Dunedin gymnasts
Mikaela Walsh (Dunedin Gymnastics Academy) and Sarah Morrison
(Greater Green Island) are expected to dominate the
level-nine events at the South Island rhythmical gymnastics
championships this weekend.
They are experienced gymnasts and represented New Zealand at
the Australian championships at Perth last year.
The two-day championships have attracted 135 participants
from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch in individual and
group events.
This event alternates between Dunedin and Christchurch and it
will be the last competition this year that athletes can use
to gain entry to the GymSport New Zealand championships in
Auckland at the end of July.
In
level seven Otago has three competitors - Shannon Thorsnes,
Alexa Anderson and Paige Walsh, from the Dunedin Gymnastic
Academy - who have all performed consistently at regional
events this season.
At the New South Wales state championships in Sydney earlier
this year they won a silver medal for their group routine.
Brooke Hastie (Greater Green Island) has also performed
consistently this season and will be one to watch in the
level-10 event.
The standard of the competing gymnasts is high, and there
will be some fierce competition as they vie for selection
into the regional representative teams for the national
championships.
International level gymnasts attending from Auckland and
Christchurch bring a wealth of experience with numerous New
Zealand champions as well as Pacific Rim, world championship
and Commonwealth Games representatives.
Otago has sent teams of more than 30 gymnasts to the national
championships for the past five years and will be expecting a
similar number of gymnasts to qualify for the 2011 event.
The routines used are the ribbon, rope, hoop, ball and club.
There will be two full days at the Caledonian Gymnasium from
early in the morning and into the evening today and tomorrow.
One of the Otago coaches is Luciana Blaga who was head coach
of last year's New Zealand team.
The other Otago coaches are Sonya Hooper and Keita McGowan.
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