Thursday evening.
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