Prince gets in medal swing
QUEENSLANDER Danielle Prince showed she was medal-ready for the Commonwealth Games with a stunning four-gold display at the Australia Cup rhythmic gymnastics selection event on the Gold Coast yesterday.
Prince, trying to become the first Aussie female gymnast to attend three Games, received loud support from the 800strong crowd to record a winning overall score of 48.5 to be named all-around champion.
It was a perfect homecoming for the Sydney-based and Brisbane-raised gymnast who finished in front of Sydney university student Enid Sung (47.1) and Melbourne 15-yearold Alexandra Kiroi-Bogatyreva (46.9).
“Winning the gold medals is icing on the cake, it confirms all the work I’m doing in the gym … we’re on the right track,’’ Prince said. “The hard work is far from done but it’s just the beginning.’’
The 2010 Games gold medallist sparkled the brightest with her opening hoop routine (13.850) in the Cup, doubling as an operational trial for the Games venue at Coomera.
In a superb routine, Prince finished ahead of Sung (12.7) and Sydney’s Michaela Whitehouse (11.9).
Prince, 25, also won ball with a 12.25 score, to finish ahead of Australian teammates Kiroi-Bogatyreva (11.95) and Whitehouse (11.9).