Christopher in bid for world title
Reporter: DAWN MARSDEN
Date published: 26 May 2010
UPPERMILL gymnast Christopher Rait is hoping to tumble, spin and turn his way to victory at the world gymnastics championships.
The 18-year-old is gearing up for the contest in Poland in July when he will compete against gymnasts from as far afield as Russia and America.
Christopher discovered a love for gymnastics when he was only four and began to compete three years later. Now he trains for 22 hours each week at the Wakefield Centre of Excellence, under the guidance of coach Scott Middleton, to perfect his skills.
The former Oldham Sixth-Form College and Saddleworth School pupil and his partner Jessica Judge (12) will perform three routines for the judges at the championships.
The first is balance, in which the pair will hold a number of positions for a minimum of three seconds, and the second is dynamic, which will involve Christopher throwing Jessica up in the air while they both perform breathtaking acrobatics.
If judges put them through to the final round they will perform a third routine which is a fusion of the first two. To reach the world championships, Christopher and Jessica competed at the British championships in March, when they finished second, and a European contest in April which they won.
They also won at the British open championships in November, 2009.
Talent scouts invited the pair to audition at Loughborough University last month for the world championships and they were successful.
Christopher’s older brother, Michael (25), was a keen gymnast but gave up the discipline when it became clear that he was getting too tall to compete seriously.
Christopher’s dream is to be part of the Cirque du Soleil production in which acrobats and gymnasts carry out dynamic stunts under a big top.
He is also hoping to become a gymnastic coach and competition judge, for which he is currently gaining experience.
Visit www.british-gymnastics.org to find more about the championships.
