GYMNASTICS ELITE GETTING A ROLL-ON
THE city’s newest gym will be represented by six young athletes at the Australian Gymnastics Championships starting on the Gold Coast on Wednesday.
About 1400 athletes and 700 officials will take part in more than 6000 routines at the Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre in Carrara.
In a major financial boost for the city, Gymnastics Australia has signed up to stage the 12-day event on the Gold Coast until 2022. The Olympic disciplines of men’s and women’s artistic, rhythmic and trampoline gymnastics will put in the final preparations for Tokyo while the acrobatic and aerobic gymnastics athletes will show off their routines ahead of their world championships.
Hoping to qualify for a place in the world championships in tumbling and double mini trampoline are Noah Kerry, 11, and Joshua de Beer, 14, both members of the Queensland team and athletes who train at Skybound Gymnastics in Burleigh Heads.
With a passion for tumbling and trampolining, owner Wei Lee Jun also has Alex Capp, Kiara Lowman, Olivia Powell and Asha Greenlees competing.
Lee established Skybound Gymnastics Club in July 2019 and is growing a successful club teaching preschoolers to high school students.
Despite his top-level tumblers training nearly 20 hours a week, Mr Lee says his coaching style is a lot more relaxed and fun, with a focus on enjoyment as well as making sure his athletes are competitive.
If his tumblers pull off a win at the nationals, they’ll be headed to Russia in December this year to take part in the worlds alongside the best tumblers from across the globe.