Category: Olympics

Rosie MacLennan will defend in Rio

Reigning women’s Olympic trampoline champion Rosie MacLennan of Toronto booked her ticket to the 2016 Summer Games in Rio with her victory on Sunday at the Canada Cup in Kamloops, B.C.

MacLennan placed first in the women’s senior event with a two-day total score of 152.500 points, followed by three-time Olympic medal-winner Karen Cockburn of Toronto, (148.185 ) and Samantha Sendel of Aurora, Ont., (147.420). …

While MacLennan can now shift her focus to ramping up her routines for the Rio Games, nine-time Canadian men’s champion Jason Burnett’s hopes competing at his third straight Olympic Games got a big boost after winning the men’s Canada Cup title with a dominant performance.

Burnett, who competes next month at a last-chance Olympic qualification meet to win a spot for Canada in men’s trampoline, cruised to the gold medal with 161.020 points …

CBC

Rosie

Canadian Men’s team named

Tony Smith of Calgary named his seven-man team, including one reserve, for the Olympic qualifier.

Joining Ikeda, Morgan, Payne and Zakutney on the Rio-bound team are Anderson Loran of Saskatoon, Rene Cournoyer of Repentigy, Que., and Hugh Smith of Halifax.

“This is a very different team going to Rio than I was expecting,” said Smith. “It’s been a real ordeal with all the injuries we’ve had, but these guys have stepped up and have improved as a team in many ways.”

“We tend to look on the bright side, but still it’s going to be a difficult challenge to get that Olympic berth.”

Among others, injuries have knocked out five-time world championship veteran Kevin Lytwyn of Stoney Creek, Ont., and most recently Mathieu Csukassy of Montreal who tore a patella tendon on Friday in the team competition.

Zakutney, the 2015 Elite Canada junior all-around champion, was slated to compete at the Pacific Rim Championships in April, but now finds himself gearing up for the Olympic qualifier in what will be the biggest competition of his career.

“I’m very excited,” said Zakutney. “I wasn’t focusing on the Olympic qualification event at all since I had already been picked for the Pacific Rim event, but now I feel more motivated than ever. I just want to get back to the training gym and work even harder.”

The Olympic qualification meet for artistic gymnastics will take place April 16-18.?

Gymnastics Canada

Ken Ikeda
Ken Ikeda

Rene had a fluke fall from Rings when a grip broke – keeping him out of UCIC – but is expected to be ready for Rio.

Gabby Douglas wins Jesolo

1. Gabby Douglas, USA, 59.65
2. Ragan Smith, USA, 59.05
3. Laurie Hernandez, USA, 58.55
4. Flavia Saraiva, Brazil, 58.4
5. Mykayla Skinner, USA, 57.9
6. Aly Raisman, USA, 57.85
7. Emily Schild, USA, 57.45
8. Carlotta Ferlito, Italy, 56.3
9. Jade Barbosa, Brazil, 56.0
10. Marine Brevet, France, 55.35

Read Lauren Hopkins’ LIVE blog.

Gabby is looking good for Rio. Just sayin’.

http://usagymnastics.tumblr.com/post/141318687798

2016 Trampoline Canada Cup

Kamloops BC will once again play host to the country’s best athletes as Canada’s Olympic selection for trampoline begins. The Tournament Capital Centre has hosted this event for the past two years alongside a Trampoline Provincial Cup and WAG invitational. International guests Brazil, China and USA have sent athletes as well. …

2016 Trampoline Canada Cup

Follow the action on GetGymspired.

new dates for Test Event

… the Aquece Rio Test Event represents the last chance for gymnasts to realise their Olympic dreams come August. In each of the three Olympic disciplines of Gymnastics, the last tickets for the Games are up for grabs. This second qualification round is not open to all, but only to a select number of nations and gymnasts based on their rankings from the 2015 World Championships.

At the request of the organisers, the competition dates were changed last month in order to reduce the length of the event. Artistic Gymnastics will therefore be held April 16-18, Trampoline on April 19 and Rhythmic Gymnastics April 21-22.

FIG

Romania, Will They Make it?

Bea Gheorghisor posted the best analysis I’ve seen, so far.

On the 16th of March, the provisional team of gymnasts to compete in Rio in April was announced:

Catalina Ponor, Diana Bulimar, Anamaria Ocolisan, Silvia Zarzu, Dora Vulcan, Laura Jurca; the reserve will be Anda Butuc, while the coaches joining them are Lucian Sandu, Adela Popa, Maria Fumea.

This is similar to the list of gymnasts that were set to compete in Glasgow last October. The notable changes are: the swap of Catalina Ponor and Larisa Iordache, the addition of Dora Vulcan, the absence of Andreea Iridon. …

Considering the team scores from Glasgow Worlds, it looks like a total of 221 points in a 5 up 4 count competition will guarantee the qualification. But this means an average of 13.875 per routine. There is also the added challenge of competing in the first subdivision at the Test Event.

In conclusion, they will need to be as close to perfection as possible.

Romania, Will They Make it?

romania16032016 (1)

Romania starts on Bars. If they survive their worst apparatus, they have a good chance. Even without Larisa Iordache.

related – Ponor’s new Floor routine

University of Calgary International Cup

Thursday March 17 – Sunday March 20th.

Because this year is an Olympic year, the competition between the senior men’s athletes is one you wont want to miss! We have Teams Canada, USA, and China competing head to head. …

UCIC Gymnastics

Sr Men compete 6:30pm Friday. I’ll be there with video camera. Men’s Event Finals Saturday 7pm.

UCIC

Kevin Lytwin is out for the host team. Knee injury suffered on a fall from Kolman. Jackson Payne is back from injury, however.

Click PLAY or watch Jackson on Facebook.

UCIC on Facebook

Nadia Comaneci – Montreal

A documentary reflecting on Nadia’s success at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (27min)

new film – The Will to Fly

This looks awesome. 🙂

From a sunburnt country of desert and beaches, known for its swimmers, surfers and cricketers, comes the most unlikely sporting luminary; The Will To Fly is a feature documentary film about the inspirational story of Olympic champion Lydia Lassila, pursuing the ambitions of her tumultuous freestyle aerial skiing career.

Lydia ventures to uphold her Olympic crown as a mother, but more specifically, she seeks to write history by being the first woman to perform the most complex and dangerous manoeuvre of any acrobatic sport; a quadruple twisting, triple somersault on skis. Since missing her opportunity with gymnastics as a young girl, The Will To Fly showcases Lydia’s lifelong quest to fulfil her sporting aspirations.

Click PLAY or watch the trailer on YouTube.

The 95 minute feature film will be screened in cinemas across Australia early 2016 before heading to the US & Europe.