Caitlin Rooskrantz, a University of Johannesburg (UJ) first-year student and gymnast, has won a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, on Monday, 01 August 2022. This follows her outstanding performances at the 2022 FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Cairo, Egypt, where she won a gold medal.

She is one of the students who participate in high performance sporting codes (such as gymnastics) which are not offered at the University. This year, UJ has had a number of students who participate in highly recognised local and global competitions.

The BCom Marketing Management student competed in the women’s uneven bars final at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. “It’s a dream come true,” said Rooskrantz after winning the bronze medal.

Rooskrantz started off strong as she scored 13.433 and sealed South Africa’s first bronze on the uneven bars in Commonwealth Games history. England’s Georgia-Mae Fenton took gold with a score of 13.900 and Australia’s Georgia Godwin settled for a silver medal with 13.500.

In 2018, Rooskrantz was declared medically unfit, thus missing the Gold Coast Games. However, she went on to compete in the 2020 Olympic Games in 2021 in Japan.

At the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, Rooskrantz became the second female SA gymnast to win a medal after Jennifer Khwela who won silver at the 2010 Delhi Games.

“It’s a dream come true, I set my eyes on this a few months ago and went out and achieved it, and I can only give God all the glory,” said Rooskrantz.

She added, “I saw the competition looked pretty strong, but I didn’t doubt my capabilities and I believed I had the ability to win it and here I’m standing with a medal.”

Rooskrantz excels in the sport under the tutelage of coach Ilse Pelser.