Eight Huntingdonshire sports stars ready for Commonwealth Games
Huntingdon Gymnastics Club Extension and Refurbishment Opening Ceremony, Louis Smith. - Credit: Archant
Eight Hunts athletes are gearing up for the Commonwealth Games which will start with the opening ceremony in Glasgow later this evening (Wednesday).
Great Paxton netball player Rachel Dunn, 31, is hoping to add to the two bronze medals she picked up in the last two Games. She told The Hunts Post: “Our goal is to make the final. The squad is capable of it but we have got to put in the performances on the day.”
England play their opening game of the competition against Wales on Friday.
Four members of the Huntingdon Gymnastics Club will be making the trip to Scotland – but all will be representing different nations.
Louis Smith, 25, and Daniel Keatings, 24, will represent England and Scotland respectively, and are competing directly against each other in the pommel horse competition.
Having relocated to the Centurion gym, Cameron Mackenzie, 21, will be competing for South Africa in the all-round event and despite the switch, he will continue to receive tuition from Huntingdon coach Paul Hall by sending him videos of his progress.
After a series of injuries, including two broken legs, Luke Carson, 23, switched his event to the parallel bars, and will represent Northern Ireland.
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Former Huntingdon member Sam Oldham will be competing for England on the high bar and is in good form having taken bronze at the European Championships in May.
Hammer thrower Jonathan Edwards, 21, is looking forward to competing in his first major competition. The former Hunts AC member recently relocated to Plymouth to attend university and was selected for the Welsh squad after smashing his personal best by over two metres in qualifying.
Glasgow will be nothing new for Ellen Falkner, 35. The St Neots lawn bowler will be competing in her fourth Games and has already won two gold medals.
She was a member of England’s winning fours team in Manchester in 2002 and again stood on top of the podium in Delhi after winning the women’s pairs.
These victories are made all the more valuable when you consider the Commonwealth Games are the only major multi-sport event bowlers can participate in.