Promising gymnast Harriet Lymer-Smith (pictured) excelled herself by finishing second in the Southern Region age group championships at Basingstoke.

The 11-year-old from Kennington performed some moves she had never done before to come runner-up to the current British champion Amy Middleton.

Lymer-Smith, who trains at the Lynx Gymnastics Club in Aylesbury for five or six days a week, proved that practice can make almost pefect.

She scored well on all pieces, starting with a successful Yurchenko piked vault.

In her bars routine, Harriet made an error on landing, but she shone on the beam with a free walkover move and a perfect dismount.

The highlight came on the floor, where she competed her first ever double back somersault in competition, which brought a huge round of applause from the packed audience.

Her last tumble ended in a double twisting straight back salto.

Lymer-Smith, whose performance delighted her coaches, will next compete in the British age group national finals on November 5.