BERMUDA'S gymnasts had the perfect preparation for their Commonwealth Games bid when they scooped gold just two weeks before they fly out to Melbourne, Australia.

Three of the five qualifiers for Commonwealth Games travelled to Raleigh, North Carolina along with 14 of their teammates for one last practice competition before the real thing.

Kaisey Griffith, Hannah King, and Caitlyn Mello all competed their new and improved Commonwealth routines complete with front, back, and side flips on the four-inch beam.

Kaisey Griffith debuted Bermuda gymnastics' first ever double-back somersault on the floor exercise. Judges claimed it was "impressive".

Coach Michelle Strenk said: "It's a very tricky routine. There are two flips before she lands. She has been working on that routine for a year and is just now putting it on the floor. It is like you see on TV from the top stars."

The trio who made the trip will be joined by Casey Lopes and Kalena Astwood in the journey Down Under next month.

Strenk said there were good and bad points from the trip to North Carolina.

"Skill-wise we are where we want to be but we have to get some consistency. There were a couple of faults. The girls were a little bit disappointed.

"It was the nervous jitters, they don't compete in front of judges very often living in Bermuda. But as a team they pull each other up ? at least they know what they have to do."

Eleven-year-old Riann Ming was part of the level ten team which landed the two-foot tall first place team trophy. Doing well individually as well, Ming took fifth in the all round.

Mello took second on vault, bars and beam, third on floor and in the all around.

Hannah Chadderton took third on vault, fourth on bars, beam, floor and in the all around.

Griffith took first on vault, third on bars, beam, and floor, and second in the all around. These girls now have two weeks to polish their routines and then they are on a flight to Melbourne, Australia.

Morgan Beckles, Bermuda's only level eight, took gold medals on all four events and received a trophy for first in the all around.

The Prep one team consisted of seven of Bermuda's gymnasts ranging in age from 8-14. Rosie Finnigan took top honours on bars winning the gold and added a silver medal for second on vault and a bronze in the all around.

Also in her age group were Tabytha Hofheins who placed second on vault, third on floor, and fifth in the all around.

Hofheins scored over a 9 on both beam and floor. Right on her heals was Morgan Cleave who joins her in the 9.0 club. Cleave placed fourth on vault and floor.

Finishing off their age group was Taylor Cleave who placed fifth on beam.

Rebecca Forgesson was in the 11-year-old age group and placed fourth on beam and sixth on all the other events and all around.

Helping out their team were Hannah Chadderton and Catherine Araujo, both 13. Chadderton took silver medals on vault, bars, floor, and all around. She took the gold on balance beam with a beautiful routine.

Araujo was with her on the podium taking third on vault and in the all around, second on beam and first on bars.

These seven girls put up high enough scored to place second as a team.

Five new team members joined the veterans at this meet as Prep Rookies. In the 6-7 year olds, Zoe Wright won fourth place on vault and Andrea Burrows won fourth on bars and fifth on the beam.

Jada Pearman took fourth on bars and fifth on floor in the eight year old age group with her teammate Nicole Amaral taking second on vault, first on bars, and second in the all around.

Amber Lopes was Bermuda's only nine-year-old and she took fourth on beam and third on bars.

This young team did great for their first meet said Strenk who made the trip with coach Melissa Bigsby.

Strenk admits Bermuda stands no chance of outdoing the big countries such as Australia, Canada and Great Britain in the Commonwealth Games.

However the smaller nations provide realistic competition. "I still don't know which teams are in it. Trinidad and Tobago are going so I am rather hoping to edge them out of it," she said.