The conclusion of the Schools' National Artistic Gymnastics Championships yesterday saw the B Division teams of St Joseph's Institution (SJI) and Raffles Girls' School (RGS) establish their dominance in the sport.

SJI claimed six of the eight available titles in the B Division boys championships, winning their first ever team title, displacing traditional powerhouses Hwa Chong Institution (HCI).

SJI captain Keefe Cheong, 16, said: "For many years, HCI have dominated the sport, but this year we had a strong team and felt we had a chance, so we went for it and succeeded."

In the girls' category, RGS's B division team defended their title in style by sweeping all the eight titles that were up for grabs.

They were aided by national gymnast Cheryl Lam, 15, who clinched the individual all-around title, and emerged top in three of the four individual apparatus events she competed in.

The win was somewhat of a pleasant surprise for RGS.

"We were expected to win, but owing to numerous injuries, we weren't sure we were going to win," said RGS teacher-in-charge Mrs Alina Wee.