GYMNASTICS - Six of best ready to roll at champs

A TEAM of six Northland gymnasts will complete at the Gymsports New Zealand national championships starting this weekend at Mystery Creek, near Hamilton.
The event encompasses rhythmic gymnastics, artistic gymnastics and trampoline. Whangarei Academy of Gymnastics coach Vicki McDonald is hopeful that previous experience will help her team perform.
"Most of them have competed at nationals before so I hope that means they'll not be as nervous this time and concentrate on their routines," she said.
Realistically, the team members will all be aiming to qualify for the top 24 competitors in their grade, for the second round of competition which starts on Tuesday, and then see what develops.
Shayla Hill, Jodi Burton and Anna Hewison are the team's level-five competitors, while Kaitaia's Jamie Barr-Mitcalfe, coached by Maureen Perry, will take part in the boys' competition.
Alice Riddell and Kayla MacKenzie will compete in the level-six competition. All the gymnasts have qualified for the nationals in preliminary competitions.
The team's leading medal hope was to be Fiona Wilson, who recently placed third overall at a competition in Auckland.
But the senior gymnast snapped an Achilles tendon while practising a floor routine and has been forced to withdraw from competition.
The nationals will remain at Mystery Creek for the next three years, a decision which has McDonald's complete support.
"It's a good idea because people will learn from experience how to run nationals rather than the event ping-ponging around the country and it being thrust on an inexperienced organising committee every year," she said.
• The event starts this Friday and runs until September 30.
Caption: MEET THE FLIP SIDE: (clockwise from bottom left) Anna Hewison, Shayla Hill, Fiona Wilson, coach Vicki McDonald, Kayla MacKenzie, Alice Riddell and Jodi Burton are off to the nationals.