Hassocks baton twirler wins first world title for 19 years

A baton twirler won a team world title, and finished as the highest English solo performer at a championship in Italy this Easter.
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Georgia Langston, 12 from Hassocks, competed at the 2015 World Baton Twirling Championship held in Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy.

Despite being the youngest English contestant in her age division, she followed up on her 2014 European success by once again achieving the highest solo placing in the English camp.

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She finished 10th in the Rhythmic Twirl event, and 12th in all competitions.

When compared with only European contestants, Georgia came 4th in the Rythmic Twirl and 6th overall.

The team won the world title in the Bannieres competition, beating the USA and Italy claiming the title for England for the first time in 19 years.

Georgia attends Downlands School in Hassocks.

She said: “It is really hard to break into the top 10 individually at Worlds so I am really pleased and to come home as World Champion having beating the Americans makes it even better.”

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Georgia travels to Basingstoke and Alton training more than 20 hours a week polishing her routines and trying new tricks.

This is the first year she has competed in a new age category, so Georgia was against contestants three years older than her. Her solo performance was an improvement on last year’s 6th in the Rhythmic twirl and 8th overall.

Her sights are now set on next year’s European Championships, where she hopes to break into the top three.

Georgia’s mum, Dawn, said: “We are really proud of Georgia’s achievements. To be able to say you are a World Champion and have a top ten placing in the World shows how hard she has worked since the last Europeans. It was a really difficult contest.

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“As she was drawn to perform first, which does mean the judges sometimes lose you, to end up 10th individually shows how memorable her performance was.

“I am always amazed at how much self motivation she has and how hard she pushes herself towards learning new and more difficult content. Although this often results in minor injuries she will keep trying a move until she gets it right. “

In the last year she has been working with a Dutch coach, as well as her Basingstoke coach.

“This has proved to be very beneficial,” Dawn added.

Georgia is searching for a sponsor, as some organisation consider twirling as an art rather than a sport, meaning there is no funding available.

Georgia thanks Freedom Leisure Hassocks, Burgess Hill District Lions and The Triangle for their support.

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