It might have been wet and miserable outside but inside Armidale City Gymnastics Club, it was all smiles and cheers as gymnasts took centre stage for the NSW Country Championships.
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Armidale played host to around 50 clubs and 1000 competitors from around regional NSW for the five-day event last week.
Locally, Armidale was well represented and finished with two major trophies - the overall NSW Country Champion Club trophy which covers all disciplines and the Men's Gymnastics trophy.
In terms of regionally, Inverell was also represented by two clubs - BCI and Sapphire City gymnastics.
Armidale was due to host the Championships last year as well but the coronavirus pandemic saw the event cancelled on its eve.
But that didn't stop a high level of competition taking the floor.
"It has been great to see all the excited children, the happy faces finally getting the opportunity to put their routines out on the comp floor in front of their families and the community after what has been a couple of hard years," Gymnastics NSW's sport and events manager Chris Martin said.
"It has really been fantastic.
"The atmosphere has been great and really supportive.
"For many of them this will be their first time competing [at the Championships], maybe ever competing.
"So it is a big opportunity but it is all about them having fun and putting their best performance forward."
Despite competitions not proceeding in recent times, Martin said the athletes managed to present a high standard.
"The standard has been really good," he said.
"I have really been impressed with the country clubs right across the state and how they have maintained their athletes through what has been a difficult period, kept them training, kept them involved and really worked those routines to be ready."
In 2019, Armidale City Gymnastics club's facilities underwent a $1.4million upgrade which saw the space nearly double in size with new floors, training rooms and changerooms added.
Martin was impressed with the venue.
"The facility is fantastic," he said.
"It is truly a unique facility across NSW.
"There's very few clubs that have this standard of facility that allow us to hold a championships at this level.
"Definitely lots of feedback from all the athletes, all the officials that have felt welcome coming into town. They have enjoyed their time so far."
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