Duchaine wins third straight junior national title

Rhythmic gymnastics
Mariud Ngula
  • 1 Day Ago
Namibian rhythmic gymnastics sensation Kayla Duchaine once again impressed by winning the Junior Olympic national title for the third consecutive year, becoming the country’s first gymnast in the section to achieve the feat.

Duchaine secured her first title in 2023, her second last year, and her third at this year’s Rhythmic Gymnastics Senior National competition, which was hosted by Windhoek Rhythmic Club (WRC) in Olympia last weekend.

Held under the auspices of the Namibian Gymnastics Federation (NGF), the event attracted around 100 gymnasts from various clubs in the Erongo and Khomas regions.

The gymnasts showcased their artistic expression and elegance in Level 4 to Senior Olympic category for top honours across the ball, clubs, hoop and ribbon disciplines.



A dream come true

Duchaine welcomed the Junior Olympic national gold medal, describing her third title as a dream come true.

“Every year brings new challenges, so I feel thankful and truly blessed for this achievement. All glory goes to God for giving me the strength, focus and courage to perform at my best,” she said.

She extended gratitude to her family, coaches at Elite, and the NGF for their constant support and belief in her abilities. She noted their encouragement as her key motivation and reminder that hard work, faith and dedication pay off.

“This title is a result of team effort and a comforting reminder that I’m never alone in this journey. It is especially important because it represents my entire journey, which is all the early mornings, long hours of training and moments of doubt turned into growth,” she said.



Excited about her next chapter

Duchaine, who is in her final year of the Junior section, admitted that the thought of it is emotional.

“It’s been such a big part of my life and growth. But I’m also really excited about moving into the Senior Olympic category. I know it will bring new challenges, but I’m trusting God completely for what lies ahead,” she noted.

“I’m ready to work even harder, stay grounded in faith and keep learning from my coaches and everyone around me. With my family’s love and the continued support from the federation, I feel hopeful and motivated for the journey ahead, doing what I love most.”

Duchaine is following in the footsteps of the country’s rhythmic gymnastics standouts, including Britt Adonis-Byl, an athlete-turned-president of the NGF’s rhythmic section.

Adonis-Byl serves a dual role as section president and head coach of Infinity Rhythmic Gymnastics Club in Walvis Bay. She remains the country’s only athlete-turned-coach in the rhythmic discipline to have achieved a treble, first winning the junior title in 1999 before securing consecutive senior titles in 2001 and 2002.



Other national champions

Other outstanding performances at the nationals included Senior Olympic national champion Emilia Ekandjo of WRC and Pre-Junior Olympic champion Meggi Shiweda of Elite.

High Performance (HP) national champions include Jayd Pretorius (Elite - HP U12), Liya Rose Neama (WRC - HP U11) and Zara Duchaine (Elite - HP U10).

The Levels national champions were Kara Kok (Walvis Bay Gymnastics Club - WBGC - Level 9), Carli Otto (Elite - Level 8), Annisah Dlembula (Elite - Level 7), Phin-Zheng Feng (WRC - Level 6), Annabel Oosthuizen (Elite - Level 5) and Anne Hiveluah (WRC - Level 4).

– mariud@nsh.com.na