Amy Fossheim, a 14-year-old gymnast from the South Durham Gymnastics Club in Spennymoor, helped Great Britain to reach fourth place in the junior European Gymnastics championships which were held in Amsterdam last week.

Great Britain's previous best result in the championships was eighth and Amy said: "It was an amazing experience to compete in the Europeans.

"All the girls in the GB team were lovely and our hotel was really posh.

"It was interesting as well to watch the Russians and Romanian girls who were first and second as their manoeuvres were a little more complicated than ours."

Amy competed on the vault where she scored 8.9 with a full twist Yurchenko, the floor and the beam where her routine involved a free walkover, flick salto with a front somersault into back somersault which earned her a score of 8.050.

Amy started gymnastics training when she was four and added: "I have to thank my coaches Rachel Wright and Nicola Present for what I have achieved and my dream now is to compete in the 2008 Olympics."

South Durham coach Rachel Wright said: "The European championships are a huge tournament and some 30,000 tickets were sold for the event. It is a enormous stage and at the end of each girl's performance there were two huge screens which gave an instant replay.

"The TV cameras were there and the competitors were treated like stars. We are very proud to have had someone from the South Durham club competing in such a major event."

Only Russian, Romanian and Italy finished in front of Great Britain and national coach Zoltan Jordanov said: "It was a major success for Great Britain."