Fine displays given in national gymnastics

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33004, 25 August 1972, Page 12

Fine displays given in national gymnastics

The Waikato champion, R. Wilkins, finished with a lead in points but six other top New Zealand gymr.asts also gave fine displays of skill, strength, and courage when the men’s A grade compulsory section was decided on the second day of the New Zealand gymnastic championships at Cowles Stadium yesterday.

H. Vanderschantz (Wanganui) Sained second place in the auntingly difficult exercises, specially set for this year’s Olympic Games. The rapidly improving Canterbury champion, I. Henderson, gained a meritorious third placWilkins, New Zealand champion in 1970, but displaced last year by the Olympic representative, T. Sale, gained his lead with a high average performance. The exercises were so complex that the Japanese Olympic team, the present world champion, has had difficulty in mastering them. The most difficult, and last, of the six routines, the horizontal bar, was an oriental complexity of full arm swings, vaults, and somersaults intermixed W'ith changes both of grip and direction of swing, which some judges said would be too difficult for top circus acrobats. This routine—which some of the competitors called "really scarey”—found weaknesses even in Wilkins’s smooth repertoire of skills. He lost substantially on points when he got out of timing, and missed his grip, and came off the bar.

Two of the competitors, N. Davies and H. Johnston (both Auckland) waved with joy to the crowd when they successfully completed the routine for the first time, after months of practice. The grace and skill in the women’s A grade compulsory contest enthralled the large gal-

lery of spectators when the Otago gymnast. Miss J. Robson, gained a slight points lead over the New Zealand champion, Miss J. Buchanan (Canterbury).

Miss Buchanan was stronger, as expected, on the bar and Hoor routines. But Miss Robson gained an advantage in her performance on the vault, while Miss Buchanan lost points with a slight unsteadiness on the beam. Two other Canterbury gymnasts. Misses A. Robinson and E. Gimmil, gave fine displays to fill the next two placings. The championship points in both men’s and women’s divisions will be decided in the voluntary exercises tomorrow. The Otago gymnast, Miss R. Pringle, showed outstanding control and technique to win the B grade women’s championship. Miss Pringle’s total of 65.95 points gave her a slight lead on her team-mate, R. Dickson (Otago), who was runner up with 65.05. Miss L. Blair (Wellington) was third.

DETAILED RESULTS Men’s A grade compulsory.—R. Wilkins (Waikato), 47.15, 1; H. Vanderschantz (Wanganui), 45.35, 2; I. Henderson (Canterbury), 44.70, 3; W. Davies (Auckland). 44.55, 4; H. Johnstone (Auckland), 41.70, 5; F. Celligoi (Canterbury), 40.45, 6. Women’s A grade compulsory. —J. Robson (Otago). 35.45, 1; J. Buchanan (Canterbury), 35.30, 2; A. Robinson (Canterbury), 34.10, 3; E. Gemmil (Canterbury), 31.25, 4; D. Riley (Auckland), 30.85, 5;

S. Johnston (Taranaki), 27.90, 6. Women’s B grade compulsory. —R. Pringle (Otago), 65 95, 1; R. Dickson (Otago), 65.05, 2; L Blair (Wellington), 63.36, 3; D Lowther (Taranaki). 63.13, 4; J. Ralph (Auckland), 62.83, 5; E. Borland (Canterbury), 62.05. 6. Youths’ A grade final.—D. Wright (Auckland). 96.90, 1; G. Walker (Taranaki), 95.03, 2; T. Coppock (Auckland), 83.95, 3. Youths* B grade.—P. Coleman (Waikato), 94 69, 1; G. Mercer (Waikato). 93.46, 2; K. Lee (Wellington), 92.0, 3; N. Saywell (Hawke's Bay), 85.97, 4; M. Loughnan (Waikato), 81.06, 5; S. Sugden (Canterbury), 76.96, 6.