Caitlin Rooskrantz left her mark at the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) Artistic Gymnastics World Championships and qualified for the Olympic Games that will be staged in Paris next year.
Rooskrantz produced her highest total at the championships currently underway in Antwerp, Belgium.
In a heartfelt message, the 21-year-old artistic gymnast expressed her gratitude, saying she is blessed to have a special group that supported her through thick and thin.
“By God’s grace, I have qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games,” Rooskrantz said on Instagram.
“It’s been a long month of competing in three different countries. Not everything went exactly as planned, but we are coming home with an Olympic ticket, and that’s all that matters.
“Thank you to my incredible team, and I’m blessed to be part of such a special group.”
National team coach of the senior women’s artistic team Ilser Pelser expressed her delight, saying Rooskrantz did the unthinkable by securing qualification amid the challenges she had to overcome.
“Gymnasts had to qualify through various international competitions over a three-year period, making it a challenging journey to secure a spot at the games,” Pelser said.
“And making it even more remarkable was that Caitlin managed to secure a ticket, given the hurdles she overcame. This is Caitlin’s highest total yet at a world championships, and we are incredibly proud of her.”
Team South Africa also achieved a historic 19th place finish at the championships.
Under new qualification rules set by the FIG, only one team from Africa could qualify to compete as a team.
The team’s unity, hard work and clean routines propelled them to this remarkable achievement, with all gymnasts competing in their very first world championships.
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