Ilse Roets and her team from the Johannesburg Gymnastics Centre (JGC) in Newlands have done it again.
This time after seven gymnasts returned home with a total of 17 medals (seven gold, seven silver and three bronze) at the African Championships held at the University of Pretoria recently.
Head coach Ilze described the performance as dominating.
“The African Champs was a huge success for our club, but also for the entire South African Women’s Gymnastics Fraternity. We are proud to announce that a JGC gymnast was on the podium for every single apparatus across the three days of competition.”
Star performances include that of Kirsten Beckett, crowned champion of the African continent in the All Around competition but also on the Floor and Bar.
Kirsten added a team gold medal as well as silver on vault and a bronze on beam to her medal tally and won the most medals out of any South African gymnast, boys and rhythmic gymnastics included, at these championships.
Ilse goes further to say that both Kirsten and Claudia Cummins are on track for the Commonwealth Games, which will be held in Scotland in July this year.
In the Junior section, JGC rising star Mammule Rankoe placed second overall and added the gold medal on bars and the bronze medal on beam to her medal tally. Mammule also went on to qualify for the Youth Olympic Games to be held in China in August this year.
Other JGC gymnasts who won individual apparatus medals were Aatiqah Abrahams and Lukisha Schalk.
For more information on JGC gymnastics visit their webpage at www.jgcgymnastics.co.za.
