ILT Stadium Southland will host the country’s biggest competition of the sport until Saturday.
Stadium manager Nigel Skelt said expectations were high as it would be the largest event the venue had held since before the Covid-19 pandemic.
"We are so excited to have the best gymnasts back in the city ... To have that many legends coming to visit us is exciting.
"It will be one of our biggest events without a doubt and the calibre of the performances is just fantastic. The town will be buzzing."
All courts and the SIT velodrome will be transformed to host the five modalities — aerobics, men’s artistic, women’s artistic, rhythmic and trampoline.
Southland Women’s Artistic Gym co-ordinator Petra Grieve said Southland would be well represented by 33 athletes.
"Everyone is so excited and working really hard to make everyone in the region proud.
"This is the biggest competition of the year and our athletes will compete against the best of New Zealand. So it is a great opportunity."
Grieve said the group was excited to host the event which would feature clubs from 15 regions across the country.
They had been fundraising for a new artistic floor for the event and were stoked to be able to showcase the region’s talent.
Her group has been training for about 23-26 hours a week.
"They are used to competing in a lot of competitions but, for many of them, this will be taking part in such a big competition in their home town. So everyone is so excited."
The hospitality sector was set to benefit, too, with accommodation across the city fully booked.
Tuatara Lodge owner Nicola McGilvray said this was great as since Covid-19 she could not remember an event which attracted so many people to the region.
"It is bringing some life back to the building again — full of happy kids.
"We can hear them practising and doing their twists and flips."
- New Zealand Gymnastics Championships, ILT Stadium Southland, today until Saturday, from 7.30am-9pm. Tickets are available via Ticketek or at stadium reception.
