Seven of the top rhythmic gymnasts in Namibia are currently preparing for the first highlight of 2007.
They will participate in the Inter-national Inter-Club Competition in Stellenbosch, South Africa from 28 – 31 March 2007. The organizing committee is expecting teams from Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Malaysia, Namibia, Australia, Zimbabwe, Ukraine and South Africa. In the senior category, Ukraine will be represented amongst others by the no 2 from the previous Olympic Games, Anna Bessanova. In the same cate-gory, the two South African partici-pants in the Olympics, Stephanie Sandler and Odette Richards will participate.
Namibia will be represented by seven gymnasts of SKW Gymnastics Academy, namely Veronica Lepekha in the category Infant B; Maike Brandt, Michelle Bierbach und Nadja Reichstein in the category Infant A; Ida Steenkamp in the Pre-junior category as well as Nicole Bierbach and Mirja Stoldt in the Junior cate-gory. They will be accompanied by their coach Angela Lepekha as well as Meagan Bierbach as judge.
Furthermore, SKW Gymnastics Academy successfully organized an introductory course for rhythmic gymnastics for parents or other interested persons. It took place on 27 February and 7 March 2007 at Sport Klub Windhoek and was sponsored by First National Bank of Namibia. National judge Inke Stoldt explained the basics of body move-ments, apparatus handling and judging.