Caitlin Rooskrantz has left her mark at the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Belgium, and managed to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games in 2024.

The event which took place in Antwerp over the past week, saw the top Artistic gymnasts from around the world competing for the coveted World Champs titles, as well as qualification for the Olympic Games.

In a heartfelt message, Caitlin expressed her gratitude, saying, “By God’s grace, I have qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. It’s been a long month of competing in three different countries, with its share of ups and downs. 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 Coach of the Senior Women’s Artistic team Ilser Pelser said:

“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 and making it even more remarkable 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.”

Donny Jurgens, the President of Gymnastics South Africa, added, “Words can hardly describe how immensely proud I am as President today. These girls and their coaches have worked very hard to achieve their dreams. Now it is up to us to make sure they get all the help they need to get to the next level. This is the second time that Caitlin has automatically qualified at a World Championship due to her outstanding performances over the previous three years. South Africa also has an opportunity to qualify one more South African gymnast at the African Championships that will be held next year.”

Team South Africa also achieved a historic 19th place finish at the World Championships. Under new qualification rules set by the FIG, only one team from Africa could qualify to compete as a team.

“In previous cycles, countries could decide themselves whether their federation would like to send a team, hence using an internal qualification process. Our last team finish was 28th. This year, the African champions broke into the top 20 in the world, finishing in 19th place, with 16 for 16 clean routines. At this level, under this type of pressure, with three gymnasts competing in their very first World Championships, this truly is a remarkable achievement,” added Pelser.

Donny Jurgens concluded, “This historic team achievement of ranking 19th at the World Championships is an accomplishment that sets new standards for South African gymnastics. We extend our congratulations to Caitlin Rooskrantz, the entire South African gymnastics team, and the coaching staff for this incredible achievement. These accomplishments represent not only personal victories but also milestones for South African gymnastics.”

“We need the support of the general public and corporate South Africa now more than ever to further nurture this talent and take South African gymnastics to new heights and inspire future generations of gymnasts and continue to make history in this sport.”

The South African Women’s Artistic Gymnastics team that competed at the 2023 FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships are:

• Caleigh Anders
• Naveen Daries
• Shante Koti
• Garcelle Napier
• Caitlin Rooskrantz