Look what’s heading our way

Dunedin Gymnastic Academy members (from left) Amaya Leslie (13) Abby Stevens (15), Alyssa Shelton...
Dunedin Gymnastic Academy members (from left) Amaya Leslie (13) Abby Stevens (15), Alyssa Shelton (14) and Charlotte Hewson (12) leap for joy yesterday at the prospect of receiving equipment from the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. Photo: Peter McIntosh.
Equipment used by top gymnasts, such as Simone Biles, at the  Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro will soon be landing in Dunedin.

Dunedin Gymnastic Academy president Louise Taylor  confirmed yesterday a full set of gymnastic equipment used in  Rio  would arrive in Dunedin early next year.

Six full sets of artistic gymnastic from rings to vaults,  were  being redistributed around the world through gymnastic equipment wholesalers, she said.

The academy had been in contact with its wholesaler  which had indicated the club would get one of the sets.

"It’s super exciting really. To have this sort of gear is brilliant. It is brand new, basically. Only ever been used at the Olympics. Gymnasts like Simone Biles would have used it," Taylor said.

The equipment would be used for the Paralympics which start next week in Rio and would then be  returned to the Netherlands, where it would be checked by its manufacturer.

From there, and if the paperwork  was given the all-clear, the equipment would be shipped to Dunedin and should arrive  by January.

The club  had to get rid of a large amount of  tainted gear earlier this year when its clubrooms in Willis St were found to contain asbestos.

The club would have to pay for the new gear. 

Taylor declined to say how much it would cost,  only that it was a fantastic deal, at about a third of the  normal price.

Funding from the Lion Foundation and the Otago Community Trust  made the purchase possible.

"It is a big investment for the club but it will set the club up for the next five to 10 years. Also, it will now be viable for Dunedin to host the national champs down here as the equipment will be of a national standard."

The club would have equipment such as a full rings gantry which it had  not had before.

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