Gymnasts adjust to earlier competition

COMPETITION MEDALLISTS: Gisborne Gymnastics Club held its annual competition earlier this year. Medallists included, back (from left): Adrianna Batarrita-Clarke, Bethan Winchester, Celena Bull, Sarai Gudgeon, Georgiana Elmer and Greer Robertson. Middle: Sarah Hawkins, Danielle Blair, Ryan Phillips, Callum Hawkins, Lauren Chambers, Casey Willson, Jade Swann, Corin Blair, Sophie Chambers and Amarah Cameron. Front: Sacha Sims, Capria Tamatea and Haley Rolls. Picture by Liam Clayton

THREE gymnasts from Gisborne Gymnastics Club were overall winners at the club’s annual competition, held earlier than usual this year.

Amarah Cameron, in Step 1 for girls seven years and under, Haley Rolls, in Step 2 for girls eight and under, and Sarah Hawkins, in Step 4 for girls 10 and under, topped their divisions.

The club had brought forward its annual competition to prepare for a change of date for the national championships.

This will be the last year the artistic national championships will be held in October. From 2020 they will be held in July.

In part, this was to have the New Zealand competition calendar in line with Australia and other Oceania countries, club head coach Nicola Ludwig said.

“We need to see how the new training programme works and what we need to amend when we have very little time next year to prepare the gymnasts for the competition season,” she said.

So 107 competitors lined up in Gisborne’s Electrinet Sports Centre last weekend to perform their new routines.

Competitors came from Napier, Hastings, Te Puke and the Eastern Bay of Plenty Gymnastics Club, Ludwig said.

The event went smoothly, thanks to the band of helpers.

Thanks were also due to control judge Michelle Bow, from Rotorua, and Dido Goetz, an Olympian at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, who came from Auckland to help judge and rank the gymnasts.

Results —

Step 1 girls, 7 years and under — Amarah Cameron: 1st overall; 1st on vault, uneven bars, beam and floor. This was her first competition.

Step 1 girls, 8 years and over — Lizelle Duckworth: 8th overall; 4th on vault

Step 2 girls, 8 years and under — Haley Rolls: 1st overall; 1st on vault and floor; 2nd on uneven bars and beam.

Step 2 girls, 9 years and over — Bethan Winchester: 4th overall; 4th on beam; 3rd on floor. Capria Tamatea: 6th overall; 2nd on floor; 6th on uneven bars. Georgiana Elmer: 3rd on beam; 5th on floor. Adrianna Batarrita-Clarke: 6th on vault; 8th on floor. Sacha Sims: 7th on vault; 6th on floor. Celena Bull: 7th on uneven bars.

Step 2 team event — Gisborne (1): 2nd (Haley Rolls, Capria Tamatea, Georgiana Elmer and Sacha Sims). Gisborne (2): 3rd (Bethan Winchester, Adrianna Batarrita-Clarke, Ahenata Cotter-Luke and Celena Bull).

Step 3 girls, 10 years and over — Casey Willson: 2nd overall; 1st on beam; 4th on vault and uneven bars. Danielle Blair: 3rd overall; 2nd on vault; 3rd on uneven bars; 5th on beam. Lily Rolls: 4th overall; 3rd on vault; 6th on uneven bars; 7th on beam; 8th on floor. Greer Robertson: 5th overall; 2nd on beam and floor. Hinerauiri Cotter-Luke: 8th overall. Caitlin Winchester: 7th on vault. Isabel Arthur: 5th on uneven bars. Olivia Gardiner: 6th on beam.

Step 3 team event — Gisborne (1): 2nd (Danielle Blair, Greer Robertson and Hinerauiri Cotter-Luke).

Step 4 girls, 10 years and under — Sarah Hawkins: 1st overall; 1st on vault and floor; 2nd on beam; 3rd on uneven bars.

Step 4 girls, 11 years and over — Sophie Chambers: 2nd overall; 1st on uneven bars and beam; 2nd on vault; 6th on floor. Charlie Keepa: 5th overall; 4th on vault, uneven bars and floor; 6th on beam.

Step 5 girls, 12 years and over — Sarai Gudgeon: 2nd overall; 1st on floor; 2nd on uneven bars and beam; 7th on vault.

Step 7 girls, 13 years and under — Lauren Chambers: 2nd overall; 1st on beam and floor; 2nd on vault and uneven bars.

Step 7 girls, 14 years and over — Jade Swann: 4th overall; 1st on floor; 2nd on vault; 3rd on beam.