Nine trampoline gymnasts from Launceston PCYC and Kingborough Gymnastics Club will head to the Portuguese city of Santarem to contest the Scalabis Cup next week.
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The competition will showcase some of the best trampoline gymnasts from the 16 countries of Portugal, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Great Britain, Greece, Kazakhstan, Namibia, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, USA, and of course, Australia.
The competition is part of an international training and development tour organised by Kingborough and Launceston to provide international experience and exposure to their gymnasts and coaches.
State coach and trampoline team leader at Kingborough Ben Kelly has welcomed the support in sending the team to Santarem and believes the gymnasts will gain invaluable experience through competing in Europe.
Kelly said Portugal is one of the strongest nations in the world having won numerous world championship titles in double-mini as well as being well represented at the Olympic Games and world championship level in the individual trampoline discipline.
The team of nine will take part in a short training camp after the competition with the local Portuguese team as well as trampoline gymnasts from Spain and Finland, before heading to Belgium for a second training camp with Olympic hopeful Loic Loir.
Attending the event will be Dylan Hill, Blair Kirkpatrick, and Nathaniel Suidgeest from Launceston.
Joining them on the flight to Europe will be Tala Castro Sherrin, Amber French, Matthew French, Maia Johnson, Eddy Rand and Patrick Schluter from Kingborough.
All team members have either represented Australia in the past or been medal winners at key national events over the past two years.
Kelly believes the team will compete confidently against some strong opposition in Santarem.
“Events like these are critical in developing strong, independent and confident trampoline gymnasts,” he said.
The team will leave for Portugal on Sunday.
Events like these are critical in developing strong, independent and confident trampoline gymnasts
- State coach Ben Kelly