South Africa has been put on to the world stage in gymnastics after 17-year-old Caitlin Rooskrantz became for the first local athlete to win a gold medal at an international gymnastics competition in Hungary.
The Szombathely Challenge Cup forms part of a series of competitions that is organised by the International Gymnastics Federation, which also serve as an opportunity for gymnasts to earn valuable points to qualify for the 2020 Olympics.
The Johannesburg-born made history when she beat Phoebe Jakubczyk from Great Britain and Roxana Popa from Spain in the Uneven Bars, however her achievements did not begin there as she had previous won gold in both the 2018 and 2019 South African Championships as well as the 2018 African Championships. To date, her victory in Hungary remains as a personal best, not only for Rooskrantz, but for South Africa, too.
How Did Her Journey to Gymnastics Begin?
As a child, Rooskrantz was constantly active that her parents decided that it would only be fair to put all of that energy to good use when at the age of six they lured her to doing gymnastics, as it was reported on colouredsa.co.za.
Today, as a single mother after her husband had passed away when Rooskrantz was only eight, Veda is proud of her daughter’s success. Despite the long and hard hours of ensuring that the elite athlete is covered by media and ready to tackle competitions, she is content as all of their sacrifices are beginning to pay off.
The focus now changes to qualifying for the Olympics that will take first priority on her list, but she also has a very challenging academic year as her final matric examinations are drawing closer where she will have to ensure that she has a good balance between the two.
Photo 1 Caption: Caitlin Rooskrantz proudly showing off her gold medal in Hungary after she became the first South African to take first place at an international gymnastics competition. Photo: @SAGymnastics
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