Gymnastics: Silver lining for Omni member Thomas Dew in vault at Australia Champs

Zayne Coffey (left) and Thomas Dew came away wiser from the Australian Gymnastics Championship in Melbourne last week. Photo/file

Hawke's Bay gymnast Thomas Dew has returned from the Australian Championship with a silver medal in vault.

Dew and fellow Omni Gymnastic Centre member Zayne Coffey were competing in their maiden three-day Aussie nationals at the Hisense Arena, Melbourne, last week.

"It is cool," said the 18-year-old. "But I know I could have done better."

The Eastern Institute of Technology student finished 13th in the all-round competition while Coffey, a St John's College year 13 pupil, was 15th.

The medallist was happy with his vault despite a little step to finish.

"I was first all the way up to the last person who beat me," he said, watching from the Kiwi corner after the high bar routine as other Aussie state teams made their rotations around the arena.

Dew had high hopes of winning a medal on the floor routine but a slip proved costly.

"That was on my last tumble," he said, revealing the training at their Napier gym was a far cry from the atmosphere in Melbourne. "It was huge so I may have needed a bit more time to get used to it."

In the apparatus finals, Coffey was 10th in parallel bars while Dew finished 10th on rings.

"That is a great achievement considering the little experience they've got at international competitions," said Omni centre manager Tania Gavilan.