GYMNASTICS Olympic hopeful Francesca Fox will have the chance to show off her talents on home soil this weekend when the City of Bath Rhythmic Gymnastics Club hosts its fourth annual Open Championships.

Some of the finest young gymnasts in the country will be in action at the University of Bath on Saturday and Sunday (9.30am start). Gymnasts from Holland and Belgium are also included in a 260-strong entry list.

The competition has been expanded this year and ages range from under-8s to seniors. They will be split into four categories – fundamentals, novice, intermediate and open.

Fox, 17, made her debut at the seniors' World Championships in Mie, Japan, last month.

She was selected as one of a team of three Great Britain gymnasts, who were led by City of Bath coach Sarah Binding and Nadia Alexandrova.

Britain finished 23rd in the team competition, while Fox came 77th in a field of more than 140.

She said: "To be chosen to represent Great Britain in the World Championships is the biggest achievement in my career so far and I was very excited and thrilled to be chosen as the only event bigger is the Olympics.

"The training before the competition was intense and the facilities we were training in were amazing.

"I was nervous and very excited when I had to compete as I had to compete on one piece for every day for four days – something I haven't done before.

"I was very pleased with my routines as I was consistent over the whole competition and received some very nice comments from other country's coaches and judges.

"The whole experience was fantastic and it has made me even more determined to continue to improve so I can start moving up the world rankings to reach my ultimate goal of going to the Olympics."

Fox is not the only Bath gymnast heading into the Open on the crest of a wave.

Four girls – Selina Brown, Hannah Waite, Sarah Dennis and Helen Christie – all picked up medals at last weekend's National Grades Finals in the city.

Brown won silver and two bronzes at under-9 level and Waite took the rope title, two silvers and a bronze in the under- 12 section, where Dennis also won bronze. Christie claimed a bronze medal in the juniors section.