The Australian Gymnastics Championships is a highly anticipated event on Australia’s gymnastics calendar.
The competition brings senior gymnasts from all over Australia, each aiming for national titles while proudly representing their state.
The event is not just about winning medals; it highlights the dedication, skill and athleticism that define gymnastics.
Sydney Hills Gymnastics excelled at the recent Senior State Championships, with 12 athletes selected to represent New South Wales in Men’s Artistic Gymnastics at the Australian Championships in May.
Our gymnasts impressed fans and aspiring athletes with their routines, winning 29 medals – 12 gold, 11 silver and 6 bronze!
Lucas and Max reached new personal bests in Senior International sessions
Competing in Senior International, Lucas Engesser helped the NSW Team win its third Champion Team Title. He achieved a personal best all-around score to finish in 8th place, with four of his scores contributing to NSW bringing home the gold medal.
Max Langdon, who is focusing on the Pommel Horse, grabbed a silver medal with his best-ever score in a close battle for the national title.
Record medal haul by our Junior International stars leads the NSW Team to victory
Four Sydney Hills Gymnasts joined the NSW Team for the Junior International competition. Ritam Malik, Daniel Chalabov, Julian Tavares, and Tom Zurcher played a key role in the team’s success. Their scores helped NSW win the National Champion Team title for the third year in a row, finishing 10 points ahead of the second-place team.
In Level 9 Under 18, Ritam Malik showed his dominance by scoring personal bests on both days. Getting closer to an 80 all-around score, he was crowned the Junior International All-Around Champion. Ritam won three National Champion Titles for Floor, Pommel Horse and High Bar. He also earned bronze medals for Vault and Parallel Bars, bringing his individual medal tally to six!
Daniel Chalabov took out 2nd place in the All-Around competition, winning a total of 5 medals. Daniel also won bronze for Floor, silver for Rings and Vault, and became the National Champion for Parallel Bars.
Working hard behind the scenes before his international debut at the New Zealand Classic, Julian Tavares improved on his State Championships All-Around score. Finishing in 6th All-Around, he won a bronze medal for his High Bar routine.
Daniel Farrell took part in his second Australian Gymnastics Championships. Daniel achieved his best All-Around total, improving his scores on all six apparatus.
In the Level 9 under 15 competition, Tom Zurcher finished 6th All-Around. He continues to impress on the Parallel Bars, winning a bronze medal for his routine.
Level 7 Boys make an impressive debut at Nationals
In their National debut, Jarod Ian de Jesus, Damian Shurunov, Benjamin Tang and Ryan Dang made up the entire NSW Team. In a proud moment for Coach Yiheng, the boys were silver medallists in the team event. Yiheng praised their determination, saying they succeeded by rising to the occasion and overcoming their fears and doubts.
During two days of competition, Jarod Ian de Jesus performed consistently and finished in 2nd place All-Around. He won two National Champion Titles for Floor and High Bar and earned a silver medal for Pommel Horse.
Benjamin Tang was a dependable team member, finishing 6th All-Around. He secured two top 6 positions, placing 5th on Floor and 4th on High Bar.
Winning two National individual medals, Damian Shurunov finished in 8th place All-Around. His hard work on both days earned him a bronze on Floor and silver for Rings.
Ryan Dang proved his talent on the Pommel Horse. He finished in 4th place with consistent high scores on both days.
We are giving a special mention to Zachery Brotherton for his incredible start at Nationals. Sadly, he had to withdraw from competing after finishing only three apparatus. We want to thank Zach for his team spirit and for showing up to support the NSW teams.
Proud Moments at the Australian Gymnastics Championships: Insights from Coach Vassili
In a chat with our MAG Head Coach, Vassili Trofimov, he shared his thoughts on the Australian Gymnastics Championships. “There were so many proud moments,” he said. “All of our athletes showed great sportsmanship and gave their all to represent the State.”
Talking about the atmosphere at the Australian Gymnastics Championships, Vassili mentioned the importance of having all State Team members cheering for each other. “There is real value,” he said, “to have all the members of the State Team showing up to competitions to cheer for each level.” He noted, “The results speak of this support,” mentioning that despite tough battles, our gymnasts brought home well-deserved medals.
Vassili also spoke about the club’s support team, saying, “When we compete, we always feel the support of our team back home. They’ve been with us every step of the way.”
He also emphasised the team effort needed for the boys to compete at this level, saying, “It’s not just the boys, it’s the whole coaching team. Sasha, especially, has coached all these boys at some point in their journey.”
Vassili also thanked the SHG parent community for supporting the boys’ trip as a team and allowing them to cheer on other team members after their competition ended.
Written by Alison Langdon from Sydney Hills Gymnastics