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    ON HOLD: Natimuk and District Gymnastic Club gymnast Remi Bailey will push ahead with home training after qualifying for Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Senior Victorian Championships. The event is postponed indefinitely in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Gymnast Remi Bailey focused on championships

By SARAH MATTHEWS

Young Horsham gymnast Remi Bailey has qualified for state gymnastics championships for a fifth time, his first at senior level.

Remi, 11, qualified to compete on all six apparatus at the Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Senior Victorian Championships, which were scheduled for this month. 

Gymnastics events are another casualty of cancellations and postponements in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. 



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Remi, who competes for Natimuk and District Gymnastic Club, said he was excited to qualify for the prestigious event.

“My state trial was at Gymnastics Victoria’s High Performance Centre in Melbourne,” he said. 

“I compete at level five. I qualified on high bar, parallel bars, vault, floor and pommel for my first senior championships, which were supposed to be in April at Geelong Arena.

“I don’t know when they will be on now.”

Remi also qualified on rings based on past performances. He had a medical certificate after injuring his sternum three weeks out from the competition.

His coach, Lynette Morrow, said Remi competed well considering his injury had hampered his training significantly.

“With special consideration, he was still able to perform, with a downgraded degree of difficulty to compete safely,” she said.

“Remi’s knowledge of the sport and hard work took him a long way.

“He competed on five of six of his apparatus, and came third on high bar with a modified routine.

“Under the circumstances he performed really well, as we can see by his third placing.

“To get through to the finals during these hard times has lifted his spirits and given him something to focus on.” 

Remi is the only male gymnast from the Natimuk club competing in the senior championships. 

“It’s hard to compete on your own down there – that’s scary enough,” Morrow said.

“To qualify for finals is a good achievement for Remi. 

“He trains very hard and he trains less hours than other kids, because we don’t do big hours at Natimuk. 

“He is self-motivated and he makes the most of his training time.” 

Remi, who enjoyed podium finishes at all four junior championships, said his senior trial was a ‘very different experience because of the virus’.

“There were no spectators allowed, so my mum couldn’t come in,” he said.

“We were separated from the judges and I had to get my own ribbon from a table as there were no official presentations, just announcements.

“But I had my coaches, Lynette and Meagan with me, so it was good.”

Remi, who trains at the Natimuk gym three nights a week, loves competing. 

“I’ve been competing with a lot of the same boys over the years, so I look forward to the state championships to see them again,” he said. 

Four national level-eight Natimuk gymnasts were set to compete in state trials the following week, but the event was also postponed due to the COVID-19 threat. 

Hailey Puls, Lani Jones, Brooklyn Fraser and Myssi Patterson were set to compete individually and as a team.

“The girls were looking very good and were excited to go,” Morrow said.

“Like Remi, they are doing home programs.”

Morrow said she had dropped off equipment to gymnasts and would ‘trickle feed’ programs to help them maintain their flexibility, strength and fitness while the gym was closed. 

She said although Gymnastics Victoria had postponed the championships, indefinitely, there were positive signs.

 “Gymnastics Victoria is very hopeful and positive, which feeds back to the gymnasts and hopefully motivates them not to slack off,” she said.

“They are committed to giving all of these gymnasts an opportunity to compete at the highest level.”

The entire April 1, 2020 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!