Promising start to nationals in the Gold Coast

A fortnight of spectacular, athletic and incredibly skilful gymnastics – by the best Australia has to offer – began at the 2023 national championships on May 7 in the Gold Coast.

Four Jewish gymnasts were in action on the first four days, all in the discipline of artistic gymnastics.

Representing the ACT, Uri Lev – whose family is from Israel – topped a field of 45 in the vault apparatus final in the men’s level 7 open competition, earning gold with a score of 13.650.

Earlier, he also placed first in round one in vault, with a score of 13.700.

Lev, who trains at Woden Valley Gymnastics Club, came 31st in all-around.

In the same competition, NSW representative – and 2022 Maccabiah Games Australian junior athletics team member – Aiden Kanevsky made his nationals debut.

The year 11 Emanuel School student helped NSW come fourth out of six in the teams category, falling short of a team bronze medal by just one point to Western Australia.

Kanevsky came 28th in the all-around competition, placing 14th in the first round in floor and high bar, and 16th in the vault.

His best placing in the finals was 12th in the high bar, and 17th in the parallel bars.

Kanevsky, who trained for 15 hours per week in the lead-up, said, “Overall it was an amazing experience, and lots of fun just being in that environment, and I’m happy with how I did on most apparatuses.”

Victorian reps, and close friends, Jaimee Decent and Ellie Zalcman competed in the women’s level 8 (14 and under) and level 9 (14 and under) competitions respectively.

Decent, from Melbourne Gymnastics Centre, qualified for her first nationals by finishing in the top eight, out of 60, at the Victorian Championships.

In the Gold Coast, she came 21st out of 32 in all-around, contributed to Victoria placing fourth out of seven in teams, and was outstanding on the beam, qualifying for the final, where she scored 12.450 to come sixth.

She also finished in the top 20 in the uneven bars, coming 19th.

Pleased with her performance, she said she has learned a lot about competing at that level.

Zalcman, a 13-year-old CYC Gymsports member, competed in her second national championships, coming 17th out of 23 in all-around, and helping her Victoria team come fourth, just 0.55 of a point behind bronze medallists Queensland.

Still recovering from a previous injury, Zalcman’s best apparatus result was 15th in the uneven bars, scoring 11.300 in the first round, and 11.225 in the final.

On Friday (May 12), Victorian Jay Rosenzweig is due to compete in the men’s artistic gymnastics level 10 open apparatus finals, wrapping up week one of the nationals.