Archive: September 2002

Back to the News Archive Index

SEPTEMBER 25 - STRONG CONTINGENT TO FRANCE

Canada will be well represented at the upcoming Internationaux de France (French International), an F.I.G. World Cup event. Three of Canada's top men will compete, including Kyle Shewfelt, Sasha Jeltkov, and David Kikuchi. Amelie Plante will be Canada's sole female representative at the French International, with Jennifer Simbhudas opting instead to compete the Siska International.

"I'm very happy to be going to Paris for this World Cup event," Plante told Gymn.ca. "I went to Cottbus, Germany for a World Cup event and it was really cool. Also, Paris is going to be good preparation for the World Championships...making the Worlds team is my next big goal." Plante plans to compete three apparatus at the upcoming French International; bars, beam, and floor. Her biggest hopes rest on bars, "I want to perform especially well on bars. It's my best apparatus, and I know I can do well."

The French International takes place October 19-20, at the Palais Omnisport. The stadium is located in Bercy, on the outskirts of Paris. It played host to the 1992 World Apparatus Championships. The following weekend, October 27-27, Shewfelt, Jeltkov, and Kikuchi move on to the Glasgow Grand Prix. Once all World Cup scores are tallied, the top 8 on each apparatus are invited to partake in the World Cup final, scheduled for November 28-December 1 in Stuttgart, Germany.

Plante will stay in France to compete at the Massilia Cup. Joining her will be Gymnix teammates Stephanie Gadbois and Stephanie De Lima.

Click here for a complete list of entrants to the French International.

SEPTEMBER 24 - SIMBHUDAS AND GIBSON TO COMPETE AT SISKA INTERNATIONAL

Jennifer and Rebecca Simbhudas

2001 World team member Jennifer Simbhudas, of Winstonettes, is heading to Slovenia this November to compete in the Siska International. "This will be my first international meet competition without a team," Simbhudas told Gymn.ca. "I'll be all alone, but I know I'll have just as much fun representing Canada."

Faced with the choice of heading to Paris for the French International in October or Slovenia for the Siska International, Jennifer and her coaches opted to compete the latter. The timing of the Siska International (November 2-3) better suits Jennifer's preparations for a possible berth on Canada's 2002 Worlds team, a competition in which she hopes to compete vault, beam, and floor exercise.

Update! Joining Simbhudas at the meet will be Mississauga Gymnastics' Terri Gibson and Melanie Tham.

Gymn.ca's Jennifer Isbister recently visited the Winstonettes, and is pleased to present a photo montage of elite sisters Jennifer and Rebecca Simbhudas.

SEPTEMBER 19 - JUNIOR WOMEN TO TRAIN IN TEXAS BEFORE JUNIOR PAN AMS

Lydia Williams

Four of Canada's best junior-aged women will participate in a training camp and dual meet with the United States, as part of the preparations for the upcoming Junior Pan American Championships, Gymnastics Canada announced today. Participants at the camp, which will be hosted by Bela and Marta Karolyi at their famous ranch outside of Houston, include junior national champion Gael Mackie, Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Kylie Stone, Pacific Alliance team member Lydia Williams, and 2000 Elite Canada junior champion Lisa Pattison.

The training camp starts October 30th, and concludes with a dual meet against the U.S.A. on November 3. Representing the USA are 2001 and 2002 junior US floor champion Tia Orlando, 2002 Pacific Alliance competitors Melanie Sinclair and Chellsie Memmel, and newcomer Allyse Ishino.

Immediately following, both teams will travel to Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, to compete at the Championships the following week. These Championships are a test event for next year's 2003 Pan American Games.

SEPTEMBER 16 - CANADIANS EXPERIENCE CULTURE AND COMPETITION IN JAPAN

Joelle Ouellette

Gymnasts from across the country recently travelled to Japan to partake in the Moon Sault Cup. A boys team from Burlington Gymnastics was joined by competitors from Abbottsford Twisters and Halifax Alta. On the women's side, 2001 World team member Joelle Ouellette was joined by Hamilton Gym Elites team mates Ashley Houghting and provincial level 3 gymnast Jody Boam.

Ouellette competed well today (Tuesday in Japan), placing 4th on three events. Houghting placed 6th overall, medaling on vault (silver) and beam (bronze). She also placed 9th on bars. More information about Canadian performances will be posted once available.

The host city of Sakata is situated some 800 km North West of Tokyo. Tomorrow the gymnasts travel to Tokyo for three days of sightseeing. Biletted with local families, the trip has provided athletes and coaches alike with an opportunity to experience Japan's culture to the fullest.

Returning Saturday, Ouellette will miss out on the first of two World team selection screenings. Instead, she plans to compete at next weekend's screening in Sarnia. Taking place this weekend in Sarnia is Ontario's selection camp for the upcoming Canada Winter Games.

SEPTEMBER 8 - CAROLINA CLASSIC - T & T REPORT

Last weekend, Greensboro, North Carolina hosted the second North American stop of the World Cup circuit for tumbling and trampoline.

Gymn.ca's Bryan Milonja reports on the event in Greensboro.

SEPTEMBER 5 - TAYLOR TAKES GYMROCK

Gymnastics Mississauga's Aubrey Taylor claimed first prize at the GYMROCK competition, held this weekend at Sport Seneca in Toronto. Taylor, 18, impressed the four judges with her two routines to take the title over clubmate Katie O'Donnell. Third was Burlington's Ashley Sportun. Pre-meet favourite Teri Gibson, the national silver medallist on the floor exercise, fell during her second-round performance and failed to advance to the final.

[an error occurred while processing this directive]