Nikki Jenkins (born 1976) is a retired New Zealand artistic gymnast. Aged 14, she won gold at the 1990 Commonwealth Games, and she remains the youngest New Zealander to have won a gold medal at Commonwealth or

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a vari ...

. Jenkins won the gold medal in the women's

vault Vault may refer to: * Jumping, the act of propelling oneself upwards Architecture * Vault (architecture), an arched form above an enclosed space * Bank vault, a reinforced room or compartment where valuables are stored * Burial vault (enclosure ...

at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...

, New Zealand. She had been considered an outsider at the event who was not expected to have a high placing. Consequently, she became the youngest New Zealander to win a gold medal at either the Commonwealth or Olympic Games. Following the Games, Jenkins had increased demands from the media and expectations from the public. She was invited to a prestigious event in Russia and after that she prepared for the 1991 World Championships, where she intended to gain an individual qualification for the

1992 Summer Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1992, ca, Jocs Olímpics d'estiu de 1992), officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XXV Olimpiada, ca, Jocs de la XXV Olimpíada) and commonly known as ...

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, Spain. She contracted measles before the 1991 event and this meant that she could not compete. Moreover, all the competitors were required to be inoculated and this caused some suspicion amongst a few nations. This brought unwanted attention on New Zealand and Jenkins. Jenkins was unable to qualify for the Barcelona Olympics and continued with gymnastics, but her dream had come to an end and she eventually quit. She opted to study physical education at the

University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate ...

. Sources differ whether she has been teaching physical education at schools in Auckland, or whether she lives in Australia and is involved in performing arts.

References

External links

*
Profile at TeAra.govt.nz
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jenkins, Nikki 1970s births Living people New Zealand female artistic gymnasts Commonwealth Games gold medallists for New Zealand Gymnasts at the 1990 Commonwealth Games University of Otago alumni Commonwealth Games medallists in gymnastics People educated at Westlake Girls High School 20th-century New Zealand women Medallists at the 1990 Commonwealth Games