BASINGSTOKE'S senior teamgym team missed out on a gold medal by just 0.4 of a point at the European championships last weekend.

For the first time in the competition's history, three teams finished tied at the top of the leaderboard in the Czech Republic.

They shared totals of 24.750 after four rounds in Ostrava, while the Basingstoke team were fourth with a score of 24.350.

However, there was a silver lining as this was the best-ever finish by a British team in any of the six European championships and an improvement of eight places on their last outing in Austria two years ago.

Sporting tracksuits paid for by Enfields estate agency as part of recent sponsorship with the local gymnastics club, the Basingstoke team made it through last Thursday's qualification as the 15 original teams were cut to seven.

The Active Life Centre outfit finished in fifth spot with a combined score from the floor, tumbling and trampette of 23.050.

From the start in the final Basingstoke were in the hunt for a medal in a stiff competition with five teams all chasing podium spots.

In the end, Basingstoke and Russian university club RGUFK missed out as Danish reigning champions Rodovre finished third. Sweden's GK Motus-Salton collected silver and AGF Arhus, of Denmark, gold as floor scores determined the final placings.

Basingstoke team: Michelle Rudge, Jennifer Thompson, Fiona McGill, Gemma Tydeman, Chris Gibson, Charles Uezzell, David Davison, David-Ray Wood and Alexander Smith. Reserves: Rebecca Lane and Stuart Woods.