By Bruce Campbell
sports reporterr
An Okotoks gymnast dialed in on the rings and vaulted to second place at the Alberta Gymnastics Championships last weekend.
Kristian Neal, 15, finished second overall at the provincial championships by finishing in the top five of the six disciplines in the Men’s Level 4 All-around.
His second-place finish secured Neal a spot on the six-man team representing Alberta at the Western Canadian Championships May 1-4 in Prince George, B.C.
He finished first in two disciplines, the rings and the vault, in Red Deer.
“The rings were a surprise, because it’s not my best event,” Neal said. “It is a pure strength event.”
Neal’s routine in the rings takes approximately 40 seconds and included two back levers.
”It isn’t a hard move, but it does take some strength,” he said. “You hold your body horizontally with your hands tucked in at the rings.”
The move has Neal parallel to the floor, looking straight down — approximately eight feet off the ground. All the while keeping steady as the judges’ keen eyes are looking for a wobble on the rings.
He also completed a press-to-a-handstand before dismounting with a double back tuck.
Neal also won his favourite event, the vault, by successfully completing a Tsukahara back flip, in which he twists after hitting the bounce board so that he is almost pushing off the vault sideways. He then does a back flip before landing.
“I knew as soon as I landed that I had a good score,” he said.
Neal finished second in the pommel horse and was fourth in both the floor exercise and the parallel bars. His only slip was on the high bar.
“I fell,” Neal said. “At that point, I didn’t think I had a chance to finish in the top four in that event..”
Despite the slip, Neal finished fifth in the high bar.
Neal may have already had a spot on Team Alberta. The team is selected by a gymnast's top score in the all-around at one of six events throughout the season, one of them being the provincial championships.
He said his performance at the Jurassic Classic earlier this season, would have likely been high enough to get on team. However, he surpassed that performance at the provincial championships.
“Making the Alberta team was my goal at the start of the year,” said Neal, who trains out of the University of Calgary under Canadian Olympic coach Tony Smith. “I have competed against some of the guys (who will compete in Prince George) and I did pretty well. I think I can finish in the top five.”
Neal began his gymnastics career as part of the boys recreation program at Mountain Shadows, a club based in Okotoks.
Neal said Mountain Shadows coach Jim McLuskey recommended that he join the University team because the local Okotoks club does not have a competitive boys’ team.
Neal estimates he trains 15 hours a week — three hours, five times a week. |
