Newlands gymnasts to beam with pride on world stage
NEWLANDS – "South Africa has the same degree of talent as anyone in the world."
Four artistic gymnasts of the Johannesburg Gymnastics Centre in Newlands will demonstrate their supreme skill at upcoming international competitions.
Lukisha Schalk (16), Naveen Daries (15) and Caitlin Rooskrantz (15) have been selected to represent South Africa at the World Cup in Hungary in September.
READ: Medals and memories for young gymnasts
One month later, Schalk and Daries (SA reserve) will join Claudia Cummins (22) at the World Championships in Canada.
Schalk will compete on beam and floor. “On the floor I can express myself in dancing and show my personality,” she said. “Beam is more challenging as it is actually a mental apparatus – You really need to focus, and be aggressive while also staying in line. Yet you cannot hold back on your moves on the beam.”
Rooskrantz competed in the last World Cup in Slovenia and finished as a finalist on bar. “I want to make the final again on bar and do the best I can on beam,” she said. “It is a little intimidating going against Olympians but you must trust your training and yourself.”
Daries, likewise, finished clean on vault and floor in Slovenia but said she would be more confident this time and hoped to improve her results.
The gymnasts have worked extremely hard to make the selection, and their main goal is to finish clean and learn from the experience, said their coach, Glen Hlongwane.
“I am not too worried about where they place,” he said. “What matters more is building for the future so that they will maybe move near the top [in world placings] in three years.”
He said in the competitive gymnastics world, gymnasts kept becoming stronger and fitter at younger ages. Yet, “South Africa has the same degree of talent as anyone in the world”.
ALSO READ:
WATCH: Medals and memories for young gymnasts
