Kelly triple gold winner at Atlantics

Newfoundland and Labrador is earning respect in gymnastics, and showings at the most recent Atlantic Championships prove it.

Overall, the province won three team gold medals, two individual gold medals, and two third-place ribbons - one belonging to Gander's own James Kelly.

Kelly was dominant in 13-plus level three boys at Atlantics, held April 23-24 in Charlottetown, P.E.I, winning gold in floor and vault, third in pommel horse and rings, fourth in parallel and horizontal bars, to finish third overall. Kelly was also a member of Newfoundland and Labrador team that won gold in that level.

Despite his strong performance at Atlantics, Kelly believes he could have done a lot better.

"I actually think I had kind of a bad day...I didn't do my best," he said. "I fell on pommel horse and could have done better on parallel bars."

Although he knows he could have done better, Kelly, who is a member of the Canada Games training squad, thoroughly enjoyed another Atlantics competition. In fact, this year's Atlantics goes down as his best to date.

"I think this was the best Atlantics I've ever been to," he said. "I had lots of fun."

Gander Airials Gymnastics Club head coach Joanne Power said James had a great showing at Atlantics. She said he's been focusing on a few apparatuses for Canada Games, and he proved at Atlantics that not only can he do well in those apparatuses, but he can also win on them.

"He did really well. The events we've been focusing a lot on for Canada Games are floor and vault, and he won gold on both at Atlantics," said Power. "This is his second year in level three, and our goal this year was to be near the top at level three, and he finished in the top three."

With all sports, it's not always about winning medals - it's about reaching personal goals. For Glovertown Aesirs Gymnastics Club athlete Becky Smith, she was pleasantly surprised with a top-five finish in an apparatus that she doesn't consider her strongest.

"I finished fourth on beam, which was awesome, because I never placed on beam before," said Smith. "I personally didn't feel like I did all that well on beam. I felt like I was a little shaky and thought I could have done better. So when they called out my name, I looked at my mom and said, 'I think they messed up my name.'"

Smith finished ninth overall in women's open two, and like Kelly, also came home with a team gold medal in her level. Smith said she didn't expect to return home from P.E.I. with hardware, but added when Newfoundland and Labrador was announced as the team gold-medal winners in women's open two, the team "flipped," and not in the typical gymnastics' fashion.

"It was great," she said of winning gold. "When they announced Team Newfoundland won gold, we all flipped out. That was something I never expected...I did not expect to come home with a medal at all."

For Smith, she said Newfoundland and Labrador's showing at Atlantics proves the old saying is true - it's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.

"Newfoundland dominated...we did awesome," said Smith. "It shows that although we're a smaller province, and although we don't have as many people as other provinces, or as many people involved with gymnastics, we really bring it when we compete."

Newfoundland and Labrador's accession into gymnastics comes from a few different things, according to Power and Kelly. The young gymnast said more athletes are getting involved with the sport, and Power said the coaches are pushing each other to produce better gymnasts.

"Gymnastics is growing a lot in Newfoundland, said Kelly. "There are more people getting involved in gymnastics, and we have a lot of good coaching."

"The standard has really been rising the past five years in Newfoundland," added Power. "There has been a lot of support for Gymnastics Newfoundland and Labrador, and they've taken on a lot of initiatives. The calibre of coaching we're getting in Newfoundland right now is a lot better than it's been in the past. Full-time coaches are coaching about 30 hours a week, and because of that, coaches are pushing each other to do better because we're competing against each other."

Local notables

Airials' gymnasts Ian Coxon and Curtis Simpson competed in 13-and-over level one boys, and finished 16th and 18th overall respectively. Coxon's highest individual finish was a third, which came in vault, while Simpson's best individual finish was a 12th, which came in floor.

Gander's Zachary Cook competed in 13-and-older level three boys, and finished eighth overall. His best finish was a second in floor, while also finishing third in horizontal bars.

Aesirs' Joshua Holloway competed against Kelly in 13-plus level three boys, and finished fifth overall. His top individual result was second in parallel bars, and he also finished third in vault.

Gander gymnasts Brittany Freake, Daniella James and Jackie Oates competed in women's open two, and finished sixth, 11th and 13th overall respectively. Freake's best individual result was a second in beam, while James finished seventh in beam, and Oates finishes fifth in floor.

Coxon, Simpson, Holloway, Freake, James and Oates all brought home gold medals as members of Team Newfoundland and Labrador, who finished first in their respective levels.

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