Local gymnast makes history becoming the first South African to win gold at the World Challenge Cup
PARKVIEW – Parktown gymnast Caitlin Rooskrantz has now set her sights on qualifying for the 2020 Olympic Games.
Local gymnast Caitlin Rooskrantz (17) has made history by becoming the first South African to win a gold medal for her bar routine at the World Challenge Cup in Hungary earlier this month.
Caitlin is currently completing her matric year at Parktown High School for Girls and is trained at JGC Gymnastics in Newlands.
She said she never expected to achieve gold at the event after qualifying for the final round in fourth place.
“It was unexpected. South Africa has never won gold at a gymnastics world cup. It was a proud moment for me. I didn’t even understand the weight of it all until I came home. Getting that gold has opened doors for upcoming generations of South Africans,” she said.
Caitlin has participated in gymnastics since the age of six and aims to qualify for the Olympic Games following her participation at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Germany from 4 to 13 October. She will need to place in the top 20 individuals as well as gain 50 points in total in events including bar, beam, floor and vault in Germany to qualify for the Olympics.
“I have worked towards this my whole life. It is one of the most difficult sports but I enjoy the ways it challenges me mentally and physically.”
Caitlin described gymnastics as a tough sport, which is full of injuries. “You have to be self-motivated and persevere through the highs and lows to achieve.”
Head coach and owner of JGC Gymnastics Ilse Pelser said, “I am very pleased with her performance. She has worked hard to achieve this goal and as this is our first ever world cup gold medal on uneven bars, we are obviously very proud of this achievement.”
Pelser described Caitlin’s routine as clean and without any major mistakes on both days of the competition, adding that her strength was in her consistency.
Marketing manager at Parktown High School for Girls Kerry Liss said, “For Caitlin to achieve what she has and still keep up to date with her matric year is incredible. We are super proud of her. It has taken a huge amount of training to achieve this goal and we wish her everything of the best in the years to come.”
If you are able to support Caitlin in terms of travel costs, email Ilse on Ilse@jgcgymnastics.co.za
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