From 22 until 27 November 2006 the 8th African Gymnastics Championships took place in Cape Town, South Africa.
A delegation of 29 gymnasts and officials in the categories artistic gymnastics, trampoline and rhythmic gymnastics represented Namibia in this event. They competed against gymnasts from Algeria, Botswana, Cape Verde, Central Africa, Libya, Senegal, Tunisia and host South Africa.
In Rhythmic Gymnastics, the two junior gymnasts Nicole Bierbach and Mirja Stoldt received 4th and 7th place in the all-round individual competition and clinched a silver medal in the team event behind South Africa. A team usually consists of 4 gymnasts, the best two routines per apparatus are counted. With the knowledge that they could not afford to spoil a routine they managed considerably well. In the senior category, Tamarin van Rhyn was the only Namibian gymnast and finished in 10th position.
The women’s artistic junior team finished in 2nd place behind South Africa. In the all-round competition, Lynique Louw came 5th, Kimbley-Ann van Zyl 6th, Chloe Hansen 7th, Nonna van der Merwe 11th and Michelle Solomons 12th. In the apparatus finals Kimberley-Ann van Zyl clinched a bronze medal for vault. The only Namibian competitor in the senior category was Ramona Beukes who finished fourth in the all-round competition but excelled in the apparatus finals with one silver and two bronze medals for beam, bar and floor.
In the junior men’s artistic competition Alexander Mudge finished 9th in the all-round ranking, but won a bronze medal on the pommel horse. Senior competitor Ulrich Schoeman finished 12th overall, while Robert Honiball injured himself in training and could not participate.
The trampoline gymnasts proofed to be the most successful ones. The junior girl’s team (Jeanine Joosten, Michel’le Solomons, Michelle Boucher) and the Junior boy’s team (Carel-David Rautenbach, Yledon van Neel, Andrew Maruta and Kyledon van Neel) both clinched gold and on top of that could celebrate Carel-David Rautenbach as the new African Champion in the individual junior category, with Yledon van Neel in 3rd place. Another bronze medal in the individual junior competition went to Jeanine Joosten.
Alicia Boucher was crowned African Champion in the senior ladies’ event, Frikkie Botes finished in 6th place in the senior men’s competition, while winning 2nd place together with his partner Carel-David Rautenbach in the senior syncro event. The ladies’ synchro event was won by Alicia Boucher and Jeanine Joosten, while the two junior syncro teams Michel’le Solomans/Michelle Boucher and the brothers Yledon and Kyledon van Neel clinched silver.
The head of the Namibian delegation to the African Championships, Dongina Risser, was delighted with the performance of her gymnasts. She commended the team for the outstanding team spirit and exemplary behavior at the competition. Well done Namibia!
The next big event for the Namibian Gymnastics Federation (NGF) is the Zone 6 Competition for Artistic Gymnastics, Rhythmic Gymnastics as well as Trampoline and Tumbling in Harare, Zimbabwe. This competition takes place from 7 – 13 December. 

Kimberley-Ann van Zyl on the beam