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Australian Olympian Georgia Godwin has joined an elite band of gymnasts that includes American superstar Simone Biles, with a signature move being named after her.
Godwin this week became just the fifth Australian to have an original skill named after her in the International Gymnastic Federation’s (FIG) code of points for the move that is performed on the uneven bars.
From now on, anyone who replicates it will be performing “The Godwin” – and it’s thanks in no small part to an anonymous Instagram follower who suggested to Godwin that she attempt the move.
“The Godwin is on the high bar in a handstand,” said the 26-year-old Commonwealth Games gold medallist. “I come forward and do a forward roll, go back to a handstand, I do it a second time and go back to handstand, but with a turn. The one with the turn is my skill.
“It’s not really a natural movement … But once I had a few attempts and I could actually see progression and how I could fit it into my routine and how I could learn this new skill. It kind of lit a little fire, like, ‘oh my gosh, I could actually have my name in the code of points’.”
Gymnasts have to jump through quite a few hoops to get a skill named after them.
“[There are] specific competitions where you can submit a skill, and that’s Challenge Cups, World Cups, World Championships and the Olympics, and on top of that you have to compete it successfully,” Godwin said.
“Once that’s done, it has to go through a few more steps – a judge has to look at it and has to approve it, FIG has to approve it, and then FIG makes it official.”
Godwin said she had a “village” to thank for the creation of “The Godwin”, including the unknown social media follower.
“It was actually suggested by someone on Instagram … I didn’t know them, but they had been commenting on a few of my gymnastics posts … I’m trying to remember their handle. I’m hoping they reach out to me,” she said.
Most skills happen by accident, Godwin explained. A gymnast will be trying to do one thing, but they make a mistake and end up doing something entirely new. But coming up with the idea is the easiest part – learning it is harder.
“It’s easy to come up with the skill, but to learn the skill and then put it into a routine and compete [with] it internationally, it absolutely takes a village to get there,” she said.
“Because it’s a new skill, no one has taught it, so we’re all kind of guessing, and if things work, then we stick down that part, and if things don’t work, then we try something different. It’s been a huge group effort to get to that point.”
Godwin has her eyes firmly set on the Olympics in Paris next year, where she hopes to perform her new skill, and she is also wondering whether other gymnasts will have it in their routines.
“To potentially be able to do it at the Olympics and do ‘The Godwin’ with maybe a few others is amazing, and it’s exciting,” she said. “It makes me excited to potentially see other people doing ‘The Godwin’. I’ve had a few people reach out to me on Instagram, saying, I want to learn this, what are the steps that you took? And I am more than happy to help them.”
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