Young gymnasts stretch their limits

GROUP PERFORMANCE: Visiting Danish coach Jens Ole Hedelund Poulsen conducts the warm-ups ahead of the Wanganui Boys and Girls Gym Club's Teamgym Display competition at the weekend.PHOTOS/BEVAN CONLEY

WANGANUI Boys and Girls Gym Club gymnasts showed their versatility on Sunday with solid performances in an exciting fresh style of gymnastics.

The club hosted its annual Teamgym Display competition, which attracted 17 teams from Wanganui, Manawatu and Wellington clubs.

Teamgym is an exciting style of group performance gymnastics and is based on the popular European Teamgym competition.

Head coach Kelly Taylor-Ward said it encourages teamwork, creativity, originality and showmanship to provide the audience with an energetic, enthusiastic and dynamic performance.

"Teamgym brings together elements of all GymSports with three apparatus utilised - floor, tumbling and spring," Taylor-Ward said.

The Wanganui club had six teams competing in the junior, intermediate and open divisions.

In the intermediate division 80's Eight, coached by Tessa Russell and Bolu Adesanya, were first on spring. Also in the intermediate division, Fractured Beauty, coached by Nadine Pascoe and Riley Stewart, came third on spring, second in tumbling, first on floor and first overall.

Some of the crowd favourites included the impressive skill level of the adult team, Rd Grd Med Flde, coached by visiting Danish mentors Camilla Ebling and Jens-Ole Hedelund. They won gold in the open division.

Taylor-Ward said the 7 Little All Blacks, coached by Ebling and Kath Gilmore, in the junior division showed support for the All Blacks with third equal on floor and third in tumbling.