An "inspirational" gymnast who honed his skills in Lowestoft has returned to his hometown to unveil a new sports facility.
Just a few weeks after Giarnni Regini-Moran had become Great Britain’s first ever men’s world floor champion, the gold medal-winning gymnast was back in Lowestoft.
Having been honoured with a historic gold medal after triumphing at the 2022 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool on November 5, less than a month later he was meeting children and opening a new Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) pitch.
With strong links to the east coast, Mr Regini-Moran - who was born in Great Yarmouth, raised in Lowestoft and was a former member of the Waveney Gymnastics Club - was back in Lowestoft on December 2.
Along with his coach Pete Etherington, they toured Woods Loke Primary School and opened its new MUGA.
Staff and pupils at the school on Butley Drive said they were "honoured" to have the world, European and Commonwealth gold medal-winning gymnast and his Great Britain gymnastic coach open their "long-awaited new sports facility".
A former Gunton Primary School and Ormiston Denes Academy pupil in Lowestoft, he had moved with his family to Dartford in Kent and later to Manchester before fulfilling his Olympic dream.
A school spokesman said: "We had the absolute pleasure of having our Multi-Use Games Area opened by Giarnni Regini-Moran along with his coach Pete.
"A massive thank you for coming along to hold our ceremony but also for going around the school to meet our children."
Mr Etherington had moved to London to coach the GB gymnastics team, but has since returned to Waveney Gymnastics Club to continue to support the "gymnastics talent of the future".
They cut the ribbon to formally open the MUGA before embarking on a tour of the school.
The school spokesman added: "Giarnni talked to the children about his many successes and the hard work that it has taken for him to be the best in the world."
Phil Jones, the PE co-ordinator Woods Loke called the gymnast "an inspiration and a true ambassador to budding sports stars of the future".
Ryan Hunt, the PE lead teacher, admitted he was: "honoured to have someone of Giarnni’s and Pete’s stature opening our new MUGA."
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