Balance out of whack without coach
‘It’s going to be a totally different experience without her there,’ says gymnast Hopfner-Hibbs
by Randy Starkman
Whenever Toronto gymnast Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs imagined the Beijing Olympics, she pictured long-time coach Carol-Angela Orchard right beside her every step of the way.
Now, it looks like Hopfner-Hibbs might be going it alone at the most important event of her life. Hopfner-Hibbs is Canada’s only hope for a medal in women’s gymnastics, having become the country’s first women’s world championship medallist two years ago on balance beam, and collecting six World Cup medals in the past 14 months.
But she placed second behind Nansy Damianova of Montreal in the women’s Olympic points selection race that wrapped up at the Canadian championships in Calgary on Saturday. So, the one women’s coaching accreditation pass available to Canada goes to Damianova’s coach Katerine Dussault, meaning Orchard will have trouble getting access to Hopfner-Hibbs in Beijing.
“It’s so important to me that she was there with me because she’s the reason that I’m there,” said Hopfner-Hibbs yesterday. “So, it’s just really upsetting.”
Gymnastics Canada will pay Orchard’s way to Beijing and she can stay at the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) high performance centre, but the veteran coach said she’s not sure yet if it makes sense for her to go to China.
“To be the Olympic coach and be able to have access to your athlete and help her be the best she can be is one thing,” said Orchard. “But to go as a tourist is not something I’m interested in. That would drive me crazy, to not be able to get in the gym. I’d have no access to the competition floor at all.”
Hopfner-Hibbs has worked with Orchard for nearly a decade, her biggest achievement coming when she finally broke the barrier for Canadian women with a bronze medal on the beam at the 2006 world championships.
“She’s always, always believed in me all the time,” said the 18-year-old gymnast. “No matter what’s going on or how rough of a competition or training I’ve had, she’s always there. It’s going to be a totally different experience without her there. I always pictured my Olympic experience with her there so it just makes it that much harder.”
Gymnastics Canada director Jean-Paul Caron said they’re trying to get Orchard access to Hopfner-Hibbs for training sessions. He said he’s confident the COC can get the accreditation needed, and that it might be possible to change the coach’s accreditation if Hopfner-Hibbs were to reach a final.
There’s still hope for Carol-Angela to get to the Olympic. And possibly even on to the competition floor if Elyse makes the final on beam.
I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed.
Click PLAY or watch Elyse on YouTube.
I expect the Olympic “points system” blunder will be on the agenda of the Gymnastics Canada AGM this coming weekend.
BTW, one of Elyse’s future coaches from UCLA, Chris Waller, attended Canadian Championships and even got in a bit of a holiday with his wife Cindy while visiting the Great White North.
Related post: gymnast Hopfner-Hibbs on Olympic Selection
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