Glasgow Bound- The Blackflips (NZ Women's Gymnastics)

Five young ladies from the Christchurch School of Gymnastics left for Glasgow yesterday, en route to the 2014 Commonwealth Games, undoubtedly the biggest event of their lives so far. The New Zealand Women have not won a Commonwealth medal in gymnastics since the 1994 Commonwealth Games (that was Sarah Thompson on bars), but this year's crop of gymnasts have the talent to claim spots on the podium- especially in event finals. All five girls have competed internationally, including Gymnix in Montreal and the Pacific Rim Champs, in preparation for the games.

This is the strongest Women's team that has ever been sent to the Commonwealth Games, which reflects how far NZ Gymnastics has come in the past few years. Our International Development Program (IDP) adopted from Australia has helped to select and develop elite athletes, but there are also some high level gymnasts coming in from the STEP program (Kenzie and Anna for example). Many of the skills that these girls are competing have never been done in New Zealand before, which is pretty exciting for our gymnastics community!

The Blackflips from left: Kenzie Slee, Courtney McGregor, Charlotte Sullivan, Brittany Robertson and Anna Tempero (photo credit- zimbio.com)

I had the chance to see all girls compete at the Christchurch School of Gymnastics Classic held last weekend, where I was very impressed with the level of difficulty presented. They are very close as a team, especially now that all gymnasts train together at CSG (Kenzie made the move from the Hutt Valley, Brittany from Auckland and Anna from Blenheim), under coaches Svetlana Sazonova and Jozsef Ferencz. I'll give a quick overview of each gymnast and how they can help the team in Glasgow

Courtney McGregor

From: Christchurch

Club: CSG

Age: 15

Strengths: Vaulting, Floor, All-around

Routines at CSG Classic: Beam Floor

Earlier this year, Courtney made history by being the first New Zealander to qualify to a World Cup Final in Doha. She then went on to win a silver medal in the Pacific Rim Championships with her DTY and a tucked Podkopayeva. These vaults are looking strong and she will contend for a medal in Glasgow. She is also looking great on beam, with a front tuck mount and a double tuck dismount. Hopefully she will make floor finals as well, where she has really improved her difficulty. I would expect to see her competing on all events during the team final, and hopefully the all-around final. If she has a clean competition, she should place well.

Courtney's 4th place finish in the Vault finals at Doha, 2014

Charlotte Sullivan

From: Christchurch

Club: CSG

Age: 15

Strengths: Bars, Beam, Floor, All-around

Routines at CGS Classic: Beam

Charlotte is another strong all-arounder and is especially good on bars (where the team is weak) and on beam. She also made floor finals at Pacfic Rims this year (along with Courtney). She is very elegant and consistent and has good difficulty. Like Courtney, she will probably compete all events for NZ in the team final. Her vault is a FTY, and hopefully we will see her in the all-around final!

Anna Tempero

From: Blenheim

Clubs: Blenheim Gymnastics, then CSG

Age: 19

Strengths: Beam, Floor, Consistency

Routines at CSG Classic: Floor Beam

Anna is the eldest member of the team and only recently became an elite gymnast, having come out of the STEPs program. She is a very powerful gymnast and has many cool tricks up her sleeve (including a standing arabian on beam!). She can definitely help the team out on beam and floor in particular.

Kenzie Slee

From: Upper Hutt, Wellington

Age: 16

Clubs: Rimutaka Gymsports, Hutt Valley Gymsports, now CSG

Strengths: Floor, Vaulting, Beam

Routines at CSG: Floor

Kenzie is a clean and powerful gymnast, and learns new skills very quickly. Perhaps the most inexperienced of the group, but can come up with the goods when it counts. At CSG's she unveiled a full-twisting tsuk to go with her FTY, so perhaps she can make vault finals with that. She also could help out the team with clean beam and floor routines.

Brittany Robertson

From: Auckland

Age: 17

Clubs: North Harbour Gymnastics, WOGA and CSG

Strengths: Beam, Floor and Execution

Routines at CSG: Beam Floor

Brittany is the most experienced member of the team and has competed internationally as a junior elite. She also has spent some time training overseas at WOGA. She is a very artistic and elegant gymnast and excels particularly on beam and floor. I am not sure of her bar, since I haven't seen it in a while, but hopefully she will be able to compete this for the team.

The girls with their coaches, Svetlana and Jozsef (zimbio.com)

I'll do a quick break down of their DV's on each apparatus:

VT: 5.8 (Courtney), 5.0 (Kenzie and Brittany), 4.7 (Charlotte), 4.2 (Anna)

UB: 4.7 (Charlotte), 4.5 (Courtney), 3.0 (Anna)

BB: 5.7 (Anna and Courtney), 5.6 (Kenzie), 5.5 (Charlotte), 5.2 (Brittany)

FX: 5.7 (Courtney), 5.4 (Kenzie and Charlotte), 5.3 (Brittany), 5.0 (Anna)

They will struggle on bars with those low DV's, but should do well elsewhere... Best of luck girls, and do us proud!

See you on tele- go hard! (CSG Facebook page)

In the media:

Breaking the medal drought in gymnastics -History of NZ Gymnasts at the Commonwealth Games
Article about the entire gymnastics team to Glasgow
Anna Tempero in the Marlborough Press
Brittany in 2012

Article by Imogen Browne (Follow on Twitter @IFlip4GymBlog)
Videos by Olivia Browne

New Zealand WAG Commonwealth Games Trials

The selection process for the New Zealand women's artistic gymnastics team to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland are well underway. Two days of trials were held in Auckland on May the 9th and 11th. There were six girls from Christchurch School of Gymnastics, Pacific Rim competitors Courtney McGregor, Charlotte Sullivan and Anna Tempero, as well as Mackenzie Slee, Hanna Malloch and Brittany Robertson. Samara Maxwell of Tristar, Auckland also is vying for a spot. Commonwealth Games veteran Jordan Rae has withdrawn due to injury. In other news, Jordan has been offered a place at Bowling Green in collegiate gymnastics starting in 2015. Junior Millie Williamson (also CSG) joined the seniors to trial for the Youth Olympic Games.

NZL Commonwealth Games hopefulls from left to right: Charlotte, Mackenzie, Anna, Courtney, Millie, Brittany and Hanna (From Mackenzie Slee's Instagram)

All gymnasts will compete in the Australian Nationals in Melbourne later on this month before the teams will be named. Below are the results from the trials:

DAY ONE

1st- Charlotte Sullivan 52.833

2nd- Courtney McGregor 51.933

3rd- Brittany Robertson 49.80

4th- Mackenzie Slee 47.800

5th- Anna Tempero 46.50

6th- Hanna Malloch 45.767

7th- Samara Maxwell 41.767

VT Top 3- McGregor (14.167), Slee (13.90) and Maxwell (13.70)

UB Top 3- Sullivan (12.367), McGregor (12.033) and Robertson (11.667)

BB Top 3- Sullivan (13.70), Slee (12.60), McGregor and Robertson (12.00)

FX Top 3- McGregor (13.733), Sullivan (13.133) and Robertson (12.467)

DAY TWO

1st- Courtney McGregor 53.133

2nd- Charlotte Sullivan 51.533

3rd- Anna Tempero 49.633

4th- Brittany Robertson 49.233

5th- Hanna Malloch 47.933

6th- Samara Maxwell 39.933

NB/ Slee did not compete AA

VT Top 3- McGregor (14.10), Maxwell (13.90) and Robertson (13.677)

UB Top 3- McGregor (11.60), Tempero (11.40) and Sullivan (11.30)

BB Top 3- McGregor (14.067), Sullivan (13.933) and Malloch (12.967)

FX Top 3- McGregor (13.367), Tempero (12.867) and Sullivan (12.80)

Courtney McGregor had a stunning Day Two and topped every single apparatus with standout marks on vault and floor. She will without a doubt be on the team and has already gained some valuable international experience this year as well as a silver medal on vault at the Pacific Rim Championships- a first for NZ! Charlotte is also a consistent performer and along with Courtney made the floor finals at Pacific Rims. She is NZ's best bars worker, an apparatus where we are quite weak. Robertson has also had some international success and is a very elegant gymnast strong across all apparatus. She has also spent some time training at WOGA where she met some of the greats!

Brittany meets Olympic Champions Carly Patterson (2004) and Nastia Liukin (2008) (source: WOGA website)

Courtney and Brittany working their split leaps on beam (source: stuff.co.nz)

Anna is a powerful gymnast and could be used across all apparatus in a team final. She is a little older than the other girls and like Mackenzie has come from the levels or 'Step' program in NZ, rather than the International Development Program. Her maturity and experience would be good for such a young team. Mackenzie is also new to elite and has been rapidly upgrading and improving across all apparatus. She is strong on vault, floor and beam. Hanna is a very elegant gymnast and could help the team on beam, floor and perhaps vault. Samara is also strong on vault and floor.

Never before has NZ had so many worthy contendors for the CWG, best of luck to all girls trialing! 

Australian Nationals will be held in Melbourne from the 21st of May to 1st of June.

This Year So Far... NZ Junior Elites

The Gymsports National Championships were held in Napier, New Zealand last week, where we got a chance to see how the elites are progressing. Five girls, all from Christchurch School of Gymnastics competed in the Junior section: Charlotte Sullivan, Hanna Malloch, Mackenzie Slee, Courtney McGregor and Millie Williamson

The all-around competition was close, with less than 0.1 between 1st and 2nd, and just over a point between the top three. 

1st- Charlotte Sullivan, 47.533
2nd- Millie Williamson, 47.460
3rd- Courtney McGregor, 46.433
4th- Mackenzie Slee, 45.677
5th- Hanna Malloch, 44.167

All girls scored 13+ on vault and were generally stronger on floor and beam than bars.

Millie did extremely well in the event finals, taking home 3 of the 4 possible golds (BB (1st=), UB and FX). 

Courtney was 1st on vault, 2nd on floor and third on bars.

Charlotte was 1st on beam and 3rd on bars, Mackenzie 2nd on vault and bars and Hanna 3rd on floor.

Vault
1st- Courtney McGregor 13.450
2nd- Mackenzie Slee 13.15

Bar
1st- Millie Williamson 11.500
2nd- Mackenzie Slee 11.067
3rd- Charlotte Sullivan 10.867

Beam
1st= Charlotte Sullivan 12.500
1st= Millie Williamson 12.500
3rd- Corurtney McGregor 12.45

Floor
1st- Millie Williamson 13.433
2nd- Courtney McGregor 13.10
3rd- Hanna Malloch 12.87

Overall a great effort for the juniors, they are looking very good, with both new skills and higher scores as they look forwards to the Commonwealth Games next year in Glasgow. It is great to see them adding more difficulty to their routines, they have plenty of time to iron out the mistakes!

Here is Courtney on floor, trying out a double arabian as her opening tumbling pass. She also tries some daring release moves on bar and overall has great swing- a lot of potential there!

Courtney McGregor on floor, competing for Christchurch (3rd AA)

Courtney trying out some newer skills on bars

The girls also competed in the Australian Nationals earlier this year, presumably to gain some competitive experience. They produced good results there, Mackenzie 3rd on vault, Charlotte 3rd on bars and floor.

Millie's lovely floor from the all-around finals at the 2013 Australian Nationals

Charlotte's beam routine from the all-around

And Charlotte on bar, where she shows good difficulty and a great double layout dismount!

Hanna shows off her lines on floor (AYOF 2013- couldn't find a more recent video!)

And finally watch Mackenzie's floor from the Australian nationals here

New Zealand Gymnasts at the Victoria Championships

Several elite gymnasts from New Zealand competed at the 2013 Victorian Championships held in Australia last weekend. These included Jordan Rae, Anna Tempero and Samara Maxwell in the senior division and Charlotte Sullivan, Millie Williamson, Hanna Malloch, Mackenzie Slee, Courtney McGregor and Tara Purvis in the junior division. All girls train at the Christchurch School of Gymnastics, with the exception of Jordan (Tristar Gymnastics, Auckland), Samara (Impact Gymsport Academy, Auckland) and Mackenzie (Hutt Valley Gymsports, Lower Hutt).

New Zealand's Junior elite team and coaches from a competition in Perth earlier this year (front: Mackenzie Slee, Millie Williamson, Tara Purvis, Charlotte Sullivan ; back: Hanna Malloch, coaches, Courtney McGregor). Photo from NZL Women's Gymnastics Team Facebook page)

Jordan Rae has represented New Zealand at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and the 2011 World Championships in Tokyo. She also competed at the 2012 London Test Event, achieving good results. Anna Tempero, Samara Maxwell and Mackenzie Slee are newcomers to the elite stage, after moving out of the New Zealand 'steps' system (see here for an explanation of this system).

Jordan at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi

Last weekend the girls competed against Victoria's best gymnasts including Georgia-Rose Brown, Kiara Munteanu (seniors), Alex Eade and Eliza Freeman (juniors). Charlotte Sullivan was 3rd in the junior all-around (behind Eliza Freeman and Alex Eade) with a combined score of 97.450. Jordan Rae finished 4th in the senior all-around (94.53). Apparatus placings are listed below.

Juniors

Charlotte Sullivan (CSG): 2nd beam, 3rd bar, 3rd floor 

Hanna Malloch (CGS): 3rd beam

Mackenzie Slee (HVG): 2nd vault

Courtney McGregor (CSG): 1st vault

Seniors

Jordan Rae (TRI): 2nd vault, 2nd beam, 2nd floor and 3rd bar

Samara Maxwell (AGA): 3rd floor

These are great results for New Zealand's relatively new elite teams, who have already had some competitive experience this year in Perth and at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival. Particularly promising are the talented group of juniors who we expect to see much more of in the coming years.

Courtney performing a switch leap (photo by Nadia Boyce, photographer for The Couch Gymnast, used with permission)

Article by Imogen Browne (Follow this blog on Twitter at @IFlip4gymblog)