Local gymnasts selected to represent New Zealand

GOING INTERNATIONAL: Mid Island Gym Sports members Michael Stanley, left, and Shayne Buckeridge will represent New Zealand at the Valeri Liukin Invitational in Texas. PHOTO/STEPHEN PARKER

Consistent performances in men's artistic gymnastic competitions have booked Michael Stanley and Shayne Buckeridge a trip to Texas in December.

The Mid Island Gym Sports members have been selected to represent New Zealand at the Valeri Liukin Invitational, one of the largest and longest-running international competitions in the United States of America.

Artistic gymnastics is a discipline in which athletes perform short routines, ranging from about 30 to 90 seconds, on different apparatus, including pommel horse, rings, parallel bars, high bar and floor. They are judged on all events for execution, the degree of difficulty and overall presentation skills.

Sixteen-year-old Michael, who goes to Rotorua Boys' High School, said makinga New Zealand team for the first time was yet to fully sink in, but he was excited.

"I was stoked, it's been quite a ride trying to get here, it's been a goal for a while. Earlier this year, there was a team going to Australia that I tried to make, but I don't think that went ahead.

"The next goal was to go to the States - this is a big one."

He said it was important to be able to perform consistently on each of the apparatus, rather than be a master of one or two.

"Our main goal is for all around, so we focus on consistent routines."

Michael has been doing gymnastics for about nine years. He started in Auckland, where he was born, but it was not until he moved to Rotorua that he fell in love with the sport.

"I didn't really enjoy it up there, actually. But, when I came here, when I was five or six, it just seemed more interesting. I did a holiday programme and I did something which made the coaches say I should sign up. That's where it all started.

"[The sport] is tough and injuries can prevent you from doing a heap of stuff. I train about 15 hours a week."

While training was "really difficult", he said the moment you nail a routine at a competition it all paid off.

"The more you do, the easier things become and finally there's a moment when you peak and that's the best feeling, when everything comes together."

Fourteen-year-old Shayne, who goes to Tarawera High School, said as a hyperactive child, his mother got him involved in the sport in the hope of using up some of his abundant energy.

"I just love it really. Our coach (Hareesh Nallella) knows what we are capable of and helps us come up with our routines.

"He's been with us for about half a year now and since he came everything has been really structured, we've seen a big improvement," Shayne said.

He had been doing gymnastics for about seven years and his proudest achievement was finishing second overall at nationals last year.

He said he was "pretty excited and nervous" about representing New Zealand.

"My goals are to just go there and participate and, maybe if I can, win a medal. I just need to keep training as hard as I can.

"We're just practising our routines and trying to keep them consistent."

Nallella said the boys were good people as well as excellent gymnasts and deserved their spots on the New Zealand team.

"It's awesome, they've done an awesome job and they work so hard. It's a hard training [programme] they do with me, but they've coped really well.

"They've chosen a hard sport and they have what it takes, I'm happy for them. They're still young so this competition will be a good learning experience," Nallella said.