Gymnast boosts Games hopes

Press, 25 May 1989, Page 44

Gymnast boosts Games hopes

The accomplished Auckland gymnast, Angela Walker, boosted her hopes for Commonwealth Games success by winning the Australian national women’s rhythmic championships in Melbourne last week-end. In a triumphant performance, Walker claimed the over-all title with 34.85 points, after' taking first place in each of the four disciplines. her individual scores were 8.8 in the rope, 8.85 with the hoop, 8.75 with the ball, and 8.45 with the ribbon. The Christchurch gymnast, Kathryn Hughes, also performed with panache, taking second place over all with 33.9 points. Later Walker and Hughes represented New Zealand in a contest against the two leading Australian women, and achieved a clean sweep. Walker was first with rope, hoop and ball, and Hughes was best with the ribbon, after gaining two seconds and a third in the other disciplines. Walter, aged 22, com-

peted against the best rhythmic gynmasts in the world in Paris two weeks ago, and finished thirty-first in a field of 90. "Over all I ’ was very happy with my performances,” Walker said on her return to New Zealand yesterday. “It was the first time I had used a number of new routines I’ve worked on since the Seoul Olympics and they went very well. It has given me the confidence r was looking for and a lot of motivation, especially with the Commonwealth Games coming up in Auckland. “But I know I still have plenty of hard work ahead of me. I have to get to the stage where the routines become completely automatic.” Walker will compete in the Commonwealth Games trials in Taranaki next month, then the Auckland and New Zealand championships in July and August before returning to Europe for the world championships in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, in September. ,