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 Commonwealth Games veteran Jordan Rae has withdrawn due to injury.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.

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)