Yandy Stafford cops Trinidad and Tobago's first-ever gold at Pan Am Artistic Gymnastics Cup

Trinidad and Tobago gymnast Yandy Stafford captured the nation’s first-ever gold medal (vault) at the Pan American Junior and Youth Artistic Gymnastics Cup in El Salvador, on November 6.

A TT Gymnastics Federation (TTGF) statement said that Stafford was part of a five-member national team that travelled to El Salvador on November 3 to compete against some of the region’s top young gymnasts.

The contingent included Stafford and Shanika Joseph of Tots and Tumblers in the Pan American Gymnastics Union (PAGU) hopes level two division, along with Asia Ali, Zariah Gittens-Dopwell, and Caeli La Roche of Olympia Wolfpack in the level one division.

All five gymnasts competed in the all-around competition on November 5. In the level two division for 11 and 12-year olds, Stafford finished fifth overall with a total score of 46.75, while Joseph placed 25th with 40.95.

Among the level one competitors (nine to ten years), Gittens-Dopwell placed 33rd (39.25), followed closely by Ali in 34th (39.2) and La Roche in 35th (39.1).

Their results earned Stafford qualification to three event finals – vault, beam, and floor – while Ali secured a spot in the vault final.

On November 6, during the second day of competition, Ali opened proceedings for TT and placed ninth with a score of 11.9. Stafford then took to the floor exercise, where she placed sixth after scoring 11.45.

Her standout moment, however, came later in the day during the vault finals. Performing last in the event, Stafford executed a Yurchenko pike vault with precision and perfectly stuck the landing to post an impressive 13.35, securing TT’s first-ever gold medal at the Pan American Junior and Youth Artistic Gymnastics Cup. She later capped off her day with a seventh-place finish on the beam.

Following their strong performances in El Salvador, all five athletes will return home to continue preparations for their next major assignment – the 2025 Carifta Artistic Gymnastics Championships, which will be hosted by the TTGF at the National Cycling Velodrome in Couva on December 6 and 7.

The biennial Pan American Junior and Youth Artistic Gymnastics Cup is designed to prepare promising athletes for senior elite competition by age 16.