JUMPING FOR JOY
TEARS FLOW AS AUSSIE DUO SNATCH DOUBLE GYMNASTICS GOLD
A 147cm-tall pocket rocket who started life in a Filipino orphanage has become Australia’s latest Games hero, snatching a historic gymnastics gold medal.
Inspirational Christopher Remkes led a stunning medal charge in the final day finale at Coomera Indoor Sports Centre, grabbing gold on the vault, while teammate Alexandra Eade took gold in the women’s floor.
Remkes, who was adopted by South Australian couple Mike and Dora Remkes as a two year old, said his background was the force behind his success, in an emotional tribute to his adoptive parents.
“Without my parents I wouldn’t be here today, I would probably still be in the orphanage,” he said.
“I owe everything to my parents, they gave me so much love and support and drove me around to all the competitions.”
The Aussie team’s small star stood tall under pressure yesterday to “smash out” a winning vault of 14.766, including an opening vault of 14.866.
Mike Remkes, who was in the audience, told how his son had been dumped at a hospital as a two day old before being handed to an orphanage.
“When we got notification from the adoption agency, we saw a photo of him and we couldn’t say no,’’ he said.
“We instantly fell in love with him and we wanted a family.
“We talked to the nuns at the orphanage and they had never seen him smile or happy, and as soon as we took him home to Australia nothing but smiles and bubbly and full of life.”
Remkes had kept coming back to gymnastics after starting out as a fiveyear-old.
“His passion his so strong and his journey is still continuing,” the beaming dad said. “We are proud of everything. He was given nothing in life and he has taken every opportunity and run with it.”
Remkes broke a 24-year Games vault drought for his nation, after Bret Hudson triumphed in 1994.
He set the early benchmark and then had to wait until the final two competitors, Courtney Tulloch and Dominick Cunningham, both of England, who were the highest qualifiers.
Tulloch (14.666) and Cunn-ingham (14.333) could not reproduce their qualification form and experienced costly untidy landings.
Remkes, 21, revealed his small stature was his secret weapon.
“My height is almost like a super power,” he said.
“I’m lucky to have the build I have, it means I can go fast in the air.”
It was an emotional day for the Aussie team yesterday.
Victorian gymnast Eade shed tears of joy when she was announced as gold medallist after nailing her floor routine with a 13.33 winning result ahead of Canadian vault champion Shallon Olsen and Welsh teenager Latalia Bevan.
“I was (qualified) equal-third, and I thought ‘oh maybe I’ll get fourth, that’ll be a bit annoying’ ... to walk away with gold, I can’t even describe it,” the 20-year-old said.
Earlier local heroine, Gold Coastbred Georgia-Rose Brown, won silver (13.066) behind English teenager Alice Kinsella (13.7).