unofficial – CDN FISU Team

For the first time in many, many Universiade Championships, Canada is sending a full women’s team.

Ellie Black
Sarah Flett
Mackenzie Itcush
Natalie Gervais
Erica Devereaux

Ellie
Ellie

Universiade 2013 is scheduled for Kazan, Russia, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan.

July 6-17th.

Previous Universiades:

1983 Edmonton, 1985 Kobe, 1987 Zagreb, 1989 Duisburg, 1991 Sheffield, 1993 Buffalo, 1995 Fukuoka, 1997 Sicily, 1999 Palma de Mallorca, 2001 Beijing, 2003 Daegu, 2005 ?zmir, 2007 Bangkok, 2009 Belgrade, 2011 Shenzhen

Canada will send a young MAG team for experience.

Nathan Gafuik – Cassina

In training at National Championships 2013.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Not many of the top guys, including Nate, competed the AA at National Championships this year.

The focus in advance of Worlds 2013 Belgium is raising start values on your best apparatus enough to be competitive with the elite of the world.

Black, Olsen CDN Champions

UPDATED

Results have sometimes been very slow to go online. 😦

But they are posted now: RESULTS

2013 Canadian National Championships

Senior Women’s AA
1. Ellie Black 54.550
2. Natalie Vaculik 53.325
3. Maegan Chant 53.075
4. Victoria-Kayen Woo 53.050
5. Kaitlyn Hofland 52.850
6. Stefanie Merkle 52.075

Jordyn Pedersen had a fluke dislocated finger in training.

Future NCAA competitors include:

Kaitlyn Hofland, Utah, 5th AA; 1st Bars
Stefanie Merkle, Ohio State 6th AA
Talia Chiarelli, Michigan, 9th AA
Brihanna Tsang, unconfirmed PSU, 10th AA; 1st V
Gabriella Douglas, MSU, 11th AA
Taylor Ricci, OSU, 12th AA
Emily Lennon, Illinois, 13th AA

via College Gym Fans

Sydney McEachern EMU
Natalie Gervais EMU

Junior Women’s AA
1. Shallon Olsen 55.475
2. Aleeza Yu 54.90
3. Brianna Clark 54.625
4. Isabela Onyshenko 54.35
5. Sydney Townsend 53.60
6. RK Woo 53.45

Shallon Olsen
Shallon Olsen

photo via Grace Chiu GraceClick on Facebook.

Shallon looked great on Vault and Floor day 2. But had 2 falls on Beam, 1 on Bars.

Her “bonus points” and high start values helped her keep 1st AA.

Lauren Hernandez interview

Full Twist:

The future looks rosy for promising U.S. junior Laurie Hernandez, who trains with MG Elite in New Jersey. …

At the April 2013 U.S. National Team Training Camp, Laurie placed first in junior verification on all four apparatus, upgrading her third place finish from the March camp.

10 minutes with: Lauren Hernandez

I’ve posted her Floor before. (VIDEO)

Check this montage.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

She’s got the look. 🙂

related – Triple TwistThe Future of USA Gymnastics: Laurie Hernandez (Jan 2013)

Is gymnastics still Russian?

Vladimir Zaglada posted a thoughtful, comprehensive analysis of the current state of Russian Artistic gymnastics.

It’s a must read.

Rewriting Russian GymnasticsIs gymnastics still Russian? A post-Europeans, early Olympiad perspective

When will again see Russian routines so shockingly excellent both acrobatically and artistically as this?

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Age Group – Philippines & Vietnam

The Philippines hosted and completed the 22nd of the five-day FIG Age Group camps in the capital city of Manila at the Philippines National Training Centre. It was the last of this first series of Age Group Program Camps that were offered by the FIG over the past six months to those countries that had indicated an interest and willingness to adopt and implement the FIG Age Group Program. …

Philippines

The FIG expert and course leader for this camp was Jeff Thomson, the former Men’s Program Director of Canada and Education Director of New Zealand. He was joined Carol-Angela Orchard who was many time Olympic-coach and is currently a consultant to the British Team and other countries. Both came directly from a similar camp in Vietnam. …

Future plans for the FIG Age Group Program include the conducting of several 5-day camps that had been postponed and additional introductory camps and then 3-day follow-up camps over the next two years for all of the committed countries. …

The financial assistance of the IOC has been instrumental in the production and implementation of this program. It is hoped that such future assistance will help produce and implement similar programs for the other Olympic disciplines of Rhythmic Gymnastics and Trampoline Gymnastics during this quadrennial.

read more on FIG

The Vietnam Gymnastics Federation translated the men’s and the women’s manuals – a total of 255 pages – into Vietnamese.

Halifax gymnasts NAT Champions

A year ago I called Hugh Smith and Ellie Blackunlikely Olympic contenders“.

Ellie made the Olympics. AND the Olympic Vault final.

Today the Haligonians are National Champions 2013.

Ellie Hugh

Click photo to see Grace Chiu’s original on twitter.

Ellie advanced to three apparatus finals, which will be held on Saturday. Dave Kikuchi told me she’s been on a big roll of late, hitting routines with ease.

On the other hand, she had two falls on Bars day 1. And fell on Vault day 2.

Victoria Moors decided to withdraw from day 2 competition.

Watch a post-competition interview with Hugh Smith. (VIDEO) And an interview with Ellie Black. (VIDEO)

Tumbl Trak clinic – Neil Resnick

The first FREE “Choose Your Habits” clinic is underway. Clinician Neil Resnick.

Resnick

Click through for details on the one closest to you.

June 2013
Fri, June 21 YMCA National Gymnastics Training Center – Huguenot, NY
Click here to register now!

Saturday, June 22 M & M Gymnastics – New Berlin, WI
Click here to register now!

Thursday, June 27 Leading Edge Gymnastics – Everett, WA
Click here to register now!

July 2013
Saturday, July 13 Twistars Gymnastics – Dewitt, MI
Click here to register now!

Sat., July 20 High Performance Training Camp – Coeur D’Alene, ID
Click here to register now!

Saturday, July 27 Atlanta Gymnastics Center – Atlanta, GA
Click here to register now!

Sunday, July 28 Arizona Sunrays – Phoenix, AZ
Click here to register now!

I’ll be attending the 4 in bold.