Caitlin Rooskrantz

Caitlin Rooskrantz
Full name	Caitlin Aileen Rooskrantz
Nickname(s)	Caits
Born	(2001-11-05) 5 November 2001 (age 23) Johannesburg, South Africa
Gymnastics career
Discipline	Women's artistic gymnastics
Country represented	South Africa
Years on national team	2015–present
Club	Johannesburg Gymnastics Centre
Head coach(es)	Ilse Roets-Pelser
Medal record Representing   South Africa Commonwealth Games 2022 Birmingham Uneven bars African Championships 2018 Swakopmund Uneven bars 2022 Cairo All-around 2022 Cairo Uneven bars 2023 Pretoria Team 2018 Swakopmund Team 2022 Cairo Team 2023 Pretoria All-around 2022 Cairo Balance beam FIG World Cup Event 1st 2nd 3rd Apparatus World Cup 1 0 0 World Challenge Cup 1 0 0 Total 2 0 0

Caitlin Aileen Rooskrantz (born 5 November 2001) ^[1] is a South African artistic gymnast. She represented South Africa at the 2020 Summer Olympics and was the first South African gymnast to qualify for the Olympics without a continental quota. Rooskrantz and teammate Naveen Daries became the first female gymnasts of color to represent South Africa and the Olympics. She is the 2022 Commonwealth Games uneven bars bronze medalist, South Africa's first gymnastics medal at the Commonwealth Games since 2010. She is the 2022 African all-around champion and a two-time African uneven bars champion (2018, 2022). She is a two-time uneven bars gold medalist on the FIG World Cup series. She represented South Africa at the 2024 Summer Olympics, where she was the flag bearer of her country along with the male sprinter Akani Simbine. ^[2]

Career

Rooskrantz trains at the Johannesburg Gymnastics Centre, and started gymnastics at the age of eight. ^{[3] [4]}

Junior

At the 2015 South African Championships, Rooskrantz won gold on uneven bars, silver on balance beam and floor exercise, and bronze in the all-around. ^[5] She made her international debut at the 2015 Top Gym Tournament in Belgium, placing ninth in the all-around and sixth on the uneven bars and balance beam. ^[6]

Rooskrantz began the 2016 season at the Austrian Team Open where she helped the South African team finish seventh. ^[7] She came second in the junior all-around event at the African Championships. ^[8] She nearly swept the gold medals at the 2016 South African Championships but finished second on the balance beam to Naveen Daries. ^[9] At the 2016 Junior Commonwealth Games in Namibia, she won silver medals in the all-around, uneven bars, and team events and a bronze medal on the balance beam. ^[10]

Senior

2017–2018

Rooskrantz became age-eligible for senior competitions in 2017. She made her senior debut at the 2017 Koper Challenge Cup, finishing fifth on the uneven bars. ^[6] She missed the rest of the season due to a knee dislocation that required surgery. ^[3] She was not selected for the 2018 Commonwealth Games due to fitness concerns. ^[3]

Rooskrantz returned to competition at the 2018 African Championships and won the uneven bars title while helping the South African team finish second to Egypt. ^[11] At the Africa Safari International, she won the bronze medal on the uneven bars. ^[12] She then won the all-around title at the South African Championships. ^[13] As a result of her national championship win, she qualified for the 2018 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Doha, Qatar. ^[13] There, she finished 59th in the all-around during the qualification round. ^[14]

2019–2021

Rooskrantz began the 2019 season by winning the uneven bars title at the South African Championships. ^[15] She then won the uneven bars gold medal Szombathely World Challenge Cup. ^{[16] [3]} This made her the first South African to win a medal at an international gymnastics competition. ^{[4] [17]} At the 2019 World Championship, she finished 68th in the all-around and qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics. ^[18] She was the fourth South African artistic gymnast to qualify for the Olympics since South African re-introduction in 1992 and the first since Zandre Labuschagne in 2004. ^{[18] [3]} Rooskrantz was one of the first person of colour artistic gymnasts to represent South Africa, ^[3] along with Naveen Daries, who also competed at the 2020 Olympic Games. ^[19]

Rooskrantz finished seventh on the uneven bars during the qualification round of the 2020 Baku World Cup. ^[20] However, the event finals were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ^[21] As the 2020 Summer Olympics were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rooskrantz livestreamed the routine that she would have performed at the Games in August 2020. ^[22] She finished 61st in the qualifying stage of 2020 Olympic Games and did not qualify for any finals. ^[23] Her score at the Games was a personal best. ^[19]

2022

Rooskrantz won a gold medal on the uneven bars at the Cairo World Cup. ^[24] She also won the uneven bars event at the African Championships. ^[25] She also won the African all-around title and qualified for the upcoming World Championships. ^[26] Then at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, she won the bronze medal on the uneven bars. She was the second South African female gymnast to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games. ^[27] She finished ninth in the all-around final, and she was part of the South African team that finished fourth. ^[28] She finished 47th in the all-around during the qualification round of the World Championships. ^[29]

2023

Rooskrantz won the all-around and uneven bars titles at the South African Championships. ^[30] She then helped South Africa win the African Championships team title for the first time since 2006 and qualify for the World Championships, and she finished second in the all-around to Kaylia Nemour. ^[31] At the Paris World Challenge Cup, she finished fourth in the uneven bars final. ^[32] Then at the World Championships, she finished 46th in the all-around during the qualification round, securing qualification for her second Olympic Games. ^{[33] [34]}

2024

Rooskrantz began the season at the South African Championships and finished second in the all-around. In the event finals, she won gold on the uneven bars and balance beam and silver on the floor exercise. ^[35] She then finished eighth on the uneven bars at the Antalya World Challenge Cup. ^[36] At the 2024 Olympics, she placed 25th on uneven bars, and 73rd on both balance beam and floor exercise.She however had to withdraw without finishing due to an ankle injury she suffered during her floor exercise routine. ^[37]

Personal life

Rooskrantz attended Parktown High School for Girls. ^[38] She had planned to have a gap year to focus on competing at the Olympics, though those plans were changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ^[39] In 2022, she enrolled in the University of Johannesburg and began studying marketing management. ^[37] She comes from an athletic family: her father played football, and her older brother was involved in field hockey and cricket. Her father died when she was eight. ^[3] Her mother gave up working full-time as a nurse to support Rooskrantz's gymnastics career. ^[6]

Competitive history

Year	Event	Team	AA	VT	UB	BB	FX
Junior
2015	South African Championships
	Top Gym Tournament		9		6	6
2016	Austrian Team Open	7	19
	African Championships
	South African Championships
	Junior Commonwealth Championships					6	5
Senior
2017	Koper World Challenge Cup				5
2018
	African Championships
	Africa Safari International					5
	South African Championships						4
	World Championships		59
2019	South African Championships
	Szombathely World Challenge Cup
	World Championships		68
2020	Baku World Cup				7
2021
	Olympic Games		61
2022	Cairo World Cup					6
	African Championships
	Commonwealth Games	4	9
	World Championships		47
2023	South African Championships
	African Championships
	Paris World Challenge Cup				4
	World Championships	19	46
2024	South African Championships
	Antalya World Challenge Cup				8
	Olympic Games				25	73	73

^[40]

References

1. "Caitlin Rooskrantz". Birmingham 2022 . Retrieved 12 May 2024.
2. "Team SA flag bearers named at send-off banquet". South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee. 10 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
3. Watta, Evelyn (13 September 2020). "Caitlin Rooskrantz: I have broken the Olympic barrier for South African gymnastics". Olympic Channel. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
4. Jonckheere, Karien (29 November 2019). "Caitlin Rooskrantz inspires a generation of gymnasts". New Frame. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
5. Hopkins, Lauren (6 June 2015). "2015 South African Championships Results". The Gymternet. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
6. Hopkins, Lauren (2 February 2021). "The 2021 Olympians: Caitlin Rooskrantz". The Gymnternet. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
7. Hopkins, Lauren (6 March 2016). "2016 Austrian Team Open Results". The Gymternet. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
8. "13ème Championnat d'Afrique des Nations : Résultats, WAG Juniors C-II" [13th African Nations Championship: Results, WAG Juniors C-II](PDF) (in French). Gymnastics Results. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 May 2021. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
9. Hopkins, Lauren (2 July 2016). "2016 South African Championships Results". The Gymternet. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
10. Zaal, Nicholas (9 November 2016). "Medals and memories for young gymnasts". Northcliff Melville Times. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
11. Hopkins, Lauren (17 May 2018). "2018 African Championships Results". The Gymternet. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
12. "Newlands gymnasts represent SA against Bangladesh, Wales, and Japan". Northcliff Melville Times. 15 August 2018. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
13. "JGC gymnasts shine at national championships". South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee. 11 October 2018. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
14. "48th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships Doha (QAT), 25 October – 3 November 2018 Women's All-Around Qualification" (PDF). USA Gymnastics . International Gymnastics Federation. 27 October 2018. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
15. Hopkins, Lauren (18 August 2019). "2019 South African Championships Results". The Gymternet. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
16. "SA Olympic hopeful Caitlin Rooskrantz wins gold in Hungary". Sunday Times . 12 September 2019. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
17. "WATCH: How 18-year-old Caitlin Rooskrantz inspired the nation with historic performance". Jacaranda FM . 3 August 2020. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
18. "SA gymnast Caitlin Rooskrantz on breaking barriers, aims for 'no major faults' in Tokyo" . News24 . 3 April 2021. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
19. "South Africa's Caitlin Rooskrantz elated with personal best score at Olympics". Daily Maverick . 25 July 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
20. "FIG World Cup 2020 AGF Trophy Baku (AZE) 2020 March 12–15 Qualification" (PDF). Gymnastics Results. International Gymnastics Federation. 12 March 2020. p. 6. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
21. "Finals of Baku World Cup cancelled". International Gymnastics Federation . 13 March 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
22. "A clean routine for Caitlin Rooskrantz". Northcliff Melville Times. 13 August 2020. Archived from the original on 14 February 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
23. "Women's Qualification | All-around individual". Eurosport. 25 July 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
24. "South African gymnast sensation Caitlin Rooskrantz wins gold at the World Cup in Cairo". News24 . 24 March 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
25. Kganakga, Tlamelo (11 July 2022). "Caitlin Rooskrantz Crowned 2022 African Artistic Champion". G Sport for Girls. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
26. Crumlish, John (2 September 2022). "South Africa's Caitlin Rooskrantz: 'I am recharged and ready to give it my all'". International Gymnast Magazine . Retrieved 22 October 2023.
27. "Rooskrantz had no doubts she would medal at Commonwealth Games: 'It's a dream come true'". News24 . 1 August 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
28. Gunston, Jo (31 July 2022). "Caitlin Rooskrantz on an emotional Birmingham 2022 for South Africa's gymnasts". Olympic Channel . Retrieved 12 May 2024.
29. "51st FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships Liverpool (GBR), 29 October – 6 November 2022 Women's All-Around Qualification" (PDF). USA Gymnastics . International Gymnastics Federation. 29 October 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
30. Hopkins, Lauren (2 April 2023). "2023 South African Championships Results". The Gymternet. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
31. de Villiers, Ockert (7 September 2023). "Caitlin Rooskrantz advocating a culture of change in South Africa: "My goal was always just to inspire the next generation"". Olympic Channel . Retrieved 12 May 2024.
32. Hopkins, Lauren (17 September 2023). "2023 Paris Challenge Cup Results". The Gymternet. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
33. "Rendez-vous Paris 2024: See who qualified to the women's team competition!". International Gymnastics Federation . 3 October 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
34. "Gymnast Caitlin Rooskrantz books her ticket to 2024 Paris Olympic Games". University of Johannesburg . 19 October 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
35. Hopkins, Lauren (23 March 2024). "2024 South African Championships Results". The Gymternet. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
36. Hopkins, Lauren (1 April 2024). "2024 Antalya Challenge Cup Results". The Gymternet. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
37. "Rooskrantz Caitlin". International Gymnastics Federation . Retrieved 29 July 2024.
38. "Parktown gymnast Caitlin Rooskrantz has now set her sights on qualifying for the 2020 Olympic Games". My Com Link. 1 October 2019. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
39. "Extratime with Top SA Gymnast Caitlin Rooskrantz". Eyewitness News . May 2020. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
40. Hopkins, Lauren (27 August 2016). "Caitlin Rooskrantz". The Gymternet. Retrieved 11 May 2024.

External links

• Caitlin Rooskrantz at the International Gymnastics Federation

Olympic Games
Preceded by Phumelela Mbande Chad le Clos	Flagbearer for   South Africa París 2024 With: Akani Simbine	Succeeded by Incumbent