Plett gymnast flies SA flag high
PLETTENBERG BAY - Plett's gymnastics star Leolin Petersen flew the SA flag high at the Gymnastics Federation (FIG) World Championship in the UK over the past two weeks.
The 17-year-old Plett Primary School alumnus competed at the prestigious event in Birmingham from 9 to 21 November where she not only represented South Africa in her age group but also as part of the senior team. More than 1 000 gymnasts - considered the world's best - from more than 50 countries around the globe participated in the event and Leolin made her mark.
In the senior competition, where she competed against former world champions, Leolin managed to secure the 20th spot in double-mini trampoline, while in the 17 to 21 age group - where she competed with gymnasts much older than her and with a lot more international experience under their belts - she managed to come in at 48 in trampoline after falling on her second jump on the final element of her trampoline routine.
The youngster from New Horizons said it was an honour to represent her country at such a prestigious event and she had gained a lot of experience competing among the best in the world. She said she is excited about her future in the sport and will be working hard to make her dream of competing at next year's Olympic Games a reality.
Her mother, Helen Bezuidenhout, said that she was incredibly proud of her daughter, not only for her performance, but the dedication she had shown leading up to the event. This dedication was evident in her performances ahead of the championships.
Earlier this year, the youngster participated at the annual Gymnastics South National Championships, the Gym Games, in Gauteng.
She gave a stellar performance that secured her gold medals in Euro trampoline, tumbling and synchro in the category for 17- to 21-year-olds, as well as gold in in double-mini trampoline in the senior division.
This came after Leolin participated in the Eastern Province trampoline and tumbling trials in Gqeberha where she secured three gold medals in her age group - for tumbling, double mini and Euro trampoline.
She also recently won gold in double-mini trampoline as well as Euro trampoline at the final leg of the Madiba Cup held in Mossel Bay. At the second leg of the series in Cape Town, she won three gold medals for her performance in senior women's double-mini trampoline, junior women's trampoline, and junior women's power tumbling.