A group of Port Macquarie cheerleaders is heading home after winning gold and silver at the International Cheerleading Union (ICU) World Championships.
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Team Australia secured a gold medal and a championship ring in the junior coed division, along with a silver medal in the youth coed division.
The world championships were held on April 24-26 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney Resort in Orlando, Florida.
Among the Australian athletes are siblings Jett, 18, and Scout Hodgson, 14, who, alongside Loghan Sculthorpe, 13, Anabelle Hicks, 12, Bonnie Russell, 14, and Ruby Revell, 15.
Jett and Ruby competed in the junior division for athletes aged between 15 and 18, while Anabelle, Bonnie, Scout, and Loghan competed in the youth division for athletes aged 12-14.
These athletes were selected through a rigorous national selection process that began with a video submission of their skills.
This process continued with a live audition for shortlisted athletes from across New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, Queensland, and Western Australia at the Cheerleading Nationals in Sydney in early December.
2024 marks the first year that Australia has sent a National Allstar Cheerleading team to compete in the Youth and Junior Cheerleading Worlds division, following a sharp growth of the sport across the country.
This success follows the Australian Open teams' unprecedented achievement at the Cheerleading Worlds in 2023, where they won a gold medal in the all-girl division and a silver medal in the coed division.
The ICU governs the sport in 119 countries, all of which have the right to enter a team into the Allstar Worlds competition.
