US-TRAINED Tchelzy Elbinias Maayo stamped her class in her age group while promising Fil-Am Lauren Supnet emerged as the individual all-around champion in the closely-contested senior division of the well-attended GAP Gymnastics Challenge Cup over the weekend at the GAP gym inside the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
Currently training at the Great American Gymnastics Express Center, the home gym of Paris Olympian Aleah Finnegan, in Blue Springs, Missouri, Maayo,13, ruled the vault with a runaway top score of 11.60 points.
She then added the uneven bars (10.53) and floor exercise (11.20) trophies in the meet organized by the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Smart/PLDT, Dunkin Donuts and Milo.
Although she was limited to a fourth-place finish (9.00) on the balance beam, her three apparatus victories were more than enough for her to cop the prestigious individual all-around plum in the 13-14-year-old division with a score of 42.33 points.
“I am very happy to have won the three individual events as well as the all-around. Medyo nag-slip lang po ako sa balance beam and missed out on another medal,” Maayo, a former Batang Pinoy standout, said.
“Tchelzy’s training at the GAGE Center has really helped her improve her performance. We would like to thank GAP for enabling her to train in the US,” said her mother, Michele, of her daughter, who now also goes to Summit Christian Academy, the same school where Finnegan went.
“Maayo did very well and is the future of local women’s artistic gymnastics. We look forward to her competing for pride and glory for our country in international competitions,” said GAP president Cynthia Norton of the young gymnast after the biennial event held to discover new talents.
Considered one of the rising stars of the Seattle-based Metropolitan Gymnastics Academy, Supnet, 16, overcame early jitters to bag the uneven bars gold (11.63) and silvers in the balance beam (10.60) and floor exercise (11.57), good enough to earn individual all-around honors with a score of 46.80 points.
“We made some mistakes because we were a bit nervous performing here for the first time, so I was a bit upset about that. I felt the pressure because this is my first international event and in front of my family and a huge crowd,” said Supnet, who aspires to compete for the national team in the 33rd Thailand Southeast Asian Games in December.
Among those who witnessed her perform in the competition supported by Quatro Philippines and Dove was her grandfather, top legal eagle Atty. Raymond Fortun.
“Definitely will be more calm and do better,” added the petite and pretty gymnast, whose ultimate dream is to represent the Philippines in the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
Now training at the Pacific Reign Club in Seattle, Cadyn Nicole Nyland, who won four gold and one silver medal in the 2024 Batang Pinoy National Championships in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, topped the balance beam (10.87) and floor exercise (11.73) and silvers in the vault (11.50) and individual all-around (41.83).
Hobbled by a right sprain ankle suffered on the eve of the meet, national pool member Haylee Garcia, who now trains with Arizona Dreams Club in Prescott, Arizona under former national coach Van Talingting, took the vault gold (12.10), silver in the uneven bars (8.90) and bronze in the individual all-around (41.0)
“Nagka-sprain si Haylee during her podium training sa floor exercise so hindi siya makagalaw ng tunay na gusto niya. She definitely could have done more,” rued Talinting of the misfortune that befell his athlete.
