Local gymnast cleans up at world championships in Nashville

Sault Ste. Marie Gymnastics Club member Kayla Paquin could potentially realize her long-term goal of attaining an athletic scholarship after having the best meet of her career on the international stage. 

Paquin, a 16-year-old student at St. Mary’s College, earned first place all-around champion in the platinum division (ages 15-18) during the 2019 USAIGC-IAIGC World Championships in Nashville earlier this month. 

“I went there with a goal, and I completed the goal. I was excited,” Paquin told SooToday. 

Paquin, also known as ‘Paq’ around the local gymnastics club, got the nod as all-around champion after squaring off against international competition in uneven bars, vault, balance beam and floor events.

The scores from those four events are combined in order to determine the all-around score, which acts as a ranking system for gymnasts. 

“This was her best competition of the season,” said Kim O’Brien, head coach and competitive manager at the Sault Ste. Marie Gymnastics Club. “She had her highest all-around score, including her highest score on every individual event.”

Paquin - a noted country music fan who was excited for her July trek to Music City U.S.A - says she was “super nervous” during the world championships. 

“One skill at a time. I don’t rush anything,” said Paquin. “I say to myself that I can do it, I’ve done it a hundred times before in the gym - I just have to do what I do in practice.”

O’Brien says that being ranked is important for Paquin, who wants to eventually pursue an athletic scholarship in the United States.  

“They have to have high rankings at big events like world championships in order for them to make them eligible, or to be recruited or looked at,” she said. “So something like this is really good for her gymnastics resume - being the world champion this year.” 

The local gymnast went up against competitors from Germany, Netherlands, South Africa, United States and the United Kingdom during the week-long meet. 

“The opportunity to even compete against kids from different countries, coming from a small town like Sault Ste. Marie, is pretty awesome,” O’Brien said.