SWINDON’S gymnastic duo Laura Halford and Stephanie Sherlock will be full of confidence as they prepare to take to the world stage.

The pair, who train at Esprit Gymnastics, are in Izmir, Turkey, ahead of the start of the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships which start on Monday.

Fresh from the their success in the Commonwealth Games, where Halford claimed a team silver and two individual bronze medals in the ball and all-around finals, the girls will be hoping to add to their championship experience.

They will be performing the same routines as they did in Glasgow over the four day event but will face stiffer competition from the likes of the Eastern European nations.

The duo have trained hard with their coach Deb Hows in Swindon, who, although she won’t be travelling with the girls, will be watching nervously from back home.

“We had our last training session on Wednesday, which went really well, it was a really positive last training session and the girls are prepared as well as they can be,” she said.

“Coming after the Commonwealth Games they have had to bring themselves back up to the level they need to be at, but I am very positive and confident in what they have been doing.

“I think the Commonwealth games will have an impact on their confidence.

“There were a lot (who will be at the World Championships) who weren’t at the Commonwealth games like the Russians and Ukrainians but I think it is the best preparation they could have had.

“I think for both of them it is definitely a case of getting the experience.

“In rhythmic gymnastics terms they are very young and the aim for both of them is to go out there in improve on their rankings.

“It would be impossible to change their routines with in that period of time but they have been working on improving them and they look very good.

“This is the culmination of so many years of hard work. Both of them have grown so much, it is nice for the other children that I train when they are in training to watch them.”