Tauranga hosted the gymnastics competitive community this week as more than 900 gymnasts put up their best performances in the quest for national titles at the 2023 New Zealand Gymnastics Championships.

After months of training and qualification, the championships are a celebration of hard work and achievement, and an opportunity for athletes to showcase their skills and artistry in aerobics, men’s and women’s artistic, rhythmic, and trampoline gymnastics.

This year Women’s Artistic Artistry Awards were introduced to encourage athletes to really understand and showcase the international artistry requirements.

A gymnast relies on choreography to show off their artistry and STEP 6 floor routine award recipient Georgia Buckley, representing Aorangi (from Canterbury Gymsports), showed that you don’t need to live near your choreographer for the magic to happen - the polish was added to her routine entirely through Zoom sessions from Timaru with Auckland-based choreographer Leanne Olsen.

“Georgia was awesome to work with. I wasn’t sure how easy it would be to bring everything together without ever meeting in person, but she is a hard-working and talented gymnast. She brought her own flourish to the choreography, and I am so pleased her artistry has been recognised. It just shows what is possible across such a distance.” Says Olsen, who also holds the independent role of Athlete Advisor on the sport’s technical committee.

The annual NZ versus Australia Trans Tasman Competition was on the trampoline and double-mini floors this year with NZ taking out both titles.

2023 National Champions

Men’s artistic

• Misha Koudinov - Auckland (Tri Star Gymnastics)

Women’s artistic

• Reece Cobb – Bay of Plenty (Impact Gymsports)

Rhythmic

• Havana Hopman – Gymsports Manukau (Counties Manukau Gymnastics)

Trampoline - Individual

• Women: Sienna French – Canterbury (Olympia Gymnastic Sports)
• Men: Regan Langford – Gymsports Manukau (Icon Trampoline)

Trampoline - Synchronised

• Women: Lauren Sheere and Sienna French – Canterbury (Olympia Gymnastic Sports)
• Men: James Dougal and Regan Langford – Gymsports Manukau (Icon Trampoline)

Double-mini trampoline

• Women: Bronwyn Dibb – Canterbury (ICE Trampoline)
• Men: Lachie Kirk - Canterbury (ICE Trampoline)

Tumbling

• Lachie Kirk - Canterbury (ICE Trampoline)

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