Bath's Tiola Gleeson has been selected as the youngest member of the British squad for the Australian Youth Olympic Festival in January.
The 12-year-old Ralph Allen schoolgirl trains under the guidance of coach Sarah Moon at City of Bath Rhythmic Gymnastics Club and will follow in the footsteps of two members of the history-making Team GB squad when she competes in Sydney last month.
Club-mate Lynne Hutchison took part in the last festival in 2009 and helped GB win a bronze medal. She and compatriot Jade Faulkner both moved into group rhythmic gymnastics and represented their country at London 2012.
Tiola competed in the selection event back in October and, due to a change in age group, will compete as a junior against girls aged up to 15.
Coach Moon said: "This is truly a fantastic opportunity for Tiola. We didn't expect her to be selected and it's just fabulous that she has been. I hope she can use this fantastic opportunity to set her up for the future."
Tiola's 12-year-old club-mate Selina Brown also attended the trials but finished outside the selection spots due to illness.
City of Bath, a community non-profit making club, is now looking for sponsorship to encourage and maintain its international success. Anybody interested should contact Jess Roxburgh on jessi_roxy1@hotmail.co.uk or 07539 810635.
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