Гимнаст Тринидада и Тобаго Чейн Камбермак начал учёбу в Огайоском университете и готовится к Олимпиаде-2028

Trinidad and Tobago’s history-making Chane Cumbermack ‘honored and humbled at the same time’ Written by John Crumlish for International Gymnast Online Monday, August 24, 2026 As 18-year-old Chane Cumbermack takes his seat in his first classes at The Ohio State University on Tuesday, he is also settling into his status as a history-making gymnast for Trinidad and Tobago. Cumbermack made his international debut at the Pan American Championships in Rio in June, where he became his county’s first male international all-around finalist and finished 17th. Last month he placed 13th all-around at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where he boosted his score by a substantial 2.25 points from qualifications to the final. Trinidad and Tobago’s female gymnastics pioneers include Thema Williams, the first gymnast from the two-island nation to compete at the world championships (2011) and Marisa Dick, thus far the country’s only gymnastics Olympian (2016). Cumbermack is intent on bettering his and his nation’s standards as he trains towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. In this International Gymnast Online interview, Cumbermack details his achievements, quest to improve, national pride, and integration of his collegiate and competitive lives. IGO: Chane, congratulations on the substantial launch of your international career, setting new standards for T&T gymnastics. How surprised, if at all, are you about the instant impact you have made for your country internationally? CC: I am honestly very surprised by the impact I have made, especially online. Seeing how much Trinidad and Tobago supports its athletes and how much it means to them to see someone achieve a higher standing in gymnastics has been incredible. It’s that combination of feeling honored and humbled at the same time. IGO: Although you have been competing a long time as a junior athlete, how did competing for your country for the first time in Rio change your adrenaline and nerves before and during the competition? CC: Before the competition, I was very relaxed until I entered the arena. Seeing how much Brazil supports gymnastics got me really excited, but I was also a little nervous because it was my first time competing for Trinidad and Tobago. Once the competition began, though, I started to settle in and the nerves went away. The adrenaline definitely helped me push through the competition. IGO: Competing for a country not well-known for gymnastics, how do you manage the expectations you feel to establish T&T on the world gymnastics map, while establishing yourself personally as a contender? CC: I honestly feel a little bit of pressure, but it’s not overwhelming. I manage expectations by creating content to highlight Trinidad and Tobago and help to bring more visibility to the sport of gymnastics. As a result, it has helped me t connect with more people in general, as well as a larger gymnastics community. I am proud to be part of a team of dedicated gymnasts, proudly representing T&T, honoring our heritage, families and national identity. Making history as being a part of T&T’s first men’s artistic gymnastics team was epic, and to be the first in the group to make finals not once but twice was humbling. I am forever grateful to T&T for the opportunity. IGO: What are your Trinidad and Tobago roots? CC: My dad’s side of the family has the T&T roots. My dad, his four siblings and my grandparents were all born in Trinidad. My grandmother’s maiden name is Ramdoo, and that side of the family has cousins by the dozens, literally! IGO: How much influence did your premature birth and other medical issues as a young child have on your decision to become a gymnast? CC: My premature birth and the medical challenges I faced as a young child definitely played a role in my journey. Those challenges taught me from an early age that I could overcome difficult situations. Gymnastics became another way for me to challenge myself, and over time, it became something I really loved and wanted to pursue at a higher level. IGO: In which ways did your club coaches at NOVA Gymnastics in Florida develop you to the point that you could break out internationally in the same year during which you’ll begin your NCAA career? CC: Honestly, I wouldn’t have made it this far without NOVA Gymnastics head coach Jorge Valdes. I’ve been with Coach Jorge since I was 6, and he kept me believing in myself. He saw something in me that I never could have imagined for myself at the time. He always believed I could become something special and never stopped believing in me. Coach Huber Godoy came into my career later on, but he has also played a really important role in helping me grow into both an international and collegiate gymnast. TAG former head coach Luis Martinez also helped build the foundation for me in my earlier years, and then Coach Jorge took those skills and helped develop them to where they are today. I’m really grateful for all of them and for everything NOVA has done for me. I’m excited to take everything I’ve learned into the next chapter at The Ohio State University, where I’ll get to compete in the NCAA Division I men’s gymnastics alongside an amazing and talented team. IGO: In Glasgow, how did you manage to better your performance in a manner of two days? CC: During those two days, I really focused on fixing the mistakes – unusual falls – made during the first day of competition. I made sure that every turn I took in the gym during practice was just as focused and intentional as it would be in competition. OSU assistant coach Drew Moling also helped me create a game plan for each day, which included what to clean up and what to keep the same. IGO: If you plan to compete at the World Championships in Rotterdam in October, what goals do you have in terms of the all-around, specific apparatuses and scores? CC: If I get the opportunity to compete at the World Championships, my goals are to add at least one skill to each routine that could benefit my all-around and individual event scores. Hopefully, that could give me a chance to make either the all-around final or an individual event final. Most importantly, I want to stay healthy and avoid injury while doing it. IGO: How do you view your chances of qualifying for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, and what is the route you will take to try to qualify? CC: Since I was six years old, I dreamed of becoming an Olympian. I know that chasing a dream takes a lot of courage and perseverance. I am humbled and grateful for the opportunity to represent Trinidad and Tobago, to those who believed in me, and for those who had a hand in helping to put me on this pathway of making the 2028 Olympic Games. There are many talented gymnasts across this nation, and I know it will be very difficult to qualify. However, I view my chances of qualifying through faith and the belief that if I stay on the current path that I’m on; and continue to work hard and remain laser-focused, I definitely have a shot at making it. IGO: Based on your performances in Rio and Glasgow, which aspects of your program do you feel need the most work so you can climb in the international rankings? CC: Pommel horse is definitely the event I need to work on the most, and it’s something I’m continuing to improve. Overall, I also think I can keep adding a few tenths by increasing the difficulty, adding new skills and continuing to hit clean routines. IGO: Who are your coaches on which apparatuses at Ohio State? CC: Associate head coach Casimiro Suarez will be coaching me on all six apparatuses at OSU. I’m also excited to work with head coach Rustam Sharipov. Also, assistant coach Andrew (Drew) Moling, who coached me at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. I’m looking forward to learning from the whole coaching staff and being part of such a talented OSU team. IGO: What is your major? CC: My major is kinesiology, incorporating pre-med requirements as my pathway to medical school to achieve my ultimate goal of becoming an anesthesiologist. IGO: How do you plan to integrate your studies and competitions for Ohio State with your competitions for Trinidad and Tobago? CC: The support system at OSU is tremendous. I have both an academic advisor and an athletic advisor who played an integral part in helping me to best manage my academics and collegiate season, while also competing internationally for Trinidad and Tobago. Communication and planning will be important in making sure I can balance both. Comments from Drew Moling, The Ohio State University assistant coach: “I am extremely proud of Chane and his performance throughout the week at the Commonwealth Games. He handled himself with composure, pride and competed in a first-class way while representing his country of Trinidad & Tobago along with gaining valued experience for the future. Chane elevated his efforts in the all-around final, which is crucial for elite athletes and something we are excited for him to bring to the Buckeye family.” International Gymnast Online’s other features on Caribbean gymnasts include: James Hardy hauled a hefty trio of bronze medals home to Australia from last month’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, and the enhancements he plans for his all-around program could well have him collecting more hardware from competitions ahead. Great Britain withstood a sixth-rotation surge by the World Gymnastics 2 squad to retain their title from a year ago in the senior team final at the European Championships that ended Sunday in Zagreb. Nazar Chepurnyi of Ukraine, Illia Kovtun of Croatia and Joe Fraser of Great Britain triumphed on the second of two days of the senior apparatus finals at the European Championships that continued Saturday in Zagreb.