• Gymnastics

Crete gymnasts soak up experience at Paris World Cup

• 3 Hours Ago

Four of the country’s rising artistic gymnasts from Crete Gymnastics Club gained valuable experience at the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) Artistic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup in Paris, France, last weekend.

The event featured gymnasts from 38 countries and offered athletes the chance to earn points towards their FIG world ranking.

The contingent of Immanuel Kooper, Sureshini Andrew, Jonie Thorburn and Anne-Leen Thorburn was accompanied by women’s artistic gymnastics coach Petra Thorburn, men’s artistic gymnastics coach Morihei Anderson and judge Claudia Jaeger.

A statement by the club said Kooper was the standout gymnast of the group, showing strong performances across three apparatuses.

He placed 38th on floor, 19th on vault and 40th on horizontal bar. “His top-20 vault placement marked a standout result in a highly competitive field,” the statement read.

Anne-Leen Thorburn competed on uneven bars and balance beam, finishing 36th on bars and 53rd on beam. “She displayed composure under pressure at her international outing.”

Meanwhile, her sister Jonie earned 30th place on vault, 51st on beam and 51st on floor. “She displayed versatility across the three apparatuses and gained invaluable experience against some of the sport’s finest competitors.”

Debutant Sureshni Andrew competed on uneven bars, securing a respectable 45th place in her first-ever World Cup outing.

The gymnasts’ coaches expressed pride in the team’s efforts, emphasising that the results reflect both the depth of the competition and the steady progress of the athletes as they pursue higher-level success.

“While podium finishes were out of reach this time, the competition served as an important stepping stone for the athletes. It provided international exposure and a chance to measure themselves against elite gymnasts from around the globe,” they said.

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