Australia’s gymnastics heroes from the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games returned to their medal-winning best in Melbourne yesterday, when the Artistic Gymnastics component of the 2018 Australian Gymnastics Championships wrapped up at Hisense Arena.
GYMNASTICS: Australia’s gymnastics heroes from the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games returned to their medal-winning best in Melbourne yesterday, when the Artistic Gymnastics component of the 2018 Australian Gymnastics Championships wrapped up at Hisense Arena.
Queensland’s Georgia Godwin was in blistering form on Sunday, picking up four of the five individual gold medal’s on offer in the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Senior International competition.
Godwin was a dominant winner in the Individual All-Around competition, scoring 112.225, ahead of her Commonwealth Games teammates Emily Whitehead (106.625) and Rianna Mizzen (106.550). It was sweet relief for Godwin, who was leading the All-Around competition after Day 1 of the 2017 Australian Championships, only to be forced to withdraw due to injury and not be able to complete the competition.
Godwin also picked up gold medals on Floor (28.650), Beam (26.650) and Bars (29.000), as well as the silver on Vault, where she finished behind Commonwealth Games bronze medallist on the same apparatus, Victoria’s Emily Whitehead.
“My aim today was to come out again and hit four from four routines, and I did that so I’m really happy,” Godwin said.
“I haven’t had a break since Comm[onwealth] Games,” she continued, “so I’m having 10 days off when I get home, and then it’s back into training ahead of Worlds.”
In the men's competition, Commonwealth Games gold medallist on Vault – South Australia’s Chris Remkes – didn’t disappoint the crowd who turned out to see Australia’s own gymnastics cult hero in action, sticking both of his vaults – just as he did on the Gold Coast in April – to secure the gold medal and Australian title on his pet apparatus.
Remkes posted an average score of 14.700; 0.099 less that the finals score he posted at Coomera Indoor Sports Centre, and 0.584 ahead of his closest rival here in Melbourne.
However Remkes was out to prove he was no one-trick pony, medalling on the two other apparatus he competed at this year’s Championships. Remkes secured gold on Pommel – an apparatus which he also reached the finals in on the Gold Coast – with a score of 14.766, and silver on Floor (13.900), behind exciting first-year senior from Queensland, Heath Thorpe, who scored 14.133.
“Coming back from all of the excitement from the Gold Coast, I was really happy to go out there and put up some more good performances,” Remkes said.
“Now it’s back to training and looking towards Worlds."
As he only contested three of the six Artistic apparatus, Remkes finished the All-Around competition in 11th place.
Queensland’s Michael Tone took out the men’s open Individual All-Around Competition with a total score of 76.798, ahead of Victoria’s Lachlan Smith in second and Scott Brooks in third.
The International Gymnastics Federation’s (FIG) 2018 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships will be held in Doha, Qatar from October 25 to November 3. This year’s World Championships will mark the start of the qualification process for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Competition resumes in the 2018 Australian Gymnastics Championships on Wednesday. Week 2 of competition will see Australia’s best Rhythmic, Trampoline and Acrobatic Gymnastics athletes take to the floor at Hisense Arena. Full results from the National Champs are available HERE and the full schedule is available HERE.
Gymnastics Australia