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Olympic hopeful Georgia-Mae Fenton of Gravesend targets place in Rio de Janerio after being crowned British Junior Gymnastics Champion

She is the pocket rocket soaring to success in the world of gymnastics.

Georgia-Mae Fenton, from Gravesend, has been crowned British Junior Gymnastics Champion 2015 for her breathtaking routine on the asymmetric bars.

The 14-year-old also won bronze in the all-round category, having competed against the top 33 girls from around the country on bars, floor, vault and beam.

Her latest triumph takes her tally of international medals won in the past seven months alone to 13, and sees her ambition of competing at the Rio Olympics in 2016 well within her grasp.

Georgia-Mae won gold and bronze at the British Junior Gymnastics Championships 2015
Georgia-Mae won gold and bronze at the British Junior Gymnastics Championships 2015

Her victories were all the more special as the Meopham School pupil suffered a setback in her training earlier this year which led to her moving to a new gymnasium in east London.

But Georgia-Mae, who lives in Bartlett Road, Gravesend, with mum Lisa, dad Trevor, brother Benjamen and sister Lili-Ella, took the pressure all in her stride.

“It was good. I got a little bit nervous but it’s good nerves,” she said.

The same cannot be said for Mrs Fenton, 47, who, during one of her daughter’s routines, had to turn her back on the action at the Echo Arena in Liverpool and rely on a running commentary from a security guard.

Georgia-Mae notched up her bronze medal on the first day of the three-day competition, watched by a 4,000-strong crowd, before being crowned bars champion on the final day.

Georgia-Mae and her mum, Lisa
Georgia-Mae and her mum, Lisa

The bars are the teenager’s favourite apparatus and she also scored a personal best on her least favourite, the vault.

But it is the beam, at just under 4ft off the ground and 4in wide, that scares her, and her mum, the most.

“It is the same width as four pieces of a Galaxy chocolate bar,” said Mrs Fenton, “and it doesn’t help that George does a split-leap on to it.”

The reason for liking the vault least of all is that her tiny frame means she struggles to hit the springboard to propel herself hard and high enough.

But her gymnastics career is certainly coming on in leaps and bounds.

Her next target is the European Youth Olympics in Georgia, Russia, in June, with Rio next year, and possibly even the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, well within her sights.

“Who knows, but the fact she could be competing in Georgia could be a good omen,” added Mrs Fenton.

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