Gymnasts vault beyond expectations at CAC
Published:Thursday | November 4, 2021 | 6:10 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
PRESIDENT OF the Jamaica Gymnastics Association (JAGA), Nicole Grant-Brown, said she was extremely proud and excited by the performance of the Jamaica team at the Central American Championships on the weekend in El Salvador.
The Jamaicans won a total of five gold, four silver and five bronze.
US-based Celeb Faulk (one gold, two silver) and Michael Reid (two gold) highlighted the Jamaicans’ performance, which was backed up by impressive showings from locally trained gymnasts, Christiyana Martin (two gold, two bronze), Mariah Gordon (one silver), and Elyssa Alexander (one bronze).
Faulk won first place on still rings and second on the pommel horse. Reid was first on pommel horse and parallel bars.
“We are super excited that our overseas-based gymnasts, both juniors and seniors, have kept up the hard work and have achieved gratifying results,” she said.
Martin took third place all around, first on bars and beam and third on the floor, while Alexander was third in the floor routine and Gordon second on vault.
Grant-Brown was most fascinated by the local gymnasts ability to master the routines so quickly, after training for only a few months. Attaining such standards, she said, normally occurs with practise for at least one year.
She also believes that their performances show they are capable of competing with world-class gymnasts, despite having limited resources.
BEAMING WITH PRIDE
“We are beaming with pride and joy, especially with the achievements of our locally trained gymnasts, who had to learn skills in four months. That would normally take a year to perfect,” admitted Grant-Brown. “We were up against limited time, limited resources and limited training due to the pandemic, plus the lockdowns.
“Notwithstanding, Jamaica’s goal going into the championship was finishing top 10, but they exceeded expectations to finish fourth.
“Our aim going into this meet was to place in the top 10, and of the nine juniors we had seven placing in the top 10 against countries in the region such as Guatemala, who basically won, El Salvador, Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. This for us is a huge achievement,” she beamed.
“We can safely say that Jamaica’s locally trained gymnasts have taken a huge step forward to participate in continental meets of this calibre.”
Continuing, she said: “We set goals in an effort to know where we are as we develop as a sport. We have achieved the goals and we are proud and elated at all the Jamaican competitors.”