Supreme Champion

The 13-year-old Uckfield club ace has struggled for three years with a knee problem that caused her to lose her national squad place.

But now Lauren, from Claygate, hopes her success in group, vault and floor categories at Crawley Leisure Centre last weekend will help win back her place and revive her dream of reaching the Athens Olympics in 2004.

She said: "It feels all right to be Sussex champion. I do well in a big atmosphere. It's a good boost for me because I want to go for Athens although it will be very tough."

Lauren, a pupil at Millais School in Horsham, suffered from Osgood Schlatter's disease, which is caused by over exercise.

She said: "Things were going okay but with the problem I obviously couldn't compete and if you can't compete you don't stay on the squad. Hopefully I can get back. Dreaming of making the Olympics has helped keep me motivated. It has been hard and the knee still troubles me but I'm dedicated. I like gymnastics."

Lauren, who won from club-mates Natalie Masters and Amy Battell, has further inspiration to come from watching eight hours of Olympic gymnastics action recorded by her mother Linda.

She said: "I've been too busy training and competing to watch but I hope to sit down to watch them in the next few days."

Lauren's faces an uphill battle to reach Athens Linda said: "The gymnasts she trained with when she was ten and have stayed on the national squad will be that much further on and she is having to play catch up.

"But she is determined. The thought of maybe making the Olympics has kept her going. I'm so proud of her.

"She works hard, travelling 50 miles a day, five days a week. She started out at Horsham club but needed a purpose-built gym to progress and went to Uckfield."

Lauren, who plays hockey for her school, travels to Uckfield for four hours training on four week days and on Sunday mornings.

Lauren may follow Katie Seabrook, her predecessor as supreme champion, and join a club outside Sussex.

Seabrook, 13, a former Brighton and Hove club member, travels to Portsmouth to train with Dynamo.

Ann Martin, chief coach at Brighton and Hove, said: "I had to suggest that Katie go outside the county.\

"Uckfield has the best facilities in the county and is the only club with a proper floor.

"But there is no gymnastics centre of excellence in Sussex.

Martin hinted Lauren may have to follow the same path.

She said: "It's up to her. Who knows, if she works hard there's no reason she can't make it too."

The Championship highlighted the lack of boys competing in the artistic, floor and vault disciplines. Just seven, all from Brighton and Hove, took part in the artistic, and eight in the floor and vault.

Brighton and Hove boys coach Richard Keasley said: "The boys are out there. You could see that from the numbers in tumbling and sports acrobatics events. But those who want to do the Olympic disciplines are not supported by their clubs with coaching. There's also a lack of facilities. I have to cobble things together to get through."

The county meeting, which also involved rhythmic gymnastics and tumbling, featured a demonstration of trampolining which was included in the Olympics for the first time at Sydney.

South African No.1 artistic gymnast Dewald Laubscher also gave a demonstration.

Organiser Daphne Hand said: "It was inspiring for the kids to see him. They had all watched the Olympics but to see a similar standard first hand was brilliant."

Leading club in the artistic, floor and vault was Uckfield.

Winners included: FIG: Artistic, Floor and vault: Lauren Baxter (Uckfield).

Women's artistic level five: In age: Katelyn Birchmore (Uckfield).

Level four: Out of age: Rebecca Thomas (Summerfields, Hastings). In age: Katie Hamilton (Brighton and Hove).

Level three: Out of age: Jody Saxby (Summerfields). In age: Christie Reeves (Uckfield).

Level two: Out of age: Laura Newton (Summerfields). In age: Katherine Stevens (Uckfield).

Boys: Artistic: Under-tens: Anthony O'Donnell (Brighton and Hove). Under-12s: Tony Sutton (B and H).

Floor and vault: Under-tens: Marcus Butler (B and H). Under-12s: Giles Hussey (R and A, Crawley). Under-16s: Craig Martin (Uckfield),
Girls: Floor and vault: 8-9: Rebecca Owen (Hawth). 10-11: Kimberley Jones (Hawth). 12-14: Pippa Lamb (B and H). 15 and over: Nicola O'Hanion (Hawth). Veterans (over 15); Julie Long (Hawth).

Rhythmic: 8-9: Kirsty Jarvis (Wickers). 10-12: Heather Mann (Wickers). 13 and over: Jaqueline Vary (Wickers).

Tumbling: Girls: National one: 8-11: Hannah Taylor (Uckfield). 12-14: Rachel Basford (CACL, Eastbourne). 15 and over: Nicola O'Hanion (Hawth). National two: 8-11: Lauren Fray (Angmering). 12-14: Holly Freeman (Uckfield), 15 and over: Fay Martinez (Hawth). National three: 8-11: Zoe Rowe-Sawyer (Uckfield). 15 and over: Julie Long (Hawth). National four: 12-14: Rosie Berwick (Horsham). FIG: 12-14: Philippa Anderson (Horsham).

Boys: National one 12-14: Timothy Gates (R and A). National two: 8-11: Jason Killeen (Uckfield), 15 and over: Craig Martin (Uckfield). FIG: 12-14: Robert Furness (Horsham). 14 and over: Mark Poore (B and H).

Sports acrobatics: National one: Women's pair: Hannah Merry /Leanne Jackson (Hollington, Hastings), Mixed pairs: Joseph Beckett/Amy Goodsir Horsham).

Men's pairs: Nathan Rosario/Charlie Robinson (Bevendean, Brighton).

National two: Women's pairs: Leanne Cracknell/Nicola O'Hanion (Hawth). Mixed pairs: Ben Weddle/Sarah Goodsell (Hollington). Men's pairs: Adam Chatfield/Steven Gritt (Hollington).

National three: Women's pairs: Hannah Moore/Jody Bonehill (Angmering).

National three women's groups: Stephanie Smith, Hannah Taylor, Holly Freeman (Uckfield).

National four women's pairs: Hayley Eason/Sophie Lynn (Bevendean).

Women's groups: Philippa Anderson/Vicky Trossell/Helen Little (Horsham).

National five: Women's pairs: Philippa Anderson/Helen Little (Horsham).

Women's group: Vicky Barham/Kirstine Dawson/Frances Anderson (Horsham).

International three women's groups: Kelly Morris/Gemma King/Olivia Ghaye (Horsham). Mixed pair: James Mudie/Vicky Trossell (Horsham).

International two: Women's groups: Hannah Barnes /Julia Cockhead/Siobhan Cash (Horsham).

Clubs: Brighton and Hove, R and A (Crawley(), Angmering, Uckfield, Hawth (Crawley), Horsham, Summerfields (Hastings), CACL (Eastbourne), Chichester, Hollington, (Hastings), Bevendean, Portslade