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Michelle Hofstra
| Michelle's Competitive Results |
1997 Elite Canadan, Junior: 1st AA
1998 Canadian Championships, Junior: 3rd AA, 3rd BB, 3rd FX
1998 Elite Canada, Junior: 2nd AA, 3rd UB, 2nd BB, 2nd FX
1998 Junior Pan Ams: 5th Team, 12th AA, 7th BB, 7th FX
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1998 Canberra Cup: 15th AA, 6th FX
1999 Canadian Championships, Junior: 2nd AA, 3rd V, 2nd BB, 1st FX
1999 Elite Canada, Senior: 5th AA, 2nd BB
2000 Romanian International: 16th AA, 8th BB, 7th FX
2000 Canadian Championships, Senior: 11th AA
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Michelle Hofstra trains at the Marian Gymnastics Club in Saskatchewan, and prior to a recent shoulder injury and surgery, was expected to be a strong contender for the 2001 World Championship Team. Coached by Dana Brass and Chris Baraniuk, Hofstra has had an outstanding junior career already, winning the junior Elite Canada competition in 1997 in Montreal and finishing 3rd all-around at junior nationals in 1998 and 2nd in 1999. Her strong performances in Canada as a junior gave her the chance to compete for her country in junior international meets, including the 1998 Junior Pan Am Championships in Houston Texas and the 1998 Canberra Cup Junior International in Australia. At the Junior Pan Ams, Hofstra was the highest-ranking Canadian woman in the all-around competition, finishing 9th. At the Canberra Cup, Hofstra made the event final on floor exercise after a 16th place finish in the all-around.
As one of the junior aged gymnasts chosen by national team coach Andrei Rodionenko to compete as a senior in the year 2000, Hofstra was able to compete in her first senior International in April of 2000, the Romanian International. Here she managed to make event finals on both beam and floor - not bad for your first European competition!
Hofstra's best event is the balance beam, where she competes (or has competed) a layout step-out mount, a ff-layout-layout series, a switch ring leap, switch leap to aerial walkover, and two ffs to a double tuck dismount. On bars she is capable of a piked Jaeger and a full-in dismount. She vaults a Hristakieva and on floor can tumble a 2-½ twist to piked front and a double pike.
Hofstra's recent shoulder surgery (which was to repair torn cartilage) means that she will have to undergo 6 months of therapy before deciding if she can return to gymnastics again. Hopefully we will see a newer and stronger Michelle Hofstra in 2002.
Written by: Christopher Scott
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