FAREHAM gymnastics sensation Vanessa Hobbs announced her arrival onto the world stage with a surprise bronze medal in the Great Britain versus Russia international at Liverpool.

Hobbs, who has just sat 11 GCSE's at Cams Hill School, had a largely clean competition. Other than a silly fall on the floor, which cost her .50 of a mark, she scored a 33.9 personal best and made the floor and vault finals.

Competing against some of the world's best gymnasts, the talented 16-year-old finished just outside the podium places in fourth in the vault behind three Russians who had higher tarif vaults.

But the Hampshire girl, coached by Debbie Hampton at the Dynamo School of Gymnastics in Hedge End, came into her own in the floor final to finish an unexpected third behind World and European all-round champion Svetlana Khorkina.

Hobbs, lying in fourth place, presented a fabulous routine to rock 'n' roll music, packed with difficult tumbling. Although she stepped outside the area at a cost of .20, she held her breath while Anna Pavlova and Britain's Rebecca Mason competed.

To the delight of the crowd she edged up a place to split the Russians with a score of 8.900 and stepped proudly onto the rostrum alongside Khorkina (9.500) and silver medallist Natalia Ziganshina (9.450).

A delighted Hampton reported: "This was a great surprise for the British team. With top Russian and British judges evaluating the routines, it proves Vanessa is right up with the best in the world.

"We are looking forward to a good performance this weekend in the British Championships at Guildford (July 4-6) which will be a trial for the World Championships in California in August."