Isaiah Wong is doing summersaults over the Western Canadian Gymnastics Championships this weekend in Richmond, B.C.
The Dynamyx Gymnastics Club athlete is flipping out as a Level 5 competitor after two years at westerns in Level 4.
“I’m excited. I can’t wait,” said Wong, prior to Monday’s training session at the Campbell Business Park facility.
Last year Wong finished third in vault, the only event he placed top eight in at westerns in Okotoks after missing finals in 2014 at Saskatoon.
“This year I want to try and qualify for a few more things, particularly the rings. I would like to make that. It would be fun,” said Wong of his favourite event, featuring the Iron Cross move. “I also don’t want to fall. That’s always important.”
Last year there were 26 Level 4 gymnasts at westerns and Wong placed 12th overall as the fourth-highest Alberta competitor.
“There is a little bit of variance between the skill levels. There’s some guys a little bit below you and a little bit above,” said the Grade 11 Ross Sheppard High School student.
Wong, 16, feels at ease at westerns.
“I’ve been there before so I’ve already kind of adapted to it. Everything kind of feels natural,” he said. “I do make a lot more friends there. It helps to have a supportive environment. It makes me feel more comfortable.”
Moving up a level has presented a few challenges for Wong.
“Isaiah’s training right under national open so a big difference for him is we’ve had to put handles on the pommel horse. He’s had to start doing his routine with the handles so that’s been a big challenge for him but other than that he’s done terrific,” said Wong’s coach, Kelly Baird. “We’ve had to add a new skill on each event to qualify him for this Level 5 that he now competes at and he was a provincial champion this year again at a new level, which is great.”
Wong finished first on floor, vault and high bar, was the runner-up on rings and was third on pommel horse and parallel bars in his provincial repeat last month in Fort McMurray.
“This one was a little bit sweeter just because the trials (for westerns) was a little bit of a bomb. It was kind of a wakeup call so this one was kind of my redemption,” said Wong, who singled out vault as his provincial highlight.
Wong was unclear where he placed in the western trials but it wasn’t up to his high standards.
“It wasn’t so great. I was a little disappointed. I thought I would do a little better where I was placing.”
Wong’s training session includes extra emphasis on the pommel horse while adapting to the handles on the apparatus.
“I’ve hit it pretty hard,” he said. “It’s pretty painful when you hit (the handles) so it’s really important to be aware of what you’re doing because they’re very solid.
“Right now I feel a lot tighter when I do it. I can’t be so loose.”
Next year Wong’s goal is to compete at the national open level and Baird believes he is headed in the right direction.
“There’s lots of progress with Isaiah. He’s still very involved in his school and other sports so the commitment level, what he has to do to get here (from Edmonton) to train every night with the buses, it’s unbelievable. He just wants it and it’s nice to have someone like that,” Baird said.
