Gymnasts take flight for champs

Gisborne Gymnastics Club members (from left) Sarah Hawkins, Aria Thorpe, Amarah Cameron and Capria Tamatea pose on the balance beam with their medals from the Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay Senior Gymnastics Championships. Absent: Miriam Cornfeld and Sarai Gudgeon.Picture by Liam Clayton

A marah Cameron won all-round gold in her division and Sarai Gudgeon won silver in hers at the Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay Senior Gymnastics Championships in Napier.

They were among Gisborne Gymnastics Club members competing from Step 4 to Step 7 in the championships.

Gudgeon combined with Sarah Hawkins and Capria Tamatea to win silver in the Step 7 team awards.

In the apparatus finals, Aria Thorpe, Cameron, Gudgeon, Hawkins and Tamatea won medals.

The HBPB senior championships have a long tradition for the region.

The original venue was Centennial Hall in Napier. All equipment had to be set up and taken down, which added two days to the event and was a huge commitment for the sport’s volunteers. The event is now  held at Omni Gymnastics Centre in Napier, a gymnasium with excellent equipment.

Travel time for the Gisborne club contingent was 30 minutes as — due to the closure of the state highway between Wairoa and Napier —they travelled by air.

Results —

Step 4: Amarah Cameron won gold in the all-round competition, and on uneven bars and balance beam. She won silver on vault and floor.

Step 5: Aria Thorpe was placed sixth overall. In the apparatus finals she won silver on uneven bars, and was placed fifth on balance beam, sixth on floor and seventh on vault

Step 6: Miriam Cornfeld was placed fifth overall. In the apparatus finals she was placed fourth on floor and seventh on vault, uneven bars and balance beam.

Step 7: Sarai Gudgeon won silver, Sarah Hawkins was sixth and Capria Tamatea was eighth in the all-round event. The Gisborne team of Gudgeon, Hawkins and Tamatea won silver in the team awards.

In the apparatus finals, Gudgeon won silver on uneven bars and was fourth on floor. Hawkins won bronze on vault, uneven bars and balance beam, and was sixth on floor. Tamatea won silver on floor and was sixth on balance beam and vault, and ninth on uneven bars.