Glyn back from gymnastics trip

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 2, 4 June 1985, Page 16

Glyn back from gymnastics trip

Glyn Hubbard, coach of the Turoa Tumblers, recently returned to the region after managing the New Zealand under lf gymnastic team during a trip to Australia. The group of eight boys and four officials first travelled to Adelaide where they competed against the South Australian gymnastics' team. Although they competed the day after they arrived, they managed to beat the strong Australian team. Glyn says the boys did really well, "It was a very demanding competition because the boys were still adjusting to the climate — 28° and recovering from the long journey." After competing at the South Australian Institute, the young Kiwi gymnasts spent a week training there. Glyn says the boys benefitted from the training ir the institute as the facilities there are far better thar any where in New Zealand. From Adelaide the group travelled to Canberra where they trained at the Australian Institute of Sport. They then competed against the Australian team, which trains for 33 hours a week compared to the New Zealanders' 1 0. The Australian team scored 303.4 points to New Zealand's 289.2. "Each gymnast in the Australian team is on a scholarship and gets more money than the whole New Zealand Gym Association," says Glyn. Two years ago, when the Australian team visited New Zealand, the Central Region team beat the Australian team in a competition held in OhaLune.

"But such is the progress they have made since they received extra financial support," says Glyn, "we can't now hope to compete with the Australian team unless we get similar support." He says New Zealand has been left behind Australia now and doubts whether ou gymnasts will ever catch up The team continued training at the Australian Institute of Sport which is the largest sports' complex in Australia. "Compared to New Zealand it's amazing but to the rest of the world it's just chicken feed," said Glyn. Next stop for the New Zealanders was Sydney where the boys were given a lesson by Mako Sakamoto, who coached Peter Vidmar, gold medalist at the Los Angeles Olympics. The trip finished with sightseeing around Sydney and duty free shopping. Glyn has come back with many new training and coaching ideas. But he says the ideas and facilities can only be of use to Kiwi gymnasts if they receive financial backing. "In Australia all the coaches are paid so they can make a living out of training, but here it is all voluntary so we have to do another job to make a living — in Australia they think we're mad and I think they're right," says Glyn. Glyn has brought back video tapes to show to the Turoa Tumblers. Last weekend, the Tumb

lers' junior team competed in the first competition in Wanganui and next week the senior boys take part in a regional meeting in Napier. Results of last weekend's competition, the Wanganui Boys' and Girls' Club Diamond Jubilee Competition were as follows: Boys Grade 10 - Shaun McLean, 1st overall, gold medal. Grade 8 - Glenn

McLean, 2nd floor; Scott Wise, 2nd high bar; bronze medal in team event - Glenn McLean, Scott Wise, Warwick Hays. Grade 7 - Glenn lrwin, 3rd floor. Grade 6 - Dean Drayton, 3rd floor, 3rd pommells, 3rd vault. Girls Grade 8 - Sarah Bennett, 3rd vault; Kirsty Mcllroy, 1st vault, 3rd bars, 2nd beam, 2nd overall, silver medal. Grade 5 - Anna Chung, 1st beam; silver medal in team event - Anna Chung, Cindy Langdon, Deidre Hamon. Grade 4 - Carys Hubbard, 1st vault, 1st bars, Ist beam, 1st floor, 1st overall, gold medal.