The sky is the limit for Delta’s Georgia Godwin following her medal haul at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. We sat down with the team behind the gymnast and Georgia’s coaches of 10 years, Sasha and Olga Belooussov, who were thrilled with Georgia’s Commonwealth Games results (they also think she can win GOLD!) – to see where it all began!
In 2017, Georgia set the scene for the Commonwealth Games with a beautiful and consistent performance at the World Gymnastics Championships in Montreal. Georgia placed 13th in the world at this event and, while her supporters and coaches knew she had it in her, surprised herself and this event buoyed her confidence for the year ahead.
While Georgia may have been surprised, her team of supporters (including coaches Sasha and Olga) were not. #Team Georgia was on the rise!
Fast forward to April 2018 and Georgia was the first gymnast selected on the Australian Commonwealth Games Team. A couple of health hiccups just prior to the event would not stand in her way – she was mentally strong and ready to compete. And compete she did – beautifully, with focus & determination! Georgia came away from this year’s Commonwealth Games with the silver medal in the Women’s Artistic Gymnastic All Around event and the bronze on bars and in the team event!
#Team Georgia
Sasha and Olga are husband & wife team who have been coaching gymnastics for over 40 years! Olga herself was a University gymnastics champion in Russia and she and Sasha have had an extremely successful coaching career both there and in their adopted home, Australia.
Heading to Australia in 1991, Sasha and Olga coached at the Western Australian Institute of Sport before heading east to the Qld High Performance Centre. Working with international level gymnasts the whole way, Sasha & Olga now call Delta Gymnastics home. They have coached Commonwealth Games Gold Medallists and World Championship Apparatus finalists and in 2008, were introduced to a 9 year old pocket rocket named Georgia Godwin!
Immediately they noticed how switched on Georgia was and how physically and mentally strong. They laugh now because for the first few years, while extremely strong and talented, bars was not one of Georgia’s strengths. Competitions would come and go with Georgia scoring high on three apparatus and struggling on bars. However, she and Sasha kept at it and kept at it and now here she is taking home the bronze medal on this apparatus at the Commonwealth Games!
It is this persistence and physical & mental strength which they feel makes Georgia such an amazing athlete. She is tough and has had to overcome some obstacles over the ten years, however she is strong willed and starting now to really believe in herself and in what her coaches have always seen!
This year’s Commonwealth Games was a new experience for these seasoned professionals as for the first time ever, Sasha was not on the gym floor with his gymnast at an international event. While they knew Georgia was in good hands, was strong and prepared, watching from the stands was a little nerve wracking.
Round one of the Commonwealth Games saw Georgia have a couple of uncharacteristic wobbles. Olga said it was hard to watch from the sidelines – she never normally falls and appeared quite nervous, but they knew what she was capable of and that she could pick herself up and refocus for the individual all around competition. The bronze team medal also lifted her and had her ready to go!
They had spoken to her lots and reconfirmed they believed in her; she could do this – they had done the preparation and Georgia knew what she needed to do, so all she had to do now was stay calm and focused during competition.
And the result came down to the last routine of the night, with Georgia picking up the Silver Medal in the all around following four beautifully hit routines! GO GEORGIA! Two very proud coaches and an entire nation behind her, Georgia’s confidence has continued to grow as the trio now aim for the 2020 Olympic Games. Sasha strongly believes if Georgia stays clean and consistent with her routines, we will see her in the finals at the Olympics in Tokyo.
So with so much experience and coaching under their belt, who inspires these two amazing coaches? Georgia Godwin of course!
We wish #Team Georgia the very best in their Olympic pursuit. First things first, Georgia will compete at the Australian Championships in two weeks time, before focusing on World Championships later this year.
We look forward to watching all the action! #teamgeorgia #oneteam #deltaaspire #youbeyou
Check out some more action shots from the Commonwealth Games below!
(thank you to Gymnastics Australia, Mark Avellino Photography, Michael Wilson and Geoff Rankin for the amazing Commonwealth Games photos)!
What an incredible team! Want to know more about the amazing Georgia Godwin? Click here!