FOURTEEN roller skaters from Swindon-based Downlands Artistic Skating Club took part in the second Bolton Open Roller Skating Competition.

This was attended by nearly 200 skaters from clubs across the country and the team from Downlands returned home with 20 gold medals, eight silvers and eight bronzes.

The first to win a medal was Mia Botta in her free skating event, who came second, while Gemma Bendle, who was taking part in her first British competition, won gold in her free skating event.

The duo then went on to compete in the free dance event, with Botta scooping gold and Bendle a silver.

The next medals came from the solo dance team of Ursula Campbell, Alice Hall and Botta, who helped the Downlands Spitfires come second, while Maisie Williams picked up a bronze in her event.

Campbell then put in a faultless performance to take gold in the Cadet British Solo Dance.

In the newcomers events, Tia Leone-Hall rolled away with gold, while five-year-old Nikol Teserova put in an impressive display too.

Hayley Vallender won gold in her event, while Tiffany Hewlett, the current British Mini Solo Dance bronze medallist, came third.

In the adults section coach Hayley Hunt skated in the 25-44 event and won gold, while Kim Starsmeare, in the 45 and over section, claimed a bronze.

In the second newcomer event of the day, April Dix skated away with gold while competing against 11 other skaters. She topped this off by winning another medal.

At the elementary solo dance level Abbie Starsmeare took the silver medal.

Botta, the bronze medallist at the Crystal Tulip International, won gold in the preliminary solo dance event.

In the inter-bronze level event Alice Hall finished third, while Campbell was next to skate in the bronze level solo dance event and she took gold.

The first non-medallist team event saw the Downlands Swordfish, comprising of Vallender, Williams, and Leone-Hall, finish first.

In the two-minute free dance event for inter-bronze and bronze level Campbell claimed another gold.

The Downlands Hurricanes performed in the Team Solo dance event and Abbie Starsmeare and Hayley Hunt, were joined by Lucy Dorgan, from Regent Skating club in Jersey, with the team winning the gold.

Inter-club duo events are where skaters from different clubs are drawn and put together on the day of the competition.

In the novice event, Dix came second with her partner Holly Boxall from Medway.

In the adult section Hunt teamed up with Catherine Ayling from Medway and won gold, while Kim Starsmeare with Ian Orchard from Bolton secured bronze.

In the inter-club mixed duo dance for elementary and preliminary level skaters Botta, who skated with Lucy Freeman from Medway, won silver,while Abbie Starsmeare, with Medway’s Megan Robb, took the bronze.

The final event was the interbronze and above inter-club duo dance event which was won by Ursula Campbell and her partner Theresa Ryle from Bolton, with Alice Hall in third place with Harriet Aburn from Medway.