For Ken Ikeda, gymnastics is a family affair. Coached by his father Mitz, Ken Ikeda has long trained beside his older brother Richard, an Olympian in 2000 and a many time Canadian all-around champion and world team member. Ikeda is already a veteran of international competition, having begun his international career in 1999 with two silver medals at the prestigious Japan Junior International. That same year he also took gold in the all-around at the Canada Games, gaining television exposure as the event was broadcasted nationally on TSN.
Ikeda began his senior international career in 2000, competing at the Pacific Alliance
Championships in New Zealand. In 2001, he made the Canadian world championship team, helping them to a top 12 ranking. He also competed on the 11th place team at the World University Games, where individually he finished fifth on his best event, the pommel horse. Ikeda would prove to be one of the best Canadians on the pommel horse, arguably the most challenging event in men’s gymnastics. His strength on this event – where he took first place at Elite Canada in 2002 and 2003 – helped Canada secure a full team berth to the 2004 Olympics. A clutch performance at the 2003 World Championships in Anaheim (he was last up after one of his teammates had already fallen twice) was key in Canada’s ninth place finish.
Ikeda made the 2004 Olympic team, largely due to his ability to hit pommel horse in pressure situations. Leading up to the Olympics in Athens, he won the pommel horse at the Jurassic Classic and finished fourth at the Brazil world cup. Unfortunately, he fell on his best event at the Olympics, where the men’s team finished 11th.
Ikeda has continued to compete and has shown more good results on his best event, including back-to-back wins at the Canadian Championships (2005 and 2006), and a gold medal at the Cancun invitational in 2005. In 2006, he continued to show strength as a pommel horse specialist, finishing third at at the Cottbus Cup, where he also finished eighth in the parallel bars finals.
Ikeda’s strength on the pommel horse should continue to make him a major player for Canadian teams through the 2008 Olympics.
Ken’s gymnastics: Though mostly known for his excellent work on the pommel horse (his routine is packed with intricate single pommel work, Magyar to Shivado travel, good Russian work on the leather), he continues to improve as an all-arounder with such skills as a Yurchenko double twist on vault and both a layout and tucked Kovacs on high bar.
