Karnejenko and Archer Crowned Scottish Champions
Pavel Karnejenko and Shannon Archer have today been crowned the new men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics senior champions at this weekend’s Scottish National Artistic Gymnastics Championships which were held at Bell’s Sports Centre, Perth.
Returning for the first time since 2019 – the event brings together the top artistic gymnasts from across the country. For many in the senior category, this is the first exciting step on the road to possible selection for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Pavel, who trains with City of Glasgow took home the senior men’s all-around title with a total score of 81.250 – including a new personal best on the still rings. Following a succesful 2021 – West Lothian’s Cameron Lynn claimed the silver medal, with a score of 77.800. Pavel’s City of Glasgow teammate Kelvin Cham came in third place with an overall score of 77.000.
Pavel was the 2017 junior men’s champion, and went on to represent Great Britain at the 2018 European Games. This title is his first senior men’s championship title.
The 22 year-old takes the title from 2019 Scottish Senior Men’s Champion and Commonwealth Games gymnast Frank Baines. The senior men’s competition came down to the final routine, with Baines finising just outside the medals.
For Shannon Archer (South Essex), it was a first women’s senior championship title. It was a closely fought competition with the main challenger Ellie Patrick from Dynamic. She finished the competition in second place 4.200 points behind. Shannon’s final performance on the floor sealed her championship title, after a strong all-round performance and the highest overall average vault score of the competition. The third placed gymnast was two-time junior women’s champion Crystelle Lake from City of Glasgow.
Shannon competed in Gold Cost 2018 Commonwelath Games, and she will be hoping today’s championship victory will help her in her aim of securing a second team selection this summer.
Following his win, Pavel Karnejenko said: “I’ve really enjoyed getting back to competition today. I’m really proud to have won the title, and I look forward to the rest of the competitons in the run up to Birmingham 2022.”
For Pavel, it is the start to the season he’s been working towards. He said: “I really hope I can continue to perform well at the British Championships and it would be great to be selected for my first Commonwealth Games.”
Speaking after her all-around win, Shannon Archer said: “I’m really happy with my performance today, it was a highlght for me getting to return to a championships at home after the last couple of years. I’m setting my sights on the next competition and hope to make the team representing Scotland in the summer.
Sam Hendrikson, Scottish Gymnastics Head of Performance said: “It has been an impressive competition, and we have loved watching the gymnasts compete across the apparatus in today’s all-around competition. An event like this highlights the calibre of artistic gymnastics in Scotland, and we look forward to the next stage on the road to Brimingham 2022 for our senior gymnasts at the British Championships in March.”
Full results from the competition are available from gymdata.co.uk