Barbadian gymnasts Olivia Kelly (second left) and Anya Pilgrim (second right) are flanked by their coaches Ashley Umberger (left) and Jenny Rowland in Antwerp, Belgium.
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Things may not have gone exactly how Barbados artistic gymnasts Olivia "Storm' Kelly and Anya Pilgrim would have hoped, but both still had some significant positives to boast from their FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium.
An historic Olympic Games qualification was the main target for the American-based Kelly and Pilgrim, and though they came up short in that regards, both took heart from their respective performances on Monday.
Pilgrim, who was making her World Championships debut, welcomed the fact that she was able to overcome certain obstacles among the minor successes worth celebrating.
She tallied 46.500 All-Around, with scores of 13.100 on vault, 10.700 on uneven bars, 11.300 on the balance beam and 11.400 on her floor routine.
"I wholly enjoyed the experience. I hit all of my routines this time, even the skill that has been gave me some trouble at PanAms. So even though I did not have much preparation, I was able to do well, and I am happy with the outcome and the support I got from family and others on the island which makes me even prouder," Pilgrim told SportsMax.tv.
"I believe my score was an improvement from PanAms but of course the judging is much tighter at an event like World Championships. So, again, I am delighted that I was able to hit my beam routine which has been my troublesome event after my injury last year," the Jenny Rowland-coached gymnast added.
Given the fact that her inclusion in the Championships was somewhat last minute, the 18-year-old Pilgrim says her performance speaks volumes of her scope for improvement.
She pointed out that it will serve as a springboard for her to attain other goals and ambitions she has set for the season, particularly with her University of Florida team.
"I am just going to soak up the atmosphere here in Belgium while I reflect on the experience before returning to Florida to resume training for my NCAA season. This season, the goal, of course, would be to win a National Championship with my team, and achieve some personal bests of my own," she declared.
"And since I had to prepare my routines so early, I now have built up my endurance and stamina to complete routines on each event way before my season which will help me a lot. So now I can focus more on the details," Pilgrim shared.
For Kelly, it was her second appearance on the World Championships stage, and she beamed about the prospects, as she also expressed delight about improvements from last year's outing.
The 17-year-old, coached by Ashley Umberger, had scores of 13.200 on vault, 11.666 on uneven bars, 11.933 on the balance beam and 11.700 on her floor routine for an All-Around total of 48.499 for 75th overall. She rose three places higher than the 78th position she achieved last year.
"They took the top 14 girls, who are not on a team and the girl that placed 14th has a 49.965 and I finished with a 48.499 which means I basically just missed out. But even though I didn’t qualify here at Worlds, there are a few other opportunities I can use to qualify, but that depends on if Barbados will send me," Kelly explained.
"The experience was amazing overall. I’m not exactly sure what the plan is now, but if those opportunities are presented to me by Barbados, I will take them gladly. If not, I remain contented with how my elite season ended this year and I’m excited to start my new chapter in college next summer," she noted.
Sherdon Cowan is a five-time award-winning journalist with 10 years' experience covering sports.
World of possibilities: Lynch sees big spin-offs from Kensington Oval hosting T20 World Cup games
Noel Lynch says members of the National Organising Committee (NOC), of which he is the chairman, are equally upbeat about the positive spin-offs that will come as a result of Barbados hosting games from the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
According to Lynch, hosting matches from the June 1-29 showpiece has not only served to transform Kensington Oval into a multi-purpose stadium, but it will also create opportunities for Barbados’ young proficient cricketers.
This, as he explained that the venue will be used to foster new cricketing talent, which in turn will bring more skilled local players to a number of franchise tournaments.
“This is the real basis for the cricket factory that we want to produce for the future. I can’t think of anything that a boy or girl could do in Barbados that can earn you more money now than playing franchise cricket,” Lynch said as he addressed members of the media during Thursday’s Open Day for citizens at the newly renovated Kensington Oval.
“Being able to play franchise cricket, and T20 cricket which is what this World Cup is about, is for all young Barbadians to ensure that they feel a part of the movement and this historic thing that we are doing,” he added.
Aside from the possibility that it will boost the economy, Lynch stressed that the tournament in which Kensington Oval will host nine games including the final, provides an opportunity to introduce social and sports development programmes.
“Fundamentally, this is an important step for Barbados, an important social and economic step going forward. The people who talk about hosting global events, say that the holy trinity of hosting global events are economic impact, infrastructural legacy, and promotional value. I think that Kensington Oval is the centerpiece of this tournament and fits right into the center of that,” Lynch said.
“This is not just going to be a cricket facility; the intention here is to have an all-purpose entertainment facility. Apart from what you see here and how the $37 million has been spent on the bathrooms, bleachers, new scoreboard etc – there is a new field covering that is coming. The reason that the new field cover is coming, is that you can play cricket here one day, cover the field, have an entertainment event here, come back the next day and play cricket all over again,” he explained.
Finally, Lynch revealed that there is another component of drop in pitches – which the Prime Minister insisted on – that will also assist in making the Oval a full-fledged entertainment facility.
“What we are talking about is that we could put down in here a track and field track, maybe a cycle track if you wanted to, you can hold tennis, we can shoot a movie, hold a concert, all of those things are important for the iconic Kensington Oval,” he noted.
Toni-Ann Williams excited to lead Jamaica gymnastics into the future as Technical Director
History-making Jamaican Olympian Toni-Ann Williams has expressed her excitement and optimism at being appointed Technical Director of the Jamaica Gymnastics Association. Nicole Grant, the association’s president made the announcement this past weekend about the appointment of Williams, who in 2016 became the first ever gymnast to represent the country at an Olympic Games.
In an exclusive interview with Sportsmax.TV, Williams detailed her vision for the future of the sport in Jamaica.
“Yeah, I'm really excited about the position,” Williams shared. “I think it's something we've not had before in the organization, especially when I started there. I want to be able to bring a level, a little more organization, a little more direction, put some values and some motives behind the organization.”
Williams, 28, is determined to leverage her extensive experience and educational background—including degrees in Legal Studies, Social Welfare, and a Master’s in Sports Ethics and Integrity—to enhance the structure and support within the association. “I think before, we've had really great representatives of the movement, but I think now we have more people supporting Jamaica gymnastics to be able to facilitate from the smallest things, helping to make sure they get to their hotel on time, and who's able to go to competitions and, you know, to the big things, like, you know, helping to find funding and things like that.”
Reflecting on her own journey, Williams is committed to giving back to the sport and aiding its development in Jamaica. “Being able to have a support system, especially from people who've been there, done that, is, I would have really appreciated as an athlete. And so this is my way of being able to give back to the athletes and being able to help Jamaica gymnastics get to the vision that we see.”
Adding to the excitement, the appointment of her former coach, Mladen Stefanov, a former Bulgarian Olympic gymnast, as Head Coach, promises to further elevate Jamaica’s gymnastics program. “Mladen has been the head coach on and off throughout the years, even since when I was a gymnast, and he always brings such a great energy. All the athletes from past and present love working with him,” said Williams.
Williams and Stefanov’s combined expertise is expected to drive significant advancements. “We already have a great foundation, so we communicate super well, and he understands, obviously, the technical coaching side, and I being able to bring my experience as an athlete, so both of our experiences come together really well, and being able to help the athletes and being able to figure out what's best for what competition should we go to, what skills work, what routines don't work and that's not something we've had before.”
Looking ahead, Williams is hopeful about the potential for growth despite the resource challenges. “Of course, we have a long way coming, and, of course, we need more resources, but being able to have people like myself being able to help Nicole Grant, being able to pilot these initiatives, I'm really excited about, and really, I think it's really great for the future of Jamaica Gymnastics.”
Williams believes this strategic leadership is a crucial step towards elevating Jamaica’s presence in the gymnastics world. “We have a lot of powerhouses like USA and Brazil; of course, they have the resources, but they also have people who know the sport really well and have people that support. And I think that's a great start for Jamaica, to start having people in the corner who understand the sport, understand what's needed, understand the athlete's point of view, to be able to support them, and hopefully that's a step forward towards more resources and more opportunities for the athletes,” she opined.
Grant pleased with growth as Jamaica to host inaugural Carifta Gymnastics Champs
Jamaica’s Gymnastics Association (JAGA) president, Nicole Grant says securing hosting rights for the inaugural Carifta Gymnastics Championships not only marks another milestone achievement for her administration, but more importantly, signifies the country’s continued growth in the sport.
Though the region has been known for the Carifta Games and Carifta Swimming Championships, where rising stars showcase their athletics and aquatic prowess across various age groups, there has never been an outlet for gymnast.
That prompted Grant and others to work with the Pan American Gymnastics Union (PAGU) to conceptualize the Carifta Gymnastics Championships, which is set for November 29-30 at the National Indoor Sports Centre.
“Hosting the inaugural Carifta Gymnastics Championships is a significant achievement for Jamaica Gymnastics. It showcases Jamaica's commitment to the sport and its ability to organize a major regional event. Carifta has been around for many years but gymnastics hasn’t been part of it and because of the technicality of the sport,” Grant told SportsMax.TV.
“This event provides a platform for gymnasts in the Caribbean region to compete and showcase their talents. It also helps to promote gymnastics in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean, inspiring more young athletes to take up the sport. Overall, hosting such a prestigious event is a great honor and a testament to Jamaica's growing presence in the gymnastics community,” she added.
Olympian Toni-Ann Williams and Coach Mladen Stefanov.
Grant explained that Jamaica found favour with the PAGU since last year’s successful staging of the Pan American Hopes tournament, and she is eager to deliver another fine spectacle.
“We were seen as a country that has the capability of hosting tournaments of this level and therefore we were given the nod. There were three other countries in the running to host the tournament, which included Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, and Bahamas,” Grant shared.
“I can tell you that Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Bahamas, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands are already confirmed to participate, and each country is expected to bring about 20-30 athletes, at a minimum. So while we wait on other countries to confirm their participation, we are focused on delivering what we hope will be a memorable first staging,” she declared.
On another note, Grant revealed that Jamaica has also secured the services of Olympian Toni-Ann Williams as Technical Director with her former coach Mladen Stefanov, set to guide the country’s team which begins preparation next month.
“Toni-Ann will be working with us on a monthly basis. She will begin in July with a camp for the team competing at the Carifta Gymnastics Championships and Mladen Stefanov will be the Head Coach for the senior male and female teams. He was Toni-Ann’s coach throughout her years as gymnasts and has worked with us over the years, so we are pleased to have them both on our technical team,” she noted.
Prior to the Carifta Gymnastics Championships, Grant pointed out that Jamaica’s athletes will engage two overseas training camps, in Canada and China, to fine-tune techniques and routines.
“The China camp is a part of the bilateral agreement between both ministries of sports and is the final leg of that camp. Also, our higher level local gymnasts will have a four-week camp in Canada to also prepare for the tournament,” she ended.
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