TRURO – Jared Goad has barely missed a step.
Despite not competing since May, the 19-year-old Bible Hill resident won the weekend’s Island Classic in P.E.I. and qualified himself for the Canadian artistic gymnastics championships in Ottawa in May.
“It’s nice,” Goad, a Canada Games gold medalist on the floor, said. “I was kind of nervous about making the standard but once I decided to come back and got conditioned and my skills back I was more comfortable.”
Goad won the overall classification, which includes all six events (floor, rings, pommel horse, vault, parallel bars and high bars) with a 66.15 score and also finished atop the floor event at 12.9.
His performance gives him the chance to nab his third gold medal on the floor in as many years at nationals.. He also won the floor competition in 2011 in Charlottetown and last year in Regina.
Although he admits his floor routine wasn’t perfect on the Island, Goad said keeping his composure was key.
“It wasn’t my best routine but I just stayed focused and kept going, even after my mistake.”
Goad was unsure whether he wanted to compete this season but made up his mind to do so in November. He’s been training since at the Cobequid Spartans gym on the provincial exhibition grounds in Bible Hill.
He’ll be joined at nationals by teammate Jeff Ramsay. The 15-year-old Salmon River resident recently won a double mini trampoline event to punch his ticket to Ottawa. Goad, who started competing with the Spartans in trampoline, helps to coach Ramsay.
“It’s exciting to have someone in the club coming with me,” Goad said.
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