A fresh start for gymnastics at National Invitational

PRESIDENT of the TT Gymnastics Federation (TTGF) Christopher George welcomed the return of the federation’s National Invitational Championships as it marked a fresh start for local gymnastics.

The 26th annual competition took place at the Woodbrook Youth Facility on Saturday and Sunday.

More than ten clubs participated at the championships including Champions Gymnastics Club, Golden Stars Gymnastic Club, Gymnastics Explorers, House of Gymnastics, Lee’s Gymnastics Club, New Image Gymnastics, St Andrew’s School Gymnastics, Teamwork Gymnastics, Tots and Tumblers Gymnastics, TT Gymnastics Training Centre and Olympia Gymnastics.

Former TT gymnast Thema Williams also had gymnasts competing, but her athletes were unattached as her club was not registered four weeks before the championships.

The title sponsor of the event was Caribbean Airlines, along with supporting sponsors Vemco and Johnny Q Sound Company.

“This is the first time for four years we have had a national championship,” George told Newsday.

“The last time was 2019. Obviously we’ve had the interceding years of covid19 and the year subsequent to that where we were not able to have a national championship. We believe that this is the start of something anew.”

George, who represented TT in judo at the Olympic Games, said gymnastics is a sport where an athlete needs time to develop.

“Gymnastics is a sport where consecutive years of development are extremely important, so a lot of clubs have had to start over with the different levels of athletes.

“With respect to the plan for gymnastics in TT, there is what is called the Hopes tournament which is a developmental tournament where some of the developmental athletes between level four and ten can go and compete.”

George said the federation is aiming to field a team for that overseas tournament.

Several categories were contested during the national championships. Tots and Tumblers and Lee’s Gymnastics took home the lion’s share of wins.

Ricquel Marcellin (Lee’s) won the pre-competitive junior category and Aneisah Boodoo (Lee’s) was the winner of the pre-competitive senior category.

In the competition, each athlete was required to participate in multiple events including the uneven bars, beam, vault and the floor exercise.

Ashley Castillo (Lee’s) won level one and Zariah Gittens-Dopwell (Olympia) claimed the top prize in level two.

Tots and Tumblers pair Jada Codrington and Alicja Chang Kit won level three and four respectively.

Yandy Rita Stafford of Teamwork showed her quality to win level five and Tessica Laurence of Tots and Tumblers was the winner in level six.

Other winners were Annalise Alexander of Olympia (level seven), Zara Marie Glen of Tots and Tumblers (level eight), Sidney Charles of Tots and Tumblers (level nine) and McKenzie Lall of New Image (level ten).

Judges from overseas attended the championships.

The TTGF president praised the effort of TT’s international gymnasts who have been competing recently.

“On the highest level we actually have two athletes. Annalise (Newman-Achee) competed for us at the World Championships last year. She recently competed in Colombia last week for TT where they qualified for the Pan Am Championships which is coming up later this year.”

Newman-Achee and debutant Jameel Ali competed at the 2023 Artistic Gymnastics Senior Pan American Championships in Medellin, Colombia.

George is hopeful TT will be represented at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games by Ali or Newman-Achee.