Caitlin Rooskrantz is excited to realise her Olympic dream
PARKVIEW – “I’m feeling excited and overwhelmed,” said Rooskrantz. “The Olympics have always felt so far away and suddenly it’s literally under a month away.”
The gymnast who made history by becoming the first South African to win a gold medal for her bar routine at the World Challenge Cup in 2019, is ready for her trip to the Olympics on July 15.
Caitlin Rooskrantz (19) is a Parktown Girls’ alumna who trains at the Newlands-based Johannesburg Gymnastics Club.
She will compete in all four apparatus at the Summer Olympic Games including vault, floor, bar and beam.
“I’m feeling excited and overwhelmed,” said Rooskrantz. “The Olympics have always felt so far away and suddenly it’s literally under a month away.”
She will compete on July 25 and said her goal is to have a competition without any major mistakes or falls and really enjoy the experience.
She and Naveen Daries, who has also been selected to represent South Africa in Tokyo, will be the first two South African gymnasts to represent the country in over 15 years at the Olympics.
“I am most looking forward to living out my dream by being at the Olympic Games. I look forward to finally going out there and competing at the place where I have worked my whole life to be.”
Rooskrantz said that though it is stressful to think that Covid-19 will be in its peak as she leaves for the games, she has accepted that this is a challenge she will need to overcome.
She and Daries will go into isolation from July 5 to 15, when they depart for Tokyo.
The Olympics will not bring with it the same travelling opportunities as athletes have previously experienced due to the threat of Covid-19.
“The isolation once we arrive will be pretty intense, as we won’t be able to do much other than train, compete and be at the athletes’ village.
“On the one hand, it is sad to go to Tokyo for the first time and not be able to go anywhere. But at the end of the day, we are there for the games, and I’m still very grateful that that is able to happen.”
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