No-show can’t stop Stephens in final trial

HE may have been judged by video but that did not stop South Australia’s Clay Stephens from winning a crucial all-around title in the final world championship selection trial on the Gold Coast.

Fighting for the men’s artistic gymnastics crown at the National Clubs Carnival, Stephens, and Victoria’s Tyson Bull, who are both training and competing for the University of Illinois in the US, were granted permission to submit video to judges for verification and scoring.

Stephens, who has been back in full training for only two months after rupturing his ACL at last year’s world championships, finished with the best overall score of 79.150, including a second place on the floor – the apparatus on which he sustained his injury almost exactly a year ago.

Fans at Carrara’s Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre were treated to performances from some of the best in Australia, as the top men’s artistic gymnasts trialled for a world championship spots.

Brisbane Grammar’s Scott Costin won on floor, with his score of 14.200 pushing his bid to make his first major senior Australian team.

Chris Remkes, who won gold in vault at the Commonwealth Games, wowed the Coast crowd again, winning on his pet apparatus as well as finishing equal second in rings.

In other men’s artistic competition, Sydney Hills Gymnastics Club dominated Division E, winning three of the six gold on offer as well as taking minor medals in the other three team events.

Winners were more evenly spread in Division A, with the team from Sydney’s Manly Warringah Gymnastics Club taking out two individual apparatus titles – pommel horse and rings – while Brisbane Grammar School’s Team 1 took out the floor and parallel bars events.

Southern Canberra Gymnastics Club were victorious on vault, and Gold Coast locals Super Performance Centre took the spoils on the horizontal bar.