Gymnastics: Eastern Bloc influence helps Sarah to a perfect 10

New Zealand's most talented young gymnast has already been training half her life. Which is less surprising when you realise Sarah Chieng is only 10.

The gifted North Shore youngster was spotted by her current coach, Alexandra Koudinova, when she was five, sitting around North Harbour Gymnastics waiting for her older brothers to finish training.

Koudinova noted Chieng had exactly the right body shape for a potential gymnast and invited her into the gym.

Sarah is now the best gymnast for her age in the country. She's demonstrated her international potential by finishing second in the All Around Australian Championships International level 6 in May - her first international competition.

She followed that by winning the All Around International Alsterpokal C Grade last September in Germany and the Australian Reach for the Stars (level six) All Around title in December.

Sarah is your normal, shy 10-year-old. But once she puts on her competition leotard she transforms into a poised young athlete, with determination and courage.

"I enjoy it. I like the challenge - sometimes I get tired but not very much," she says. "I want to go the Olympics."

Koudinova has a perfect protege on her hands.

"Some gymnasts have strong bodies but they are not strong mentally," she says. "They cry when they are told they can't finish until something is done right. Sarah has never complained or cried.

"Even when she was five, you could see she could overcome difficulty," she says.

When Sarah was at the Australian National Championships last May she was fourth after the first day: "I told her she'd have to fight and I was so happy to see that she could. She wasn't shaking or nervous - she went out to do battle," Koudinova said. After day two Sarah had improved her standing to finish second.

Her brothers, Michael (12) and David (14), are also now elite gymnasts and are coached by Koudinova's husband, Sasha Koudinov, who coached Russian 1996 Olympic team gold medallist Dmitri Vasilenko. To have three elite gymnasts in one family is unique (oldest brother Nick is also a North Harbour badminton representative) and, with three of the four children training more than 30 hours a week, the family's daily structure departs from the norm.

Sarah is home-schooled, is an accomplished ballet dancer and has learned violin.

Her drive may come from her heritage. Mother Bridgette says the children are all in touch with their part-Chinese identity.

Certainly she is self-driven, not pushed: "We provide the structure but the drive comes from Sarah, she expects to do well at everything," she says.

Sarah's talent is a big part of what keeps Koudinova and her husband in New Zealand. They were recently headhunted while in Australia. The couple have battled in a country where gymnastics is under-funded and the temptation of working at the Australian Institute of Sport was strong.

But they couldn't leave Sarah's talent behind.

Koudinova's long-term goal is the 2012 Olympics, where she wants Sarah not just to compete but to make the finals.

Shorter term Sarah has the Auckland Championships in August, the nationals in September and, internationally, the World Olympic Gymnastic Academy Classic in Texas in January.


- HERALD ON SUNDAY