EIGHT months of hard graft culminated in a Great Britain team World Championship place and medals for four members of the Stacksteads Freestyle Club.

Coach Alfred at the Toll Bar Business Park-based club, Stacksteads, has spent four nights a week training the youngsters and they were proudly part of the 45-strong GB contingent which went with high expectations to Malta for the recent championships.

Alfred's son Scott struck gold in the Under-16s event, and was the East Lancashire success story of the championships. A fitting reward for 11 years of training!

Scott was already well in front on points until his final opponent from Poland, was disqualified after 45 seconds of the last round.

Internationally-recognised senior member Michael Waters, who was on his third World championship trip, came home with a bronze medal, while 16-year-old Chris Simcock, who has only just moved up to the seniors, went one stage further but was a beaten finalist and bagged a silver medal.

Sarah Lennon, aged 15 - who was making her bow as an international fighter - also won silver after just losing out in her final after a hard contest.

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