Have A Go Olympic Challenge 2024

HAVE A GO AT OLYMPIC SPORTS

FIND YOUR SPORT
Background image

Silver lining for sparkling Wilkie

 

Silver lining for sparkling Wilkie

Author image
AOC
Silver lining for sparkling Wilkie
GYMNASTICS – RHYTHMIC: The youngest member of the 2014 Australian Youth Olympic Team finally got her chance to shine on the penultimate day of the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China.

GYMNASTICS – RHYTHMIC: The youngest member of the 2014 Australian Youth Olympic Team finally got her chance to shine on the penultimate day of the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China.

Pint-sized Tara Wilkie, 14, was the first competitor to take to the podium (stage) on Day 10 of the Games in the Individual All-Around Rhythmic Gymnastics event.

She wrapped up the day in 18th position, but simply having the opportunity to partake in the Youth Olympic Games was glory enough for Wilkie. 

“To me, I think since I wasn’t going to compete this year, it’s just an achievement getting here. My knee has been really sore so whatever happened, happened. I’m really happy,” she said.

Dogged by an ongoing knee injury that was tended to with a bag of ice between rotations, Wilkie was not going to let anything stop her on this grand stage.

“For me it was just about going out there and having fun. I didn’t have any expectations. I didn’t know I was competing this year so just getting here is good and fun,” she said.

With a large group of teammates in the crowd cheering her on, Wilkie dazzled with the hoop to score 9.3000 (2.8000 Difficulty + 6.500 Execution) before really working her magic on the ball for a score of 10.325 (3.375 D + 6.950 E).

“I think the first one was pretty good- I was calm and I was confident,” Wilkie said of the hoop, but when asked her highlight of competing, Wilkie responded: “I think showing the judges my ball routine… it was really good.”

With a total point-score that had her in 18th place, Wilkie was determined to lift when she returned to the gymnasium after a short break.

Again the first on the floor, Wilkie managed a score of 9.150 on clubs (2.450 D + 6.700 E) and finished with a graceful ribbon performance (8.500- 2.250 D + 6.250 E) to score 37.275 in total.

“Today was pretty good. There was a pretty good atmosphere- lots of people which was quite good. My knee was a little bit sore but that’s alright and I did my best,” she said knowing that her run at the Games is now over.

Needing to finish in the top eight from a field of 18, Russian Irina Annenkova showed her class to progress to tomorrow's final in first place, leading the points in every apparatus bar the ribbon to score 57.950.

American Laura Zeng finished second with a haul of 57.375 and Belarusian Maryla Trubach rounds out the top three on 56.850 points.

The Individual All-Around competition takes place tomorrow, the final day of competition at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China.

The Aussies in action on Day 11 can be found here >>

Taya Conomos
olympics.com.au
@AUSOlympicTeam

Top Stories