News

World acrobatics triumph for Durham student

(24 November 2003)

University of Durham student Scott Patterson has won a bronze medal in the Gymnastics European Championships held in Poland.

Competing in the Sports Acrobatics discipline Scott was a member of a four man team taking part in the championships.

Scott, studying at Queen’s Campus, Stockton, is the second year of his Business Finance degree and has been British Sports Acrobatics Champion for the past three years. His recent success comes in a line of achievements over the past two years.

In October 2002, Scott and his team competed in the Sports Acrobatics World Championships in Germany finishing in second place with a silver medal.

In April of this year they qualified for the World Cup in Russia after being placed second in the world rankings table which is composed by totalling the competition scores of all men's fours in the world over the last three years. The team finished second in the World Cup which moved their ranking to first in the world.

Scott, who lives in Durham City, currently trains at Deerness Valley Gymnastics and Leisure Centre and is coached by Vladimir Pozdniakov and two University of Durham graduates, Karl Wharton and Stuart Thompson.

Photograph used with kind permission of the Evening Gazette.

Further information:

Helen Swain, Public Relations Office, Tel 0191 334 0017.

Notes to Editors

Sports Acrobatics is a fast paced sport which combines dance and acrobatics. Gymnastics skills add excitement to the exercises and acrobatic balance shows strength and flexibility. Athletes add their own creativity through choreography and synchronisation within their exercises.

Acrobatics is practiced and competed as Men’s Pairs, Women’s Pairs, Mixed Pairs, Women’s Groups (3) or Men’s Groups (4). Athletes progress through recreational levels (1-3) to compulsory Ievels (4-7), then to optional levels (8-elite).