A County Antrim teenager has made history by becoming the first female gymnast from Northern Ireland to win gold in her discipline and age category at the European championships.
Molly McKenna produced a “faultless” performance for Team GB in the Italian city of Rimini to secure a stunning victory in the DMT (Double Mini Trampoline) Junior section.
The talented 15-year-old, who lives in Randalstown and is a member of Antrim Phoenix DMT and Trampoline Club, was unaware of the historic significance of her achievement until informed afterwards.
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“To win a gold medal at the European Championships was really special and to stand on the podium was absolutely amazing,” said Molly. “It was a lot of fun.”
McKenna, who recorded a massive score of 25.100 in the final, pipped Team GB teammate Jessica Cinnamond and Tuva Stjaernborg of Sweden who won silver and bronze respectively.
Molly, supported by proud parents Robert and Jayne, who was in Italy, has emerged as one of our most promising gymnasts after falling in love with DMT almost 10 years ago.
And after winning at the Europeans the St Benedict’s College pupil, who has been part of the Team GB set-up for the past four years, will set her sights on the World Championships later this year.
In her last outing at the Worlds in Azerbaijan in November, the teenager, who turns 16 next month, secured an impressive sixth place finish.
At the weekend, Molly delivered one of Team GB’s five gold medals in Rimini alongside the likes of double Olympic medallist and reigning world champion Bryony Page.
The County Antrim girl, who is supported by the Mary Peters Trust and Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, thanked everyone for their support.
After being presented with her gold medal, she said: “I’d like to thank everyone who has supported me and helped me get to where I am.
“The European Championships were a lot of fun, a fantastic experience and hopefully I can keep it going.”
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