THE ten-strong Bermuda Gymnastics team heads out next week to the Isle of Man in confident mood — but there will be also be a touch of sadness.The squad have high hopes of a healthy medals haul after they retained their senior team title in last week’s USAIGC Nationals meet in Fort Lauderdale, USA.

The senior team retained regain the platinum level team title while Kaisey Griffith took the overall gold medal followed by team-mate Riann Ming who took the overall silver.

Caitlyn Mello competing in an older age category completed the first day of competition coming seventh overall.

All three seniors made individual apparatus finals and returned to Bermuda with the winning banner.

But however well the team do in the coming days they are disappointed they cannot contribute to Bermuda’s Island Games medal total after gymnastics was cut from the official games list in Rhodes which led to the offshoot being held in the Isle of Man.

Two year’s ago Bermuda’s gymnastics squad was this Island’s largest single contributor with 24 podium finishes out of just under 50.

But coach Tina Williams said the trip to the Isle of Man, which lies off England’s North West coast, will be a useful training ground for the next Island Games in 2009.

She said: “While the team are disappointed not to get the chance to attend the main Island Games in Rhodes they are excited to compete at this year’s event in Isle of Man.”

But she says it will be tough.

Due to the event not being with the official Island Games, the IGA Games Gymnastics organisers have introduced a different set of rules and are allowing a junior team to enter this year to gain valuable experience ready for the 2009 Island Games.

This means that there will be ten gymnasts representing Bermuda aged 11-15.

Both the junior and senior team take part in three competitions — changing routines each day to accommodate the rules set.

“This is one of the most complex competitions that the team attends due to the daily changes,” said Williams.

“Normally a gymnast will perform one routine on four events — vault, bars, beam and floor. For this competition they will compete in ten routines over three days.”

The squad flies to England on Wednesday and will warm up with training at the centre of excellence in the Liverpool where the Great Britain’s World Champion Elizabeth Tweddle is based.

Williams, who hails from that area, said: “Liverpool is one of the top clubs in the country and it is a privilege for us to be able to settle into training in UK time, weather and new facilities.”

The squad will then fly to the Isle of Man on Saturday, July 14 and will compete on the following Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

The gymnasts and coaches are putting the final touches to routines at the National Centre in St. David’s where they are scheduled to train 30 hours training this week.