Small gymnasts, big haul

WESTERN BUREAU:

They may be small, some barely old enough for primary school, but Jamaica’s young gymnasts are already making their presence felt internationally.

A contingent of budding athletes from First Dance Studios (FDS) in western Jamaica and the Jamaica School of Gymnastics (JSG) returned from the recently staged Yamilet Peña Classic in the Dominican Republic with an impressive 38 medals and an all-around trophy, providing an encouraging glimpse of the talent developing in the sport locally.

Among the 17-member Jamaican team, six were first-time international competitors from Montego Bay-based FDS and 11 athletes from the JSG, whose team accounted for 27 of the country’s 38 medals.

Among the standout performers was JSG’s Sarah Fowler, who struck gold on the balance beam, added silver on the uneven bars, and finished third overall in her age group, one of the strongest individual showings by the Jamaican contingent. Fowler took home the all-around trophy.

Three-year-old Aurora Allen, the youngest Jamaican at the competition, has set her eyes on a gold medal when she returns to the competition.

Aurora had been a star during warm-up, but international competition proved to be an entirely different experience. After completing her first apparatus, the bright lights, unfamiliar surroundings and roar of the crowd became a little too much for the three-year-old, who suddenly developed cold feet.

It was hardly enough to dampen her enthusiasm. For little Aurora, there is already unfinished business. Next year, the three-year-old insists, she is going back for gold.

Jamaica has talent

For FDS gymnastics director and coach Sheri-Lee Smith, watching the youngsters hold their own against athletes from established overseas programmes was confirmation that Jamaica has talent waiting to be developed.

“This was the first international competition for all six of my athletes on this trip, and to see them execute at the level they did, with grace and resilience, and still shining while up against other athletes from major international gyms is truly encouraging,” Smith said.

In the Future Stars division, JSG’s Zoe Beepat and Chrisan Blake both finished fourth overall, with Blake also claiming third on vault and second on beam after posting an impressive 9.950 on vault and 9.850 on beam.

Alima Forbes finished fifth overall in her USAG age group, while Jada Groves and Ashae Laing each secured fifth-place all-around finishes in the age-10 group. Groves recorded 9.900 on vault and 9.625 on beam, while Malia Smith also posted 9.900 on vault.

Seven-year-old Yixin Chen produced one of First Dance’s standout performances, finishing fourth all-around with 37.050 points from a possible 40. She scored 9.650 on vault, 9.350 on floor, 9.150 on beam, and 8.900 on bars.

Fellow seven-year-old Alexia Allen secured third place on uneven bars with 9.350 and registered an impressive 9.775 on vault on her way to an all-around score of 37.000.

Ten-year-old Jenneilia Grant was another strong performer, placing fourth on vault with 9.850.

MaChérie Wynter and Kaelei Palmer completed the First Dance team, while the six athletes collectively impressed their coach on vault, with each scoring above 9.600.

Buoyed by the results, Smith used the opportunity to push the idea of a fully equipped, competition-ready gymnasium established in western Jamaica, alongside expanded developmental programmes capable of taking talented children from their earliest years through the junior and senior ranks.

“I would love to see a fully equipped, training and competition-ready gymnasium in western Jamaica, to see more junior athletes in developmental programmes, which will lead to more senior athletes, the likes of Jahzara Ranger, and ultimately to Jamaica producing more Olympians and World Champions in the sport,” she told The Gleaner.

More than medals

Parents who travelled with the First Dance athletes were equally impressed by what they witnessed.

Dr Andrea Thomas, whose daughters competed with the western Jamaica team, said she is already looking towards next year’s staging and hopes an even larger Jamaican contingent can make the trip.

For the contingent of young Jamaicans who travelled to the Dominican Republic, the Yamilet Peña Classic was about considerably more than medals.

They were able to walk into an international arena, perform before a foreign crowd and measure themselves against athletes from larger and better-equipped programmes. They returned to Jamaica knowing they could compete.

For Smith, however, the Dominican Republic experience raised a larger question: how much further could Jamaica’s young gymnasts go if they had access to better facilities at home?

“This is the critical level and age group we need to be investing in to secure the future of gymnastics here,” Smith argued.

The Jamaica School of Gymnastics undoubtedly delivered a strong showing, making head coach Nadeen Whyte and senior coach Kerieon Grant immensely proud of their achievements.

The JSG contingent competed across three divisions, with two athletes in USAG Level 1, three in Baby Classic, and six in Future Stars.

The Baby Classic division saw Khalani Gracey finish sixth overall.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com