9-year-old gymnast competes at Junior Olympic National Championships

Ashley Cheuk, a nine-year-old fourth grader at Bellevue Children’s Academy, recently returned from competition at the Junior Olympic National Championships in Rhythmic Gymnastics, held last weekend in Norfolk, Va.

Cheuk took seventh place in the Child C age 10 bracket at the competition. A medal is given in each routine for floor, rope, ball and hoop and one medal for all-around to the top-12 gymnasts in each bracket; Cheuk was the only Washington State gymnast to medal in Level 4 and 5, and she received all five possible medals.

Prior to the National Championships, Cheuk won the Region 2 Junior Olympic Regional Championships and was named as the Regional Championship Gymnast of the Year for the second-straight year. Region 2 consists of Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Hawaii, Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota and Kansas.

Cheuk won the all-around title in every meet she entered this year, with the exception of the state meet.