Compulsory success for Sapphire’s Sophie at the national finals
Sophie O’Flaherty, from Hemel Hempstead’s Sapphire School of Gymnastics, started the season in style when finishing sixth at the Compulsory One national finals recently.
With strong performances on each piece, Sophie really shone on the bars where she stood out for her precision and technical understanding.
Compulsory One is the end of the gruelling elite routine in gymnastics, the final level to pass before moving on to the British Championships.
The route is designed to prepare gymnasts to an international standard, so to come through this with success gives the Sapphire club strong hopes for Sophie’s future.
With a busy season ahead, Sophie will be competing at championships across the country.
It’s been a great start to the season for Sapphire with team-mate Ondine Achampong becoming a triple champion at the Artistic British Championships at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena last month.
The 15-year-old claimed top spot in the junior all-around category and won gold on the uneven bars and beam.