NZ titles the goal for team
Gymnastics
CLAIRE.ALLISON
Nationals-bound . . . The Gymsports Aorangi team preparing for the national championships is (back, from left), Tegan Buckley (17) and Lillie Evans (16), (middle, from left) coach Talei Dickson, Sahahna Anisy-Oudemans (14), Emma Fairhall (17) and team manager Liz Evans, and (front, from left) Georgia Buckley (10), Annalise Evans (11) and Casey May Watt (14). Absent were team members Jacob Salisbury (20), Charlotte Lane (14), trampoline coach Louise Lane, Millie Dickson (16) and Jasmine Payne (11).
PHOTO: CLAIRE ALLISON
A team of talented gymnasts heads to Auckland on Tuesday to compete at the New Zealand Gymnastics Championships.
The Gymsports Aorangi team, which covers North Otago, South Canterbury and the Mackenzie country, comprises 11 athletes aged from 10 to 20 — two trampolinists, one tumbler and eight aerobic gymnasts.
Gymsports Aorangi has been competing at the national event since 2017.
Although this year’s contingent is smaller than in previous years, manager Liz Evans said the team was hoping to acquit itself well.
All members had competed at previous nationals.
‘‘For us, it’s more about being happy with the routine that they have performed, and hopefully that gets rewarded.’’
Evans said Covid-19 had had a big impact for a lot of sports, including gymnastics. ‘‘With gymnastics, if you have been away, it’s hard to come back into it.’’ The team has been raising funds and training hard for the event, and Evans said they were lucky to have the use of Ara’s hard-floor gymnasium.