Sukma XXI: Sarawak women’s artistic gymnastics team bags two bronze medals

SERIAN (Aug 22): The Sarawak women’s artistic gymnastics team captured two bronze medals in the team and all-around final Malaysia Games (Sukma) competition at the Serian Conference Centre here today.

Audrey Jude Rendih Alexander, Cassandra Lavigne Shelden, Allya Kauthar Openg, Audi Zulkarnien and Nur Qurratu Aini Norasharudin performed well to collect a total of 172.700 points to finish third in the team competition participated by nine teams.

Federal Territories, represented by Bianca Ishida, Chai Zi Yen, Hannah Yasmeen Mazwan, Choy Jia Jia, Marissa Zaiful Azian and Nur Tashalina Nadzreena Mohd Shaharuddin, won the gold with 174.050 points while Selangor took the silver with 173.500 points through Airisha Zuraidi, Atiqah Rudy, Cadence The Zi Qi, Haifa Izzazi Mohd Faizul, Nicole Wong Ziyi and Leong Yee Shean.

Cassandra picked up another bronze when she finished third in the all around final with 47.300 points while the gold and silver were won by Cadence The Zi Qi (49.600) and Marissa Zaifil Azian (47.750) respectively.

Coach Maia Gvaramadze expressed satisfaction and happiness over the performance of the state team, saying that it was a good improvement when compared to the fourth placing in the last Sukma in Kuala Lumpur in 2022.

“We faced problems in preparing the team post-MCO and we managed to bring back the girls for training and centralised training.

“We were also competing against teams like Federal Territories and Selangor who have many national gymnasts in their teams,” she said.

“Today’s result is a really big motivation for them. Previously, they had other coaches, and when those coaches left, the girls felt discouraged.

“But now, I think they’ve made a comeback, they’re getting better, and I hope the next Sukma will be even more successful,” she added.

Deputy Minister of Food, Commodity and Regional Development Datuk Martin Ben, who is also Kedup assemblyman was present to give away the prizes to the winners.

Cassandra, Audrey and Audi have the opportunity to win more medals after they qualify for the finals of individual events on Friday and Saturday.

Eleven more golds are up for grabs in the individual events, with six golds offered tomorrow in the men’s floor exercise, pommel horse, rings and women’s vault and uneven bars while the other five golds will be contested in the men’s vault, parallel bars, horizontal bar and women’s balance beam and floor exercise.

Artistic gymnastics in this Sukma offers 14 golds.