Cheerleading: Grace Hegh shines at World Champs

Grace Hegh was part of three top ten finishing teams at the ICU World Championships and the IASF/USASF World Cheerleading Championships. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Teenage cheerleading talent Grace Hegh has proven her chops on the international stage.

The 15-year-old was part of three New Zealand teams that picked up top-six finishes at the International Cheerleading Union (ICU) World Championships and the IASF/USASF World Cheerleading Championships.

The Team NZ Coed team took out bronze, placing New Zealand as the third best country in the world for coed cheerleading, while the Team NZ All-Girl team went one better in their category.

Hegh and the All-Girl team were well placed in third at the end of the opening day before a sharp routine moved them into the silver medal position.

Hegh said she was overwhelmed with how well her teams went.

"I am so proud of every single athlete that travelled to Florida from New Zealand to compete at the World Championships," she said.

"The All-Girl group stormed home to win the silver while the Coeds absolutely killed it," she said.

But it wasn't just the podium positions that had Hegh brimming with pride as her Legendz team finished sixth overall at the US All Star Federation World Championships.

After sitting seventh heading into the finals, the Legendz hit a zero routine to move into sixth.

Hegh said to come home with that kind of routine is brilliant.

"We may not be coming home with a podium finish but we are coming home with a zero deductions badge which means our team hit their routine perfectly," she said.

"We couldn't have done any better and I am so proud of my Legendz family."

The 80 participating countries at the 2018 World Cheerleading Championships demonstrated the true diversity of the sport, with athletes, coaches and fans traveling from Jamaica, Mexico, Argentina, China, Croatia, South Africa, Spain, UK, Estonia, Puerto Rico and more.

The ICU partnered with the Olympic Channel again this year to live stream the international event to fans worldwide.

The ICU was formed as the non-profit international governing entity whose mission is to advance cheerleading on a global scale. With 116 member nations, the ICU represents all geographical areas where cheerleading exists.

The build up to the Florida trip was filled with adversity as Hegh had to push through the pain of a knee injury suffered in February.

However that wasn't enough to derail her trip to the premier cheerleading competitions in the world.

Hegh now returns to Whangarei Girls' High School and her coaching role at Blackout Cheer.