The flights chaos caused by the volcanic cloud emanating from Iceland has scuppered thousands of travellers’ plans – including a pair of gymnasts from Northampton who were all set to travel to Bulgaria for the European Trampoline Championships.
As all flights in and out of UK airspace were banned by air traffic control company Nats for the fourth day running, disappointed gymnasts Steve Walsh and James Higgins issued a desperate plea for a coach company to rescue their chances of success in the trampoline championships, which take place on Friday in the Bulgarian resort of Varna, which lies on the Black Sea Coast.
The two virtuosos belong to Northants Trampoline Academy and they train at Benham Sports Arena, Moulton Park, along with their coach, Tracy Whittaker-Smith. They were booked – along with 10 others – to fly to Bulgaria this week. Thanks to the ash cloud that is still covering northern Europe, their dreams are in jeopardy.
This year’s European Trampoline Championships is the 22nd event of its kind and was originally scheduled to take place in the Bulgarian capital Sofia. The five-day event was moved to Varna last autumn, partly because of the resorts excellent reputation among tourists as a sunshine getaway and because of its sporting history.
The championships will feature tests of skill and dexterity with trampolining, tumbling and the double mini-trampoline. It is the first championship event since the most powerful trampoline to be certified by the Federation of International Gymnasts – the the Eurotramp 4×4 – was introduced into proceedings.
The UK team has been training hard for the event, attending a training camp in Bath at the end of March followed by a four-day preparation competition.
