Gymn.ca: 2012 News Achive

Sabrina Gill earned two medals at this weekend's Toyota Cup in Tokyo, Japan. She placed second on bars behind Japan's Rie Tanaka and third on floor behind Japan's Koko Tsurumi and Mai Marakami. She also placed 7th on beam. Gill did not try out for Canada's 2012 Olympic team, needing a break from the sport but she's back training at Futures gymnastics - with medals to show!

The men's competition was well represented for Canada, with a number of entrants. Leading the pack were Hugh Smith and Ken Ikeda, who each won a bronze (floor for Smith and pommels for Ikeda). Smith also placed 4th on vault, 7th on high bar, and 8th on rings while Ikeda also placed 5th on high bar and 7th on p-bars.

Zach Clay came close to medalling, placing 4th on p-bars. He also finished 6th on vault, 7th on floor, and 8th on p-bars.

DECEMBER 13 - NEW MEET SCORING SOFTWARE

DECEMBER 9 - HOFLAND PLACES 8TH AT GLASGOW GRAND PRIX

In her final competition of the year, Kaitlyn Hofland placed eighth all-around at the 2012 Glasgow Grand Prix. The event was won by 2012 Olympic alternate Elizabeth Price (USA), with Elisabeth Sietz and Kim Bui, both of Germany, taking silver and bronze.

Hofland's most impressive performance came on beam, where she ranked third among the 8 contestants.

Glasgow plays host to two big-name events next quadrennium: 2014 Commonwealth Games and 2015 World Championships. Hofland, who has signed with the University of Utah, is deferring NCAA in a bid to compete at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

DECEMBER 2 - SALTOS SEEKING FULL TIME WAG COACH

Saltos Gymnastics Club is the largest gymnastics club on the West Coast of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. We have approximately 350 gymnasts ranging in age from 18 months to 19 years of age enrolled in various programs. Our Club has approximately 30 competitive gymnasts, 2 competitive cheer teams, 2 parkour groups and various recreational gymnastics programs.

NOVEMBER 30 - CANADIANS FINISH 8TH AT DTB CUP

Scott Morgan led Team Canada (along with Loran Anderson, Joshua Stuart and Robert Watson) to an eighth place finish today in the team qualification at the DTB Cup in Stuttgart, Germany. Individually, he placed third on floor (15.00). With only the top four men advancing to the team final, the competition is over for the Canadians.

NOVEMBER 25 - WOO TAKES GOLD ON BARS AT TOP GYM

The Canadians each walked away with a medal in today's apparatus finals, at the Top Gym invitational in Charleroi, Belgium. Rose Woo won gold on bars, and placed 9th on beam. Shallon Olson took silver on vault, and placed 7th on floor.

NOVEMBER 24 - OLSON WINS TOP GYM

Fresh off competition in neighboring France last weekend, Shallon Olson and Rose Woo took top honours at the Top Gym competition in Charleroi, Belgium.

Olson placed first in the all-around, securing 54.950 points. Woo placed second (53.400), with Great Britain's Georgina Hockenhull placing third.

Together, the Canadians posted the top scores on three of four apparatus: Olson topped the first on vault and floor, while Woo bested on beam with the highest apparatus score of the day (14.75). Both girls advance to the apparatus finals tomorrow.

NOVEMBER 25 - NCAA SIGNEES

NOVEMBER 18 - MASSILIA CONCLUDES WITH MEDALS FOR CANADA

Canadians scored three medals in the final day of competition today in France. Sabrina Gill vaulted to bronze, Gabriella Douglas took gold on beam, with Heaven Latimer dancing to silver on floor.

Competition continues next weekend in Charleroi, Belgium with Shallon Olson and Rose Woo competing at the Top Gym International.

NOVEMBER 17 - CANADIAN SENIORS PLACE SECOND AT TOP MASSILIA

Team Canada (Kaitlyn Hofland, Victoria Moors, Stefanie Merkle) took the silver medal at the 2012 Top Massilia competition, behind Russia. Leading the team was Olympian Victoria Moors, who finished fifth in the individual standings. She also debuted a new floor routine:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-6nCU7dU5A

The team competed one athlete short, after Briannah Tsang peeled off bars in training two days prior.

Canadian juniors Aleeza Yu of Richmond Hill, Ont., Victoria-Kayen Woo and Ivy Lu, both of Montreal and Heaven Latimer of Burford, Ont., also competed in the team event and placed fifth.

NOVEMBER 16 - CANADIANS ADVANCE TO TOP MASSILIA

The club team from Futures won today's Open Massilia, earning a berth to tomorrow's Top Massilia competition. Team Sweden placed second thanks to a tie-breaker that saw Team Canada juniors place third. They, too, advance to tomorrow's competition where they will be joined by Team Canada seniors.

1. Futures (CAN) 154.85
Gabriella Douglas, Casey Carvalho, Silvia Colussi Pelaez, Marianne Colussi Pelaez

2. Sweden 152.60

3. Canada Open 152.60
Heaven Latimer, Victoria Woo, Ivy Lu, Aleeza Yu

Individual results of the Open Massilia (Juniors) 2012:
1. Silvia Colussi Pelaez (Futures): 52.750
2. Louise Vanhille (France Junior): 52.550
3. Sydney Townsend (Canada): 52.450
4. Heaven Latimer (Canada) 51.250
5. Victoria Kayen Woo (Canada) 51.050
6. Ida Gustaffson (Sweden) 51.000
7. Sabrina Gill (Canada) 50.850
8. Emma Larsson (Sweden): 50.250
9. Emilie Dumont (Canada): 50.050
10. Sarah Pais (France): 49.950

Earlier today, Rose Woo and Shallon Olsen placed 1-2 in age group competition.

NOVEMBER 10 - LATIMER LEAVES COMBS WITH FOUR MEDALS

Heaven Latimer added two more medals today, gold on floor and silver on vault, making her the most decorated Canadian at this weekend's competition in Combs-la-Ville, France. Also winning medals were Canadians Taylor Chan (gold on vault), Ivy Lu (gold on beam), Sydney Townsend (bronze on vault and bars).

NOVEMBER 9 - CANADIANS WIN COMBS-LA-VILLE MEET

Team Canada (Heaven Latimer, Ivy Lu, Sydney Townsend) won gold at today's junior meet in Combs-la-Ville, France. The host team from France placed second, with the Belgians in third place.

Individually, Sarah Pais of France won gold with Latimer and Townsend finishing 2-3 for a strong Canadian finish.

OCTOBER 14 - LORAN 8TH AT MEXICO OPEN

Canada's Anderson Loran placed eighth today at the Mexico Open, in Acapulco.

SEPTEMBER 30 - WATSON WINS SILVER ON P-BARS IN HUNGARY

Canada's Robert Watson took silver on parallel bars this weekend at 4th Hungarian Gymnastics Grand Prix in Szombathely, Hungary. �I didn't expect parallel bars to be my best event but I knew that if I hit my routine I would be able to rank high,� Watson told Gymnastics Canada. It was Watson's only appearance in the finals, still recovering from a back injury.

Club mate Joshua Stuart qualified to three finals, finishing 5th on high bar and 6th on rings and p-bars.

AUGUST 12 - LONDON DELIVERS!

What an Olympics! Congratulations goes out the Team Canada on so many fronts. Rosie MacLennan bounces to gold in Trampoline - Canada's lone gold of these Games! Canada's women's gymnastics finishes an historic 5th place in the team competition, with Dominique Pegg advancing to the all-around, and Ellie Black and Brittany Rogers vaulting in the apparatus finals.

JULY 27 - OLYMPIC FEVER

The London 2012 Olympics begin today, but most gymnasts will be skipping the opening ceremony with preliminary competition taking place over the next two days. What will London 2012 hold....?

(Editor's note: I am working the Games in London, and will be unable to make site updates)

JULY 15 - MERKLE SIGNS WITH OHIO STATE

JULY 11 - CHIARELLI TO MICHIGAN

Talia Chiarelli announced on Twitter that she's committed to the University of Michigan.

JUNE 28 - FULL OLYMPIC TEAM NAMED

Gymnastics Canada has chosen the top 5 athletes, ranked by the points system, to represent Canada at the 2012 Olympic Games:

It�s just an incredible feeling,� Vaculik told Gymnastics Canada. �I�ve wanted to go to the Olympics for a long time. Now I�m just going to be working hard every day, marking down the time to the Olympics and being really excited about what I�m doing.�

�I�m just so excited to be going to the Olympics,� said Moors, who's gunning for a spot in the floor final in London. "I�ve been doing my floor routine for several years and it�s just a case of practice makes perfect. I�m still working to make it better.�

�I knew I had a solid performance this week but I didn�t know how close I was and as soon as they announced my name I wanted to drop,� said Rogers. �I�ve worked so hard for this and I�m really glad that all that hard work has paid off. It�s a dream come true. It�s incredible.�

�The first day was a little shaky because of all the pressure but this is what we�ve been working for our whole lives,� said Pegg. �We do what we love and what we need to do to get through it all.�

JUNE 28 - FOUR OLYMPIANS NAMED

Confirmed to 2012 Olympic team
Kristina Vaculik
Victoria Moors
Brittany Rogers
Dominique Pegg

Gymnastics Canada says the fifth member will be announced tomorrow. Believed to be ranked fifth in the points based selection criteria is Ellie Black, with Jessica Savona ranked sixth.

JUNE 28 - MOORS WINS DAY 2 OLYMPIC TRIALS

All-Around
1 Moors 56.4
2 Vaculik 55.9
3 Rogers 55.45
4 Pegg 54.7
5 Gardiner 53.8
6 Black 53.15
7 Savona 52.1
8 Dowling 50.7
9 Gerber 50.15
10 Tsang 50.15
11 Unick Did not finish

Vault
1 Moors 15.1
2 Black 15
3 Rogers 14.8
4 Tsang 14.35
4 Pegg 14.35
6 Savona 14.1
7 Vaculik 13.9
8 Dowling 13.7
8 Gardiner 13.7
10 Gerber 13.45
11 Unick scratched

Floor
1 Pegg 14.5
2 Moors 13.9
3 Vaculik 13.7
4 Black 13.65
5 Gerber 13.2
6 Savona 13.1
7 Rogers 12.75
8 Tsang 12.4
9 Dowling 12.25
10 Gardiner 12.25
11 Unick scratched

Beam
1 Gardiner 14.4
2 Vaculik 13.9
3 Moors 13.75
4 Rogers 13.6
5 Unick 13.55
6 Pegg 13
6 Black 13
8 Savona 12.8
9 Gerber 12.55
10 Tsang 12.3
11 Dowling 12.1

Bars
1 Vaculik 14.4
2 Rogers 14.3
3 Moors 13.65
4 Gardiner 13.45
5 Pegg 12.85
6 Dowling 12.65
7 Unick 12.5
8 Savona 12.1
9 Black 11.5
10 Tsang 11.1
11 Gerber 10.95

Rank:
1. Vaculik 93.2 points (+21.6 points)
2. Moors 83 points (+27.6 points)
3. Rogers 41.6 points (+15 points)
4. Pegg 33.9 points (+10.8 points)
5. Black 26.6 points (+4.2 points)
6. Savona 23.2 points (No Change)
7. Gardiner 14.6 points (+5.4 points)
8. Gerber 7 points (No Change)
9. Dowling 5.4 points (No Change)
10. Tsang 5 points (+1.2 points)
11. Unick 2 points (No Change)

Disclaimer: Based off the raw score providing from GymCan's tweets.
Calculations courtesy of Alex White (LSUduck)

JUNE 27 - CAPITAL SEEKING WAG DIRECTOR AND COACH

Capital City Gymnastics Club in Edmonton, AB is currently looking for a full time women's competitive coach and Developmental Program Director. Continue reading....

JUNE 26 - VACULIK WINS DAY 1 OLYMPIC TRIALS

Piecing together the scores from @kyleshew, who was at Trials today.... Thanks Kyle! He's also posting video: YouTube

If the calculations are correct, today solidified Kristina Vaculik and Victoria Moors as future Olympians. �I�ve just been taking one thing at a time and this has been another big stepping stone towards London,� Vaculik told Gymnastics Canada. �I haven�t been focusing on points, but on my routines and setting my sights on the Olympics.�

Making the best gain today was Brittany Rogers, with Jessica Savona earning the fourth highest amount of points. Black earns points on vault and beam, but missed out with her vault being downgraded and struggling on floor.

Day 1 of trials was especially hard on Dominique Pegg, ranked third after Nationals but who only earned 5 points today, and Maddie Gardiner (tied for 6th after Nationals), who did not earn any points.

Also earning points today were Mikaela Gerber, Briannah Tsang, and Jessica Dowling. Tsang and Dowling haven't accrued enough points to jump into contention with day 2 of trials. Fan favourite Gerber has a steep hill to climb.

Rankings after Day 1 of Trials:
1. Vaculik
2. Moors
3. Rogers
4. Savona
5. Pegg
6. Black

The top four after Trials are automatically named to the team. The fifth spot is explained in detail in Gymnastics Canada's published selection criteria. Less than 1 point is believed to separate Savona from Black.

Going into Trials, best estimate at the points accrued post-Nationals ranked the girls as follows:

Rank:
1. Vaculik 47.6 points
2. Moors 33.2 points
3. Pegg 19.6 points
4. Black 17.6 points
5. Savona 11.8 points
T-6. Gardiner 9.2 points
T-6. Rogers 9.2 points
8. Gerber 5.8 points
9. Dowling 2.4 points
10. Unick 2 points
10. Tsang 2 points

JUNE 24 - CANADIAN JUNIORS WIN PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Canadian juniors took gold this weekend in Medellin, Columbia. Leading the team was Victoria Woo, who finished second all-around. She was joined by Aleeza Yu (3rd AA), Ivy Lu (7th AA) and Maegan Chant (8th AA).

Woo won gold on junior bars and bronze on junior vault. Yu placed second on junior bars, and Chant placed second on junior floor.

JUNE 23 - CHIARELLI WITHDRAWS FROM FINAL OLYMPIC SELECTION CAMP

Talia Chiarelli, one of the 5-member squad who qualified Canada's Olympic berth at January's London Test Event, has official withdrawn from Olympic consideration citing continued back problems. Chiarelli missed last month's Canadian National Championships due to stress fractures in the back.

JUNE 11 - GAFUIK NOMINATED TO LONE OLYMPIC SPOT

Nathan Gafuik has officially been named to the lone 2012 Olympic spot available for Canadian men's gymnastics. The alternate is Kevin Lytwyn, the only other member of the National team who managed to reach a qualifying score.

The news comes a day after the final opportunity for others to reach the qualifier score. Jackson Payne, Jayd Lukenchuk, and Mathieu Csukassy all came up short at the Challenger Cup in Ghent, Belgium. Payne came closest, on high bar.

"The big skills and release moves were perfect but somehow he missed a really simple move that led to touching his hands on the dismount," longtime coach Liang Cheng told TSN. "I think he probably would have scored high enough to get the Olympic berth if he didn't make that mistake," said Cheng. "He's very disappointed. But that's sports. Somebody wins and somebody loses."

Payne finished 19th in the high bar qualification, 35th on parallel bars and 44th on pommel horse. Lukenchuk placed 15th on parallel bars and 16th on high bar and Csukassy finished 10th on vault, 18th on floor and 30th on rings.

"Our selection process worked well and I think we've got the guy with the best chance of winning a medal going to the Games," Canadian men's program director Jeff Thomson told TSN. "If you look at the scores that are coming out of these World Cup competitions, Gafuik is in the ball park. If he can improve the quality of that same routine he used to qualify he has the potential to win a medal at the Olympics.

JUNE 10 - MERKLE FINISHES 6TH IN WORLD CUP DEBUT

Stefanie Merkle placed sixth on floor today, at the Challenger Cup in Ghent, Belgium.

Sabrina Tomassini and Paraskevi Babalis also competed, but did not reach any finals. Tomassini finished 20th on vault, 19th on bars and 13th on floor. Babalis finished 13th on beam.

JUNE 5 - CAPITAL SEEKING WAG DIRECTOR AND COACH

Capital City Gymnastics Club in Edmonton, AB is currently looking for a full time women's competitive coach and Developmental Program Director. Continue reading....

JUNE 2 - CHECKING IN WITH THE OLYMPIC SELECTION PROCESS

There is one final selection camp remaining, until Gymnastics Canada names the Olympic team. The points tallies were recently posted on GymnasticsCoaching.com:

1. Kristina Vaculik 46.40
2. Victoria Moors 30.80
3. Dominique Pegg 20.10
4. Ellie Black 17.60
5. Jessica Savona 11.80
6. Brittany Rogers 9.20
6. Madeline Gardiner 9.20
8. Mikaela Gerber 5.80
9. Christine Lee 4.00 (Withdrawn from Olympic contention)
10. Talia Chiarelli 3.00 (Did not compete at Canadian Nationals due to a stress fracture in the back)
11. Jessica Dowling 2.40
11. Stefanie Merkle 2.40
13. Anysia Unick 2.00
13. Briannah Tsang 2.00
15. Laura-Ann Chong 1.20
16. Bianca Dancose-Giambattisto 1.00 (Recovering from ankle surgery)

On the men's side, Nathan Gafuik, Brandon O'Neill, Ken Ikeda, Jackson Payne, and Jayd Lukenchuk are focused on European meets, vying for a score that would've qualified them into a final at last year's World Championships.

Nathan Gafuik was the only gymnast at the recent Canadian Nationals, who achieved the necessary score. He scored 15.300 (7.1 D score), which would've placed him fourth on high bar at the 2011 Worlds. ?When I saw the score it there was a huge sigh of relief,? Gafuik told Gymnastics Canada.

Friday, Kevin Lytwyn achieved a 15.133 on high bar at the 2012 Salamun Memorial World Cup event in Maribor, Slovenia. The score would've ranked him 6th, according to 2011 World Championships high bar qualification. Both Lytwyn and Gafuik are now eligible for consideration of the lone Olympic spot.

Brandon O'Neill and Ken Ikeda also competed in Maribor, both missing the Olympic cut-offs.

Jackson Payne and Jayd Lukenchuk are scheduled to compete at next weekend's Ghent World Cup.

JUNE 1 - LEE WITHDRAWS FROM OLYMPIC CONTENTION

Last month, Peng Peng Lee was forced to withdraw from the 2012 Canadian Nationals after injuring her knee in podium training. She was attempting a double twisting Yurchenko, a vault that caused similar grief leading up to last year's Nationals. Last year it was dislocated knee cap, this year it's a ACL tear.

Lee formally announced her withdrawal from Olympic contention yesterday, via social media:

So valued is her team leadership, that Gymnastics Canada has asked her to travel with the Olympic team to provide support and encouragement. Her own Olympics may be over, but Lee will be in London.

After London, Lee is slated to move to Los Angeles. She has a full scholarship to compete NCAA for UCLA. With ACL repair and recovery ahead, it may be that Lee redshirts her Freshman year.

MAY 26 - VACULIK, BLACK, MOORS CROWNED APARATUS CHAMPIONS IN REGINA

Full results are available at Gym Score Depot
Gymnastics Canada's YouTube channel features many videos

MAY 26 - WOO SISTERS WIN FIVE MEDALS IN APPARATUS FINALS

Sisters Victoria-Kayen and Rose-Kalam Woo earned five medals between them, in the apparatus finals at this year's National Championships. The pair were also runners-up in the junior all-around, won by Shallon Olsen.

Full results are available at Gym Score Depot
Gymnastics Canada's YouTube channel features many videos

MAY 24 - GAFUIK REACHES OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION SCORE EN ROUTE TO NATIONAL TITLE

Nathan Gafuik won the senior men's all-around today, at the 2012 Canadian National Championships. More importantly, Gafuik nailed a huge high bar performance; he scored a 15.300 (7.1 D score), which would've placed him fourth on high bar at the 2011 Worlds. The lone entrant on the men's side for the 2012 Olympics will be based amongst those who reach required scores (to have qualified to a final at the 2011 Worlds). To date, Gafuik is the first and only male gymnast to reach a required qualification score, for Olympic selection. The others still have the apparatus finals at these Championships, and World Cup events in Slovenia and Ghent to attempt qualification score.

MAY 24 - VACULIK AND OLSEN TAKE WOMEN'S TITLES AT CANADIAN NATIONALS

Kristina Vaculik and Shallon Olsen retained their leads from prelims, taking the senior and junior women's titles at Nationals.

MAY 22 - VACULIK LEADS AFTER QUALIFICATIONS AT CANADIAN NATIONALS

Veteran Kristina Vaculik topped the field at today's qualifications, at the 2012 Canadian National Championships.

MAY 22 - OLSEN LEADS JUNIORS AT CANADIAN NATIONALS

Shallon Olsen maintains a strong lead in the junior women's all-around, at the 2012 Canadian National Championships.

MAY 21 - LEE INJURES KNEE INJURY AT CANADIAN NATIONALS

Sad day in Regina today, with the top Canadian All-Arounder sustaining a knee injury at podium training. Peng Peng Lee was training a double twisting Yurchenko, and is thought to have dislocated her knee cap. This the same injury that sidelined Lee for a significant amount of time in 2011. An MRI will confirm the extent of the injury, and provide clearer indication of whether rehabilitation may be possible in time for the upcoming 2012 Olympics.

Leading up to these National Championships, Lee was perfecting a second vault to put her into contention for the vault finals in London.

MAY 15 - IG INTERVIEW: ELLIE BLACK

APRIL 30 - WHO IS ELLIE BLACK?

Ellie Black might be Canada's best hope for a medal in London. Injured for much of 2011, she made a comeback at the 2011 Massilia Cup (November), where she dislocated her elbow. Now back in form, she looks to be peaking at just the right time. In her World Cup debut this past weekend, Black won gold on the two events in which she competed: Vault and Floor.

Scoring a combined average 14.575 vaults Black into the top 5 of all averages this year. With Cheng Fei's (rank #6) Olympic status in question, Anna Pavlova (rank #7) not on Russia's Olympic training squad, and Alexa Moreno (rank #8) out (Mexico's lone spot will go to Elsa Garcia or Ana Lago), it seems Black is a pretty good bet to make vault finals in London - if named to Canada's team.

How do the other Canadians rank? Brittany Rogers scored a 14,275 on the same apparatus, at Elite Canada to rank 10th (assuming bonus scoring wasn't used). Peng Peng Lee scored 15.300 on beam at the Pacific Rim, to rank #6 (or #5, considering that the top ranked Katelyn Ohashi is age ineligible for London 2012). Finally, Canada has Victoria Moors who danced to a 14.766 to rank #10 on floor (or #9, once again factoring out Katelyn Ohashi).

So the question begs, will Black's readiness and success be enough to challenge the points-based selection criteria?

APRIL 29 - BLACK MAKES A SPLASH IN OSIJEK

Ellie Black made the most of her World Cup debut, winning gold on the two events in which she competed: Vault and Floor. Peng Peng Lee also had a golden outing, winning bars. She also finished fourth on beam and floor.

Mikaela Gerber finished 7th on vault. With a maximum 2 per country per apparatus, she was forced to sit out her best event, floor.

Dual citizen (Canada/Spain) Silvia Colussi-Pelaesz also competed in Osijek, winning her first World Cup medal (silver on floor). She also placed 4th on bars and 6th on beam.

Coach David Kukichi reflected on Black's success at the meet. ?With every successful competition her confidence is growing, and she has been handling all of her new challenges beautifully,? Kikuchi told Gymnastics Canada. ?I think that with her good results recently she has put herself into the Olympic picture, but Canada's depth right now is incredible.?

?She now has a world class vault, and difficult routines with original combinations on floor and beam that help her to stand out,? said Kikuchi. Kikuchi knows what it takes to reach the Olympics. He competed for Canada at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics.

The Olympic team will be selected following a final selection camp in June, in Gatineau.

APRIL 15 - CANADIANS DOMINATE TRI MEET IN BRAZIL

The Canadians dominated a friendly tri-meet in S?Bernardo do Campo, Brazil this past weekend. It was a clean sweep of the Gold medals for Canada, with the women's team placing first ahead of Brazil and Korea. Kristina Vaculik took first in the AA, showing an upgraded vault (Yurchenko 1 1/2). Brittany Rogers and Talia Chiarelli topped the field on bars and floor, respectively.

Ellie Black announced herself as serious Olympic contender, winning individual gold medals on vault and beam. No slouch on floor, in qualifications she threw a 2 1/2 twist through to triple twist.

Canada fielded just one MAG athlete; Hugh Smith placed an impressive third place in the all-around competition. Smith also impressed on day 2: 2nd floor (14.600), 3rd Pommels (13.725), 3rd rings (14.375), 3rd vault (15.200).

Team:
1. Canada
2. Brazil
3. Korea

AA:
1. Kristina Vaculik (CAN) 55.55
2. Brittany Rogers (CAN) 55.50
3. Daniela Hypolito (BRA) 55.05

Vault:
1. Ellie Black (CAN) (13.988)
2. Lais Souza (BRA) (13.963)
3. Brittany Rogers (CAN) (13.838)

Bars:
1. Brittany Rogers (CAN) (14.150)
2. Kristina Vaculik (CAN) (13.950)
3. Seonmi Heo (KOR) (13.500)

Beam:
1. Ellie Black (CAN) (14.600)
2. Daniela Hypolito (BRA) (14.600)
3. Jihey Sung (KOR) (14.025)

Floor:
1. Talia Chiarelli (CAN) (14.225)
2. Dominique Pegg (CAN) (14.050)
3. Daniela Hypolito (BRA) (13.325)

APRIL 5 - MOORS & PAYNE MEDAL AT ZIBO WORLD CUP

Victoria Moors and Jackson Payne medalled at this weekend's Zibo World Cup, in China. Moors, who qualified to the floor final in first place, took silver in the finals with a 14.025. With performances like these, Moors is proving to be a strong candidate for the Olympic floor final. Jackson Payne scored 14.850 to take bronze on high bar.

Madeline Gardiner also competed at Zibo, but did not qualify to any 4-athlete final.

MARCH 31 - 2012-2016 COP

We're still not even 100 days until the start of the London 2012 Olympics, but people are already talking about the next Code of Points (COP). A draft of the 2013-2016 women's COP is available from the FIG. Most popular seems to be the change to vault.

MARCH 28 - FLICKA GYMNASTICS SEEKING APPLICANTS

Flicka Gymnastics (North Vancouver, BC) is seeking applicants for several positions:

MARCH 27 - ROMANIAN OLYMPIAN ROBERT STANESCU HOPING TO COMPETE FOR CANADA

2008 Olympian Robert Stanescu placed 7th on rings in Beijing. A year later, at the 2009 World Championships, he placed fourth - just shy of a medal. Later that year, he moved to Canada to join his wife, who was already coaching at Winstars in Windsor, Ontario. Now comes the surprising news that Stanescu isn't done with competition. ?I didn?t retire,? he told The Windsor Star. ?I want to compete for Canada.?

Stanescu is hoping to gain Canadian citizenship in time for next year?s world championships, in Antwerp, Belgium. ?It?s so hard saying your next goal is a year and a half away,? he said. ?I want to go back and get a medal. That?s why I keep training.?

MARCH 25 - ROGERS AND PEGG MEDAL AT COTTBUS

Brittany Rogers added a second medal at this year's Cottbus Cup, bronze on beam. Dominique Pegg followed in the next rotation, with a bronze on floor. Both women are vying for spots on this year's Olympic team.

MARCH 24 - ROGERS GOLDEN AT COTTBUS

MARCH 23 - A MINI COMMONWEALTH GAMES AT THE KSGF SEES CANADA WIN

Delayed flights resulted in a no-show for Team China, at tonight's Kyle Shewfelt Gymnastics Festival. Fans were happy to take in a dual meet instead, featuring Canada against Australia. Host Kyle Shewfelt joked that tonight's competition was sort of like the Commonwealth Games, without Great Britain!

Team Canada was represented by Nathan Gafuik, Jackson Payne, Kevin Lytwyn, and Anderson Loran. Josh Jefferis led the Australians, joined by Thomas Pichler, Sam Offord, and Brody Jai Hennessy.

Canada suffered quite a few falls, but higher start values led to their 0.5 point win over Australia. Anderson Loran, the most inexperienced amongst the Canadians, topped the all-around standings. Australians Josh Jefferis and Thomas Pichler went 2-3.

Competition continues tomorrow, but in a friendly/non-FIG "Big Show" format featuring just three per apparatus. Celebrity judges including Olympians Adam Wong (2004, 2009) and Kylie Stone (2004) will be present. Team China is expected to arrive, and compete.

Kyle Shewfelt appeared on a number of local networks, leading up to the event. Clips from two of these appearances can be viewed at:

MARCH 19 - KYLE SHEWFELT GYMNASTICS FESTIVAL (KSGF)

Everything is coming together for the upcoming Kyle Shewfelt Gymnastics Festival (KSGF), this coming weekend in Calgary. The event is headlined by a tri meet featuring Canada, Australia, and China.

MARCH 19 - MACKIE'S OLYMPIC DREAM SLIPPED AWAY

Charlotte Mackie competed in her second World Championships, in Rotterdam in 2010. Still adjusting to a new coach and new techniques, she competed just three apparatus in Rotterdam (sitting out bars). One of David Kenwright's first moves was to put Charlotte in grips, and start reworking her bar technique.

Historically, most World team members are given a bye from competing at Elite Canada, their carding and eligibility secured. That year, with Elite Canada ranked so much higher than World Championships, Charlotte's attendance and performance at Elite Canada were crucial for carding points. She impressed with a third place finish in the all-around, and posted the second highest score on vault and top 5 on bars - not bad, for an apparatus she didn't even compete two months prior!

Everything changed on her last apparatus, vault. Her all-around tally secured from her first vault, Charlotte went for a second vault, to qualify for apparatus finals. She suffered a horrific crash - one that has taken her out of competition, ever since.

Charlotte underwent foot surgeries and extensive rehab, and talked to Gymn.ca in November 2011 about her aspirations of returning to competition. Unfortunately, the rehab has been more difficult than anticipated. In an interview with Triple Twist, Charlotte talks about how the goal has "slipped away." "It?s been terribly sad and frustrating coming to terms with the ultimate dream of the Olympic Games slipping away," she admits.

MARCH 18 - USAG UPLOADS BULK OF PACIFIC RIM PERFORMANCES

Kudos to USAG, for uploading the bulk of the routines contested this past weekend in Everett, WA! Well done!

MARCH 18 - FIVE MEDALS FOR CANADA AT PACIFIC RIM CHAMPIONSHIPS

On Sunday, Peng Peng Lee added a pair of silvers (beam and floor final) to her medal haul. She also placed 4th on bars. Fellow Canadians Kristina Vaculik and Victoria Moors also competed in the apparatus finals, placing 6th on bars and floor, respectively.

The junior subdivision saw two Canadian medallists; Maegan Chant took bronze on vault, and Victoria Kayan-Woo took silver on bars. Also competing was Jordyn Pedersen (5th on vault, 7th on bars).

Scott Morgan brought a smile to the Canadian men's program, earning their first medal of these Championships. He finished third on vault, and also placed 4th on rings.

Also competing in the senior men's apparatus finals were Anderson Loren (5th on floor and pommels) and Robert Watson (8th on floor). In the junior men's division, Zachary Clay finished 8th on floor and pommels, Cory Paterson placed 8th on p-bars, and Josh Stuart finished 4th on high bar.

MARCH 16 - BRONZE FOR WOMEN AT PACIFIC RIM CHAMPIONSHIPS

Team Canada dominated the first of two subdivisions, at today's Pacific Rim Championships in Everett, WA. They watched from the stands, eager to see how their scores stacked. In the end, they beat Australia, Japan, and Russia to walk away with the bronze. Finishing in first was the host nation, USA. Second went to China.

Canada's Peng Peng Lee was one of the big stories, of these Championship. A combined team and All-around competition, also earned a bronze medal for her day's work on Saturday. "I was just trying to have a lot of fun, and also was just trying to get a little more experience competing my new routines," Lee told IG. "My expectations weren't too too high."

MARCH 14 - KATE RICHARDSON BACK IN COMPETITION!

Two-time Olympian Kate Richardson (2000, 2004) turned heads today, at the Pacific Rim Championships in Everett, WA. Kate recently completed a Master's in Physiotherapy, and was on hand in Everett, WA as the physiotherapist for Canada's junior men's team. So back in competition, but as staff not gymnast!

MARCH 14 - PACIFIC RIM CHAMPIONSHIPS SET TO BEGIN

Everett, WA has welcomed many of the World's best gymnasts this weekend, for the Pacific Rim Championships. Television coverage airs Saturday on NBC. Check your local listings for times!

Senior women
Australia: Lauren Mitchell, Emily Little, Georgia Simpson
Canada: Christine Lee, Victoria Moors, Kristina Vaculik
China: Tan Sixin, Luo Peiru, Shang Chunsong
Chinese Taipei: Yu-Chun Chen, Chia-Jung Tsai
Colombia: Jessica Gil
Costa Rica: Karina Regidor
Hong Kong: Hiu Ying Angel Wong, Nim Yan Choi, Ka Man Leung
Japan: Risa Konishi, Wakiko Ryu, Yuri Ishii
Mexico: Sandra Paola Garcia Victoriano, Karla Adriana Martinez Lozano
Russia: Kristina Sidorova, Anastasiya Marchuk, Diana Elkina
United States: To be determined.

Junior women
Australia: Alexandra Eade, Madelaine Leydin, Jazminne Casis
Canada: Maegan Chant, Jordyn Pedersen, Victoria Kayen Woo
China: Mei Jie, Wang Wei, Lou Nina
Chinese Taipei: Wan-Yin Chen, Yu-Chun Lai
Costa Rica: Angela Arce
Japan: Yuki Uchiyama, Sakura Yumoto
Mexico: Federica Scheiman Hernandez, Andrea Fernanda Mora Ramirez, Shaden Michelle Cortes Herrera
New Zealand: Hanna Malloch, Courtney Mcgregor, Rebecca Morrison, Brittany Robertson, Charlotte Sullivan, Millie Williamson
Panama: Ana Victoria De Leon, Valentina Brostella
Russia: Ekaterina Baturina, Maria Kharenkova, Anastasia Belova
United States: To be determined.

Senior men
Australia: Joshua Jefferis, Thomas Pichler, Samuel Offord
Canada: Anderson Loran, Scott Morgan, Robert Watson
China: Liu Rongbing, Cheng Ran, Wang Peng
Chinese Taipei: Szu-Chieh Chen, Sheng-Meng Huang, I-Hsiang Chen
Colombia: Jorge Giraldo
Hong Kong: Kam Wah Liu, Kiu Chung Ng, Wai Hung Shek
Japan: Takuya Nakase, Koji Uematsu, Tatsuki Nakashima
Mexico: Santos Martinez Reyes, Rodolfo Heron Bonilla Ruiz, Axel German Elias Jimenez
New Zealand: Mikhail Koudinov
Philippines: Jean Nathan Monteclaro
Russia: Mikhail Bodnar, Daniil Kazachkov, Pavel Pavlov
Thailand: Bobby Kriangkum
United States: Chris Brooks, Jake Dalton, Sam Mikulak

Junior men
Australia: Brody-Jai Hennessy, Lachlan Savill, Kent Pieterse
Canada: Cory Paterson, Zachary Clay, Joshua Stuart
China: Wu Guanhua, Xu Kangye, Xiao Ruoteng
Chinese Taipei: Fu-Li Liu, Yu-Chin Chao, Jia-En Lin
Costa Rica: Tarik Soto
Hong Kong: Chun Kit Poon, Tzn Tak Seto
Japan: Kaito Imabayashi, Koji Nonomura, Kenzo Seryu
Mexico: Rodolfo Gomez Grosso, Andres Esteban Resendiz Sanchez, Sergio Elias Borquez
New Zealand: Reegan Edwards, Leo Golder
Russia: Grigorii Zyrianov, Nikolay Kovinov, Sergey Stepanov
United States: Marvin Kimble, Sean Melton, Akash Modi

MARCH 13: IG: HOPFNER-HIBBS TELLS 2012 OLYMPIANS TO ENJOY EVERY MINUTE OF IT

MARCH 11 - L'INTERNATIONAL GYMNIX 2012

CHALLENGE
Peng Peng Lee (CAN) 57.875
Elizabeth (Ellie) Black (CAN) 54.375
Ashleigh Brennan (AUS) 53.67

SENIOR CUP
Emily Little (AUS) 55.065
Kaitlyn Hoffman (CAN) 54.865
Bianca Dancose-Giambattisto (CAN) 53.998

JUNIOR TEAM
Russia, 155.661
Australia, 153.230
France, 151.996

JUNIOR CUP
Maria Bondareva (RUS) 52. 931
Charlie Fellows, Mixed Team, 52.366
Casey Carvalho, Mixed Team, 51.398

VAULT FINAL
1. Emily Little (AUS). 2. Kaitlyn Hofland (CAN). 3. Lauren Mitchell (AUS).

BARS FINAL
1. Bianca Dancose-Giambattisto (CAN). 2. Kaitlyn Hofland (CAN). 3. Georgia Simpson (AUS).

BEAM FINAL
1. Lauren Mitchell (AUS). 2. Emily Little (AUS). 3. Bianca Dancose-Giambattisto (CAN).

MARCH 3 - MOORS FINISHES 4TH AT AMERICAN CUP

Canadians Victoria Moors and Jackson Payne competed at the American Cup today, in Madison Square Gardens (New York city). Moors finished fourth, behind World Champion Jordyn Weiber from the USA, fellow American Alexandra Raisman, and Romanian Larisa Iordache.

Gabrielle Douglas (USA) actually posted the top all-around tally of the meet, but was competing hors de concours so is not formally recognized in the standings.

The men's competition was also won by an American, with Danell Leyva rallying to after a weak start. Second place went to Ukraine's Mykola Kuksenkov with Germany's Marcel Nguyen taking third.

Jackson Payne was a last minute substitution into the American Cup, filling in for a German who withdrew. He cited the late entry, and training adjustments on his 7th place finish: "I haven't really been focusing very much on an all-around score since the London event in January," Payne told Gymnastics Canada. "I've been working mostly on parallel bars, high bar and pommel horse, and going through the all-around was the first time since the London meet.?

The competition kicks off a busy month for Canadian gymnasts. A number of competitions take place this month, including L'International Gymnix (Montreal), Pacific Rim (Everett, WA), and the Kyle Shewfelt Gymnastics Festival (Calgary).

MARCH 2 - MOORS AND PAYNE TO COMPETE AT AMERICAN CUP

Victoria Moors and Jackson Payne are in NYC, preparing to compete at tomorrow's American Cup. The event will be televised live on NBC. Be sure to check your local listings.

FEBRUARY 25 - OLYMPIC DRAW CONDUCTED

The Olympic draw was conducted today at the FIG's headquarters. Canada's women's team will compete in subdivision 3, alongside the USA, France, Great Britain.

FEBRUARY 24 - ROGERS' INJURY RECOVERY A CHRISTMAS 'MIRACLE'

FEBRUARY 19 - VACULIK AND WATSON TAKE ELITE CANADA TITLES

Kristina Vaculik and Robert Watson topped the standings at this weekend's Elite Canada, in Mississauga.

Although recent World team members typically receive a bye from the competition, most chose to compete this this weekend. Only Peng Peng Lee opted to sit out the competition, in favour of working on upgrades. Topping the field was Kristina Vaculik, followed by Worlds team members Brittany Rogers, Victoria Moors, and Madeline Gardiner.

Robert Watson topped the senior men's field, ahead of Anderson Loren and Hugh Smith.

FEBRUARY 14 - GYMNASTICS EXAMINER: FLETT

Gymnastics Examiner Blythe Lawrence interviewed Sarah Flett in advance of this weekend's Elite Canada.

FEBRUARY 13 - A LONDON WARM-UP

Olympic hopefuls Brittany Rogers and Laura-Ann Chong competed at their home club's competition last weekend, the North Shore Invitational. Video is available on Gymn.ca's YouTube channel.

FEBRUARY 11 - DEMI PAS 10TH AT NADIA COMANECI INVITATIONAL

Demi Pas of Stampede City (Calgary, AB) rounded out the top 10, at this weekend's Nadia Comaneci Invitational.

FEBRUARY 6 - OAKVILLE'S BIANCA JORDAAN

JANUARY 31 - TV ALERT: RICK MERCER

Tonight, Rick soars to new heights with Canada's Trampoline team! 8pm on CBC...check local listings.

JANUARY 18 - ALTADORE GYM CLUB SEEKING DIRECTOR/COACH

JANUARY 17 - CHECKING IN WITH JESSICA SAVONA

GymnasticsCoaching.com recently caught up with Jessica Savona, who's been cleared to train following ACL reconstruction on a tear suffered at last year's Tokyo Cup.

JANUARY 13 - MOORS TAKES SILVER ON FLOOR AT TEST EVENT

New senior Victoria Moors earned silver on floor today, at the apparatus finals in London, England. New to the senior ranks, she trains under Elvira Saadi at Dynamo Gymnastics in Cambridge, Ontario.

Also competing in the apparatus finals were Kristina Vaculik and Peng Peng Lee, who finished 4th and 5th on the uneven bars. Madeline Gardiner finished 4th on beam, and Ken Ikeda eighth on the parallel bars.

JANUARY 11 - CANADIAN WOMEN QUALIFY TO LONDON 2012

Canada's women's team competed with strength and confidence today, placing second at the Test Event behind Italy, qualifying a full team to the London 2012 Olympics. They gained six points over their team score from the recent 2011 World Championships, a tally that would've ranked them sixth in Tokyo!

Peng Peng Lee finished fifth in the all-around, Kristina Vaculik 15th, and Victoria Moors 20th. Rounding out the team were Talia Chiarelli, Madeline Gardiner, and Brittany Rogers. Mikaela Gerber was the reserve (ankle injury).

The competition isn't over; Lee and Vaculik will compete in the bars final, Gardiner in the beam final, and Moors on floor.

JANUARY 10 - SAD DAY FOR CANADIAN MEN'S GYMNASTICS

Canada's men's team struggled in today's attempt to qualify to this year's Olympic Games. They finished fifth, with the top four teams qualifying to London. The lucky teams advancing from this competition to the Olympics are Great Britain, France, Spain, and Italy.

Several typically top scoring routines were missed today; Nathan Gafuik fell on floor and high bar, Brandon O'Neill fell on parallel bars and struggled with his dismount on floor, Kevin Lytwyn fell on floor, Ken Ikeda faltered on pommels, etc.

Overall, the cleanest performances came from Casey Sandy. He was competed on only five of six apparatus however, missing the opportunity to stake his name amongst the all-around results. Finishing the strongest in the all-around for Canada was Jackson Payne, whose day was marred only by a small miss on high bar (well covered up).

"The nerves were getting to us," Ikeda told the media. "We had a few not so good routines. We could have done better. It wasn't our best day." Some are asking whether it was more than nerves, questioning the strategy of playing it "safe" with routines of lower difficulty, choice of line up, etc.

Only one Canadian has qualified for an apparatus final at this event: Ken Ikeda sits third on parallel bars. Jackson Payne is first reserve for pommel horse.

Unfortunately, there are lasting implications to today's finish. In addition to dashed Olympic dreams, Canada's men's program is likely to suffer a severe cut in funding similar to that experienced by the women's program after they failed to qualify a team to the 2008 Olympics.

The FIG has not yet published a list of the individual Olympic qualifiers. It is expected that Canada will be able to field only one MAG. Hopes now rest on the Canadian's women's team, who compete for the Olympic berth tomorrow.

JANUARY 9 - PODIUM TRAINING AT THE TEST EVENT

Canada's women today trained on podium, at the London Prepares Test Event for this summer's Olympic Games. The men trained yesterday. Notes of these performances can be found at:

Many videos from today's training are available on YouTube, and handily compiled by Between the Olympics.

At today's press conference, the FIG announced that the Event Finals will be broadcast on their YouTube Channel.

Talia Chiarelli	University of Michigan
Riley Cholod	UIC
Mikaela Gerber	UCLA
Bianca Jordaan	Eastern Michigan University
Sydney McEachern	Eastern Michigan University
Stefanie Merkle	Ohio State
Taylor Ricci	OSU
Emma Sibson	Penn State
Briannah Tsang	Penn State
Shae Zamardi	LSU

VAULT: Average
1	Barbosa, Jade (BRA)	14,800
2	Pe?Yamilet (DOM)	14,800
3	Steingruber, Giulia (SUI)	14,663
4	Maksyuta, Valeria (Israel)	14,600
5	Black, Ellie (CAN)	14,575
6	Fei, Cheng (CHN)	14,525
7	Pavlova, Anna (RUS)	14,490
8	Moreno, Alexa (Mexico)	14,413
9	Grishina, Anastasiya (RUS)	14,340
10	Rogers, Brittany (CAN)	14,275

UNEVEN BARS: Total
1	Mustafina, Aliya (RUS)	16,220
2	Tweddle, Elizabeth (GBR)	15,950
3	Komova, Viktoria (RUS)	15,850
4	Jinnan, Yao (CHN)	15,675
5	Douglas, Gabrielle (USA)	15,633
6	Grishina, Anastasiya (RUS)	15,600
7	Huang, Qiushuang (CHN)	15,250
8	Ross, Kyla (USA)	15,250
9	Kexin, He (CHN)	15,225
10	Dufournet, Youna (FRA)	15,167

BALANCE BEAM: Total
1	Ohashi, Katelyn (USA)*	15,850
2	Wieber, Jordyn (USA)	15,700
3	Ponor, Catalina (ROU)	15,550
4	Ross, Kyla (USA)	15,500
5	Iordache, Larisa (ROU)	15,450
6	Lee, Peng Peng (CAN)	15,300
7	Chungsong, Shang (CHN)	15,250
8	Komova, Viktoria (RUS)	15,250
9	Bondareva, Maria (RUS)*	15,200
10	Jinnan, Yao (CHN)	15,175

FLOOR EXERCISE: Total
1	Raisman, Alexandra (USA)	15,433
2	Ponor, Catalina (ROU)	15,275
3	Mitchell, Lauren (AUS)	15,150
4	Wieber, Jordyn (USA)	15,133
5	Afanasyeva, Ksenia (RUS)	15,067
6	Iordache, Larissa (ROU)	15,000
7	Bulimar, Diana (ROU)	14,950
8	Ohashi, Katelyn (USA)*	14,950
9	Grishina, Anastasiya (RUS)	14,933
10	Moors, Victoria (CAN)	14,766

*	age ineligible for London 2012

1	Anderson Loran	85.800	Canada
2	Josh Jefferis	84.550	Australia
3	Thomas Pichler	83.350	Australia
4	Sam Offord	83.050	Australia
5	Brody Jai Hennessy	78.650	Australia
6	Jackson Payne	69.650	Canada
7	Nathan Gafuik	56.350	Canada
8	Kevin Lytwyn	54.500	Canada

Rank	Athlete	AA
1	Vaculik	55.15
2	Moors	55
3	Rogers	54.3
4	Savona	53.7
5	Gerber	52.45
6	Black	52.05
7	Pegg	52.05
8	Gardiner	51.25
9	Dowling	50.9
10	Tsang	50.55
11	Unick	49

Vault:		Scores	D-score
1	Moors	14.9
1	Rogers	14.9
3	Black	14.45
3	Tsang	14.45
5	Pegg	14.1	5.3
6	Savona	13.95	5.3
7	Vaculik	13.85	5
8	Gardiner	13.65	5
9	Gerber	13.6	5
10	Unick	13.35	5
11	Dowling	13.1	5
UB:
1	Rogers	14.35	6
2	Dowling	14	5.8
3	Vaculik	13.75	6
4	Savona	13.05	5.4
5	Gerber	12.6	5.2
6	Moors	12.3	5.6
7	Gardiner	12.2	4.5
8	Pegg	11.9	5.5
9	Unick	11.8	5.7
10	Tsang	11.25	5.2
11	Black	11.05	4.8
BB:
1	Vaculik	14.05	5.6
2	Black	13.45	5.7
3	Savona	13.15	5.5
4	Moors	12.9	5.6
5	Gerber	12.75	5.5
6	Tsang	12.6	5.2
7	Pegg	12.5	5.7
8	Gardiner	12.05	5.7
9	Rogers	12	5.4
10	Unick	11.55	4.8
11	Dowling	11.1	5.3
FX:
1	Moors	14.9	6
2	Pegg	13.55	5.5
3	Savona	13.55	5.4
4	Vaculik	13.5	5.2
5	Gerber	13.5	5.5
6	Gardiner	13.35	5.2
7	Black	13.1	5.6
8	Rogers	13.05	5.2
9	Dowling	12.7	5.2
10	Unick	12.3	5
11	Tsang	12.25	5.1

Archive: 2012

DECEMBER 24 - IG: HOFLAND CONFIDENT GOING INTO NEW YEAR

DECEMBER 16 - GILL A DOUBLE MEDALLIST IN TOKYO