Olympic futures: Meet the Gold Coast gymnasts eyeing down Brisbane 2032

It has mirrored the overall growth of the sport throughout Australia, with the Australian Sports Commission’s latest AusPlay (National Sport and Physical Activity Participation Report) showing a 122,000 person increase in gymnastics over the past year.

The sport boasts the highest participation rates alongside swimming, football and dancing for Aussie children.

“Gymnastics has traditionally been a popular activity for children across the country, particularly in those fundamental years of a child’s development.

To see gymnastics once again the second most popular physical activity for this age group speaks to why so many people continue to participate,” Gymnastics Australia’s CEO Alexandra Ash said.

“We know our sport provides young Australians with the basic skills and knowledge for all aspects of life.

“And this result is testament to our affiliated clubs which do an incredible job in educating and enabling practice of these vital skills.

“Running programs like KinderGym, they are providing a new generation of Australians with the confidence and motivation to move their bodies.”

So who are the best young gymnasts on the Gold Coast? We’re here to uncover the best of the best in every discipline.

Meet 31 of the the region’s top junior gymnasts who have ‘Brisbane 2032 Olympics’ on their bucket lists.

Have an athlete in mind? Contact the Gold Coast Bulletin and help grow our list of promising talent in the region.

Elite Rhythmic Gymnastics Club

Maria Zhuravleva

Age: 8

Discipline: high performance stream: Development

Results: All Around QLD State Champion (2 gold medals, 1 silver)

Kayla Roy

Age: 8

Discipline: high performance stream: Development

Results: All Around 3rd place QLD State Champion (1 silver medal )

Imogen Jensen

Age: 8

Discipline: Level 3 Sub Junior

Results: All Around QLD State Champion (2 gold medals, 1 silver)

Mimi Swan

Age: 7

Discipline: Level 3 Sub Junior

Results: All Around 2nd place QLD State Champion (2 silver medals)

Olivia Cowdrey

Age: 9

Discipline: Level 3 Junior

Results: All Around QLD State Champion (2 gold medals, 1 silver)

Charlotte Jeffery

Age: 9

Discipline: Level 4 Junior

Results: All Around QLD State Champion (1 gold medal, 1 silver)

Qualia Maher

Age: 8

Discipline: Level 4 Junior

Results: All Around 2nd place QLD State Champion (1 gold medal, 1 silver)

Isabella Lin

Age: 9

Discipline: Level 4 Junior

Results: All Around 3rd place QLD State Champion (1 silver medal, 2 bronze medals)

Emika Clark

Age: 9

Discipline: Level 5 Junior

Results: All Around QLD State Champion (3 gold medals)

We also have results where gymnasts in level 7 and level 8 won individual apparatus medals:

Kamila Zalogin, 14, Level 7 junior, bronze medal in clubs routine

Hayley Kam, 11, Level 7 junior, silver medal in ball routine

Elandra Maher, 12, Level 8 junior, gold medal in ribbon routine

Coastal Champions Gymnastics

Amy Messer

Age: 10

Discipline: Special Olympics Level 1

Results: 2nd over all Level 1 State Club Challenge Competition in Brisbane. Qld Gymnastics Gold on Floor, Gold on Bars, Silver on Beam and Silver on Vault making our club and Amy 2nd in the state for Special Olympics.

@coastal_champions_gymnastics

St Hilda’s School

Jessica Cleverly

Age: 17

Comment: Senior International Gymnast. One of few in Queensland. She is in Year 12 at St Hilda’s School and trains 30 hour a week in Brisbane with Master Coaches - Sasha and Olga Belloousov. Former coaches of Georgia Godwin (Commonwealth and Olympic Gymnast). Jessica travels to Brisbane 6 days a week for the training as well as keeping up with excellent grades at school.

Jessica will be competing at the upcoming National Clubs Competition in September for the Delta Team in the Senior International Division.

She has been in the Team Future and National High Performance Squads for a number of years attending Camps at the AIS and was a member of the Building 4 Birmingham Squad in 2021/22. Jessica was a member of the National Champion Team (Queensland) in Junior International Division at the National Championships in 2021. Injury has kept her out of competition over the last 18 months, but she has fully rehabilitated and will return to competition at National Clubs in September.

Jessica also travels to Brisbane with a Level 10 Gymnast, Ava Tyler, 16, who is also a Gold Coast resident.

2023

Regional Champion (AA – 1st Overall) – Level 10

Queensland State Team Member – National Championships 2023 – Level 10

2022

Queensland State Team Member – National Championships 2022 – Level 10

Queensland State Club Championships – 1st AA (overall), 1st Beam, 2nd Bars, 2nd Vault, 2nd Floor

National Club Championships – 2nd Bars, 3rd Vault

Skyline Gymnastics

Kiyan Mangungu

Age: 9

Discipline: Men’s Artistic Gymnastics

Kiyan is an amazing talented young man with parents that are both in the circus industry and aerials. A hard worker, he has the natural talent but the work ethic to go with it.

Last year at National Clubs, he was an integral part of our team and placed 4th in Australia in his division. He currently placed 2nd Overall at the recent Grand Prix event in Albany Creek and placed 3rd over all in Level 4 Under 10 at the Gold Coast Regional Championship’s

He also claimed Gold on rings, parallel bars and high bar, silver on vault but a stumble on pommel kept him from the top of the podium.

Kiyan is also a selected member of the Gymnastics QLD State Development Squad.

Wesley Gillespie

Age: 8

Discipline: Mens Artistic Gymnastics

Level 2 Under 8 Regional champion (Gold Coast Region) 2023

Clean sweep with gold on all apparatus.

Wesley only started gymnastics this year after seeing his older brother enjoying the sport. For an 8 year old he is very focused and loves his gymnastics. He has only competed twice but his growth from his first competition to Regionals was amazing. He competes again this weekend at our home competition the Carson Jnr Classic.

Oliver Blakemore

Age: 12

Discipline: Men’s Artistic Gymnastics

Results: 3 x Junior Regional Champion (2021-2023), Runner up state champ for pommel (2022), QLD Development Squad Member

Oliver along with being the Gold Coast Regional Champion, 3 years in a row was also in the Gold Coast regional team 3 times.

Oliver Pearson

Age: 14

Discipline: Men’s Artistic Gymnast - overall apparatus

Results:

Multiple placing and podiums wins on all apparatus at club competitions throughout the year.

2023 QLD state team

-2nd overall team award

-Individual 2nd High Bar, 2nd Floor,4th Rings, 6th Pommel and 2nd Overall Athlete

2023 State Championships

- 2nd High bar , 4th Floor, 6th Pommel , 4th overall Athlete

2023 Senior Regionals

-2nd Rings,2nd Vault, 2nd High Bar, 4th overall Athlete

Skyline Club Captain 2023

2022

QLD state championships

- 1st Vault,2nd Parallel Bars,4th High Bar, 5th Floor, 4th Overall Athlete in the state .

2022

Regional Championships

1st parallel Bars, 2nd Rings, 2nd Vault, 3rd Pommel - 3rd Overall Athlete

Selected for the Gold Coast Regional Team 2022

National clubs team event

2021

Junior Regionals

2nd overall regional champion - 1st High Bar, 1st Rings, 1st Parallel Bars, 3rd Vault, 3rd Pommel, 4th Floor

2021

State Championships

2nd Vault, 3rd Rings, 4th Floor - 4th overall state athlete

Selected for the Gold Coast Regional Challenge Team 2021

FROM COACH: “Oliver was voted in as our club captain by his peers for his leadership skills and supportive attitude he always brings to the gym. He is also training under myself to attain his coaching accreditation in 2024. Oliver earnt his first QLD State Representation this year in the Border Challenge where he competed against the best states including NSW, VIC, SA and his fellow teammates from QLD. He placed 2nd individually overall.”

Elizabeth Hocart

Elizabeth was selected into the Australian Special Olympics team to compete at the 2023 World Games in Berlin. She is the World Games champion on Floor as well.

Southport Gymnastics Club

Alyssa Holtom

Age: 13

Discipline: Women’s Artistic Gymnastics

Results: Reaching some personal PB scores and results at each Senior competition for 2023. Alyssa competed in Senior state championships. She has represented Southport Gymnastics Club in QLD State Club Championships. Alyssa was also chosen by gymnastics Queensland for the QLD Senior State Squad training.

Alexis Healey

Age: 10

Discipline: Women’s Artistic Gymnastics

Results: Gold Coast Regional 6th overall champion, placing 2nd vault, 6th beam, 5th floor, with many PB scores on each apparatus over 9 in 2023. She has represented Southport Gymnastics Club in QLD State Club Championships.

Alexis will be competing in the upcoming Junior State titles.

Isla Chow

Age: 9

Discipline: Women’s Artistic Gymnastics

Results: Placing at every competition so far for 2023 with 3rd Vault, 5th on bars and beam, 2nd floor and 4th place overall at GC Regional Championships. Represented Southport Gymnastics Club in QLD State Club Championships.

Gold Coast region representative for the Queensland border challenge.

Isla will be competing in the upcoming Junior State titles.

Elise Williams

Age: 11

Discipline: Women’s Artistic Gymnastics

Results: Placing at every competition so far for 2023 with 3rd Vault, 3th on bars, 2nd beam, 4nd floor and 2th place overall at GC Regional Championships. Represented Southport Gymnastics Club in QLD State Club Championships.

Gold Coast region representative for the Queensland border challenge.

Elise will be competing in the upcoming Junior State titles.

Sophia Kun

Age: 13

Discipline: Women’s Artistic Gymnastics

Results: Reaching some personal PB scores and results at each Senior competition for 2023. Sophia competed in Senior state championships. She has represented Southport Gymnastics Club in QLD State Club Championships. Sophia was chosen by gymnastics Queensland for the QLD Senior State Squad training.

Havarna Rogers

Age: 10

Discipline: Women’s Artistic Gymnastics

Results: Bar queen Havarna has placed at each invitational competition for 2023 with a PB score of 9.55 on bars. Placed 2nd vault, 3rd beam, 3rd bars and 2nd overall at a club invitational this year. Havarna has represented Southport Gymnastics Club in QLD State Club Championships.

She will be competing in the upcoming Junior State titles.

Ellie Hanley

Age: 12

Discipline: Women’s Artistic Gymnastics

Results: Placed 1st bars and 5th beam with a 4th overall at a club invitational 2023. She has represented Southport Gymnastics Club in QLD State Club Championships.

Ellie will be competing in the upcoming Junior State titles.

Chloe Tranter

Age: 17

Discipline: Women’s Artistic Gymnastics

Results: Placing 3rd beam, 4th beam, 5th vault at various competitions in 2023. Placing 6th overall and 3rd on bars for Senior State Championships. Chloe competed in Senior state championships. She has represented Southport Gymnastics Club in QLD State Club Championships.

Kylah Bell

Age: 12

Discipline: Women’s Artistic Gymnastics

Results: Placing 4th on bars at GC Regional championships.

Kylah has represented Southport Gymnastics Club in QLD State Club Championships. She will be competing in the upcoming Junior State titles.

Shaylah Bebendorf

Age: 9

Discipline: Women’s Artistic Gymnastics

Results: First year in competitions and Shaylah has placed at many club competitions this year. Placing 2nd bars, 5th beam and 5th overall at the Junior GC Regional Championships.

Mya Goddard

Age: 9

Discipline: Women’s Artistic Gymnastics

Results: Mya has placed each club invitational for 2023. Placing an amazing 1st on Vault at the Junior GC Regionals.

Amber Menardo

Age: 13

Discipline: Women’s Artistic Gymnastics

Results: Our bars queen Amber had a great 2023 season placing 4th bars at multiple competitions. Amber competed in Senior state championships. She has represented Southport Gymnastics Club in QLD State Club Championships.

Sarah See

Age: 8

Discipline: Women’s Artistic Gymnastics

Results: Sarah has placed in each event and overall for L3 in every competition for 2023, an impressive result at Junior GC Regionals with 1st overall, 4th Vault, 2nd Bars, 5th Beam and 5th Floor.

Zahli Harrison

Age: 9

More Coverage

Gymnastics Australia unveils new guidelines for transgender inclusion

Jack Mahony

‘Special place in my heart’: Australia’s top gymnast in Townsville

Evan Morgan

Discipline: Women’s Artistic Gymnastics

Results: Placing at every competition so far for 2023 with 2 x 1st places on beam and floor and 2nd overall at GC Regional Championships, with a PB score of 9.8 on beam in 2023. Represented Southport Gymnastics Club in QLD State Club Championships. Zahli was selected for the QLD Team Future selection, 22 gymnasts out of Queensland are chosen for this high performance style training. Gold Coast region representative for the Queensland border challenge.

Zahli will be competing in the upcoming Junior State titles.

Originally published as Olympic futures: Meet the Gold Coast gymnasts eyeing down Brisbane 2032