Gymnastics: Omni centre member Thomas Dew should be in line for bling if sun aligns with stars

Omni Gymnastic Centre member Thomas Dew (last row, right) is among other Hawke's Bay representatives competing at the nationals in Tauranga next week. Photo/file

Thomas Dew is the best chance of a medal for Hawke's Bay at the New Zealand Gymnastics Championship in Tauranga next week.

Dew, who has been training with the elite national squad, will hedge his chances in his favourite discipline, the vault, when four-day competition begins at the ASB Baypark Arena on Wednesday.

However, Omni Gymnastics Centre manager Tania Gavilan says the expectations are the 19-year-old is hoping to do well overall in the level 9 competition.

"He's good all round so, I think, everything going well he should be able to do well for all the apparatus," says Gavilan before the 13-member Napier club contingent travel on Tuesday to fly the Bay flag at the nationals which has enticed more than 1000 entrants to compete across five disciplines.

Dew returned from his maiden, three-day Australian Championship with a silver medal in vault in June.

The Eastern Institute of Technology sport and recreation student had finished 13th in the all-round competition in Melbourne.

Gavilan says Dew also helps coach at the Omni centre while working around his own hectic training schedule.

"In his level 9, he will have international competition but he won't face those gymnasts who have gone to the Commonwealth Games," she says of men's artistic acts, such Misha Koudinov, of Auckland, who has four consecutive Commonwealth Games under his belt but is back at the national level for the first time in a decade after returning home from overseas late last year en route to the world championship.

Other world champs-bound Aucklanders are Kyleab Ellis and Ethan Dick. Sam Dick, who claimed gold at the 2018 Pacific Rim Championship, is off to the Youth Olympics after the nationals.

David Bishop, of Auckland, is a bronze medallist from the 2014 Commonwealth Games and competed this year before retiring to return as coach at the nationals.

"They're all international level, which is what Tom [Dew] will doing next year," says Gavilan, adding the nationals next week will be an ideal dress rehearsal for the former taradale High School pupil.

HB TEAM

■ MAGs (men's artistic gymnastics): Saxon Rackley, 11, level 4; Sam Alexander, 13, level 5; Thomas Dew, 19, level 9; Zayne Coffey, 18, level 9.

■ WAGs (women's artistic gymnastics): Ormlie Van Veldhuizen, 11, step 5; Nikita Steffert, 15, step 5; Bella Kilmetova, 12, step 5; Ana Good, 12, step 6.

■ Rhythmic: Lia Horsley, 16, level 7.

■ Trampoline: Abigail Bennett, 15, girls' 15-16; Rhys Hurtgen, 12, boys' 13-14; Clayton Terry-Moore, 14, boys' 13-14; Cody Smith, 12, boys' 11-12.

■ Tumbling: Laura Johnson, 15, girls' 15-16.