AUGUST 31 – MEN'S FIELD FOR WORLDS NARROWED TO EIGHT
The University of Calgary hosted a third World team trials for Canada's top
male gymnasts. A team of seven was originally expected to be named following
today's meet, but new plans see the men reconvening in late September at Calgary
Gymnastics Center for another training camp and selection meet.
Competing today were Kyle Shewfelt, Adam Wong, David Kikuchi, Nathan
Gafuik, Ken Ikeda, Brandon O'Neill, Jared Walls,
and Grant Golding. As reported in Gymn.ca's Aug. 13 news flash ("Canadian Men Gearing Up for Worlds"),
Golding has returned the gym following a training stint at Cirque du Soleil.
Absent from today's trials was Olympian Sasha Jeltkov, who has presumably
removed himself from contention.
Gymn.ca is pleased to present videos from today's trials on our multimedia
page.
AUGUST 31 – GYMNASTICS MISSISSAUGA TO HOST WOMEN’S TEAM TRIALS
Gymnastics Mississauga will be
hosting the women’s selection activity for the 2006 World Championships next
week, Wednesday, September 6th at 6:00 pm. Tickets will be on sale at the door,
$5 for children 14 and under and $10 for ages 15 and up. Nine gymnasts have been
invited to participate in the selection activity. They are: Marci Bernholtz,
ASF, Richmond Hill, ON; Alyssa Brown, Gymnastics Mississauga, ON; Aisha Gerber,
Cambridge Kips, ON;
Crystal Gilmore, Cambridge Kips, ON; Brittnee Habbib, Gemini
Gymnastics, Oshawa, ON; Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs, Sport Seneca, Toronto, ON; Cynthia Lemieux,
Gym-Richelieu, St. Hubert, QC; Gael Mackie, Omega Gymnastics, Coquitlam,
BC; Rebecca Simbhudas, Pulsars Gymnastics, Newmarket, ON.
Gymnastics Mississauga is located at 1395 Mississauga Valley Boulevard
in Mississauga. Click on the preceding link for a map and directions.
Gymn.ca will be in attendance to provide reports and videos from the competition.
AUGUST 28 - CELEBRATE CANADIAN SUCCESS AT JUNIOR PAN AMS
Gymn.ca is pleased to present our first set of videos from this week-end's
Junior Pan American Championships from Gatineau, Quebec. We are pleased to
present you with at least one routine per gymnast, both men and women, from the
event. Stay tuned throughout the week as more videos from the competition are
added to our multimedia page.
New videos added 10:00 pm eastern time August 28
AUGUST 27 - FIVE MEDALS FOR CANADA AS JUNIOR PAN AMS WRAP UP
Team Canada took home 5 medals at today's apparatus finals, at the 2006 Junior Pan Am Games.
All five come at the bronze level, and from 4 athletes: Nansy Damianova (uneven
bars), Charlotte Mackie (beam, women's floor), Jackson Payne (men's floor), and
Jayd Lukenchuk (p-bars). Well done, Team Canada!
|
Women's Vault
1. Rebecca Bross USA 14.462
2. Samantha Peszek
USA 14.387
3. Jade Barbosa BRA 14.300
4. Nansy Damianova CAN 14.275
5. Yesenia Estrada MEX 13.825
6. Brittany Rogers CAN 13.625
7.
Daniela De León MEX 13.462
8. Ayelen Tarabini ARG 12.962
Uneven Bars
1. Bianca Flohr USA 15.300
2. Shawn Johnson USA
15.175
3. Nansy Damianova CAN 15.000
4. Brittany Rogers CAN 14.450
5. Khiuani Dias BRA 14.400
6. Ethiene Franco BRA 13.975
7. Yesenia
Estrada MEX 13.375
8. Virginia Deluzio ARG 12.175
|
Balance Beam
1. Shawn Johnson USA 15.925
2. Bianca Flohr USA
15.425
3. Charlotte Mackie CAN 15.075
4. Nansy Damianova CAN 14.925
5. Jade Barbosa BRA 14.825
6. Sidney Sanabria PUR 14.075
7. Yesenia
Estrada MEX 13.875
8. Khiuani Dias BRA 13.500
Floor Exercise
1. Samantha Peszek USA 15.100
2. Shawn Johnson
USA 14.975
3. Charlotte Mackie CAN 14.475
4. Nansy Damianova CAN 14.275
5. Jade Barbosa BRA 14.175
6. Natalia Sanchez COL 14.150
7. Sidney
Sanabria PUR 14.075
8. Ethiene Franco BRA 13.57
|
|
Men's Floor Exercise
1. Marcos Barros BRA 14.450
2. Philip
Onorato USA 14.425
3. Jackson Payne CAN 14.150
4. Ryan Lieberman USA
14.125
5. Joaquin Ramirez MEX 14.075
6. AJ Rayment CAN 13.800
7.
Francisco Barreto BRA 13.125
8. Daniel Corral MEX 12.800
Pommel Horse
1. Daniel Corral MEX 14.575
2. Joaquin Ramirez
MEX 14.200
3. Ryan Lieberman USA 13.975
4. Mynor Oliva GUA 13.700
5.
Adicxon Trejo VEN 13.200
6. Jackson Payne CAN 12.850
7. Miguel Pineda
USA 12.825
8. Sergio Eras BRA 12.475
Still Rings
1. Philip Onorato USA 15.275
2. Tim Gentry USA
14.450
3. Marcos Barros BRA 14.375
4. Sergio Eras BRA 14.225
5. AJ
Rayment CAN 13.350
6. Daniel Corral MEX 13.275
7. Jayd Lukenchuk CAN
13.025
8. Mynor Oliva GUA 12.500
|
Men's Vault
1. Joaquin Ramirez MEX 15.362
2. Tim Gentry USA
14.875
3. Tomás Siqueira BRA 14.675
4. Ryan Lieberman USA 14.575
5.
Mynor Oliva GUA 14.400
6. Francisco Barreto BRA 14.362
7. Jayd Lukenchuk
CAN 13.737
8. AJ Rayment CAN 13.725
Parallel Bars
1. Adicxon Trejo VEN 14.075
2. Ryan Lieberman
USA 13.950
3. Jayd Lukenchuk CAN 13.800
4. Miguel Pineda USA 13.725
5. Sergio Eras BRA 13.625
6. Marcos Barros BRA 13.400
7. Nicolas
Cordoba ARG 13.350
8. Daniel Corral MEX 13.325
High Bar
1. Tim Gentry USA 14.575
2. Ryan Lieberman USA 14.350
3. Francisco Barreto BRA 14.100
4. Daniel Corral MEX 13.900
5.
Adicxon Trejo VEN 13.700
6. Nicolas Cordoba ARG 13.650
7. Tomás Siqueira
BRA 13.250
8. Jackson Payne CAN 11.100 |
Complete results are available at Gymnastics
Canada Gymnastique.
AUGUST 26 - JUNIOR WOMEN WIN BRONZE AT PAN AMS
Different competition, same results. That's the story emerging today from the
junior women's team competition, at the 2006 Junior Pan Ams in Gatineau. Team
USA charged ahead for the gold medal (197.50), with Brazil claiming second
(171.95) and Canada close behind to round out the podium (171.350). The close
placement is a victory for Canada, who overcome a rough podium training to pull
it together for the meet.
All-around
medals were also awarded based on today's team performances, with Americans
taking the top two spots; Shawn Johnson (60.250) placed first followed by
Bianca
Flohr (60.00),
with Brazil's Jade Barbosa (59.450) finishing third. Americans Samantha
Peszek and
Rebecca Bross, both counting falls on bars, finished fourth and fifth,
respectfully, but with only two-per-country recognized in the official
all-around standings that leaps Nansy Damianova (57.550) into fourth place in
the all-around standings. Teammate Brittany Rogers finished fifth in the
all-around standings, amassing 56.800 points.
Damianova told Gymn.ca that while her results were good, but she knows she made some mistakes which
she hopes to correct in the apparatus finals. She was most happy with her floor
routine, where she showed some of the hardest tumbling in the meet with an
arabian double front to open, a piked full-in second line, a 1 1/2 twist through
to double twist and a double pike. On vault she overrotated her Yurchenko 1 1/2
and on the balance beam she saved a couple of near falls on her front handspring
mount and punch front but nailed her round-off two footed layout and standing
back pike. On bars her feet slipped off on the bar on one of her toe-on skills,
but she hit her other elements well (toe-on Shaposh to bail 1/2 handstand,
toe-on full, Tkatchev, double front).
As a whole, the Canadian women's team had their best rotation on floor with
all gymnasts hitting their routines. Charlotte Mackie and Brittany Rogers both
upgraded their tumbling, successfully opening their sets with piked full-ins.
Vault was also a strong event for Canada, with two Yurchenko 1 1/2s (Rogers and
Damianova) and a good Yurchenko-full from Charlotte Mackie.
Sydney Sawa had one of her best routines of the day on the uneven bars, the
last event for team Canada, showing a clean Gienger, a high Pak salto, and a
double layout dismount. Rogers showed a variety of skills including a Gienger
release, a rarely seen inside stalder shoot from low to high, and a full-out
dismount. Mackie hit a clean but safe set after taking out the Markelov release
move that had given her much trouble in training.
|
|
V |
UB |
BB |
FX |
TOTAL |
| 1 |
USA |
|
|
|
|
179.50 |
| 2 |
BRAZIL |
|
|
|
|
171.95 |
| 3 |
CANADA
Damianova, Mackie, Rogers, Sawa |
|
|
|
|
171.350 |
| 4 |
ARGENTINA |
|
|
|
|
156.85 |
| 5 |
MEXICO |
|
|
|
|
156.40 |
| 6 |
PUERTO RICO |
|
|
|
|
148.10 |
| 7 |
PERU |
|
|
|
|
142.20 |
| 8 |
CHILE |
|
|
|
|
131.70 |
| 9 |
ECUADOR |
|
|
|
|
131.15 |
| 10 |
COLUMBIA |
|
|
|
|
98.75 |
Complete results are available at Gymnastics
Canada Gymnastique.
Competition at the Junior Pan Ams continues tomorrow with men's and women's apparatus
finals. Damianova has qualified to all four apparatus finals, with Mackie and
Rogers each slated for two. As early as Monday select routines from all Canadian
gymnasts will be available on Gymn.ca for download.
AUGUST 25 - JUNIOR MEN WIN BRONZE AT PAN AMS
Team Canada picked up the bronze today in Gatineau, at the 2006 Junior Pan Am
Games. The USA took gold with 259.606 points, over 13 full points ahead of
second place Brazil (246.471). Canada's team total was 241.608.
The Canadian men's team competed in Olympic order, beginning with some good
combination tumbling on the floor exercise, highlighted by AJ Rayment's whip 1
1/2 to front 1/2 and front layout to layout front-full.
The three team members who competed pommel horse (Jayd Lukenchuk did not
compete on this event due to a minor injury) swung aggressively showing good
body lines and fight. As a team they lacked some of the strenght skills on rings
compared to other teams, but all four gymnasts hit their routines. Vault was one
of the top events for the Canadian men, with a good Kasmastu 1/2 from Rayment
and a Yurchenko-full from Lukenchuk.
On parallel bars, Lukenchuk had the fourth best score of the night, showing
excellent amplitude on his giant to Moy, a nice Diamadov, a stutz, and a high
double tuck dismount that was kicked out and stuck. Alexander Hoy on paralle
bars showed a spectacular front straddle 1 1/4 to upper arms to highlight his
set.
All-around
medals were also awarded based on today's team performances, with Americans
taking the top two spots; Ryan Lieberman (86.598) placed first followed by
Philip
Onoraton (85.764),
with Mexico's Daniel Corral (84.497) finishing third. (Americans Miguel Pineda
and Tim Gentry actually ranked third and fourth, but only two-per-country are
recognized in the all-around standings).
Canada's top all-arounder was A.J. Rayment (81.831), who finished fifth in
the all-around standings after two-per-country. Rayment told Gymn.ca that he
felt great about his performance, and that all of his hard work paid off. All of
the routines they did in training leading up to the competition - 5 to 6 per day
on each event - really helped him and the team improve their performance.
Canada's Jackson Payne (79.198)
and Alexander Hoy (77.832) also competed all-around, but due to the
two-per-country rule, only Payne's 79.198 is recognized as the second Canadian.
With that score he placed 11th in the all-around standings.
|
|
FX |
PH |
R |
V |
PB |
HB |
TOTAL |
| 1 |
USA |
41.034 |
41.701 |
44.134 |
45.934 |
42.468 |
44.335 |
259.606 |
| 2 |
BRAZIL |
40.268 |
37.801 |
40.667 |
43.967 |
41.667 |
42.101 |
246.471 |
| 3 |
CANADA
Rayment, Payne, Hoy, Lukenchuk |
40.335 |
37.201 |
39.101 |
43.468 |
41.235 |
40.268 |
241.608 |
| 4 |
MEXICO |
40.834 |
37.935 |
35.868 |
44.534 |
40.035 |
39.701 |
238.907 |
| 5 |
ARGENTINA |
39.035 |
36.367 |
37.201 |
41.967 |
38.834 |
37.934 |
231.338 |
| 6 |
VENEZUELA |
36.167 |
35.934 |
35.667 |
42.635 |
39.935 |
39.701 |
230.039 |
| 7 |
PERU |
37.468 |
34.701 |
32.935 |
41.400 |
38.734 |
39.268 |
224.506 |
| 8 |
ECUADOR |
38.201 |
36.101 |
34.334 |
39.501 |
37.534 |
35.201 |
220.872 |
| 9 |
CHILE |
35.368 |
27.668 |
32.867 |
39.467 |
34.901 |
33.634 |
203.905 |
Complete results are available at Gymnastics
Canada Gymnastique.
Competition at the Junior Pan Ams continues tomorrow with the junior
women's team/AA. Apparatus finals will be contested Sunday. Heading into the
apparatus finals, it looks like Canada's best shots will come on the floor
exercise, from both Rayment and Payne. As early as Monday select routines from
all Canadian gymnasts will be available on Gymn.ca for download.
AUGUST 23 - BEIJING SNEAK PEAK
 |
Adam posing at the Great Wall of China
Photo courtesy of Adam Wong
Canada's men's team recently had the opportunity to travel to Beijing, China.
Along for the trip were national team members Kyle Shewfelt, Adam Wong, Nathan
Gafuik, Ken Ikeda, Brandon O'Neill, Jared Walls, and Jackson Payne
as well as personal coaches and officials. The men spent two weeks training alongside China's
senior men's team at China's National Gymnastics Training Center. Down time was
spent hanging out with Chinese greats like Yang Wei, Lu Bo, Xing Aowei, Huang Xu, Yang Yun,
Li Ya and others, especially at local Karaoke halls! The team also made trips to
Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Great Wall (at Badaling).
Gymn.ca
is pleased to present a small
gallery of candid shots
from their trip, and encourages readers to check out two additional sources for
more images: September/October 2006 issue of Backflip
magazine and Kyle Shewfelt's personal website, www.kyleshewfelt.com.
Up
next for team Canada is the third and final selection meet for the upcoming 2006
World Championships.
AUGUST 23 - BUSY WEEKEND FOR CANADA'S TOP JUNIORS
Podium training began today in Gatineau, at the 2006 Junior Pan Am Games. The men's team competition begins Friday evening, with Canada represented by Alexander Hoy (Richmond Gymnastics Association), Jayd Lukenchuk (Taiso Gymnastics), Alex Rayment (Gymnastics Mississauga), and Jackson Payne (Capital City).
The alternate is Anderson Loran. The women begin their competition Saturday afternoon, with team Canada led by Nansy Damianova (Gymnix) and also featuring Sydney Sawa (Calgary Gymnastics Centre) and Charlotte Mackie and Brittany Rogers (both of Omega Gymnastics).
The alternate is Stephanie Pacitto. All-around medals will be awarded based on results from the team competition. Sunday both men and women compete in
the apparatus finals.
The Canadians will face their stiffest competition from the USA and Brazil. Six of the eight U.S. competitors competed in April's Pacific Alliance Championships; Tim Gentry, Ryan Lieberman, Philip Onorato, Shawn Johnson, Bianca Flohr, and Rebecca Bross. Rounding out the teams are Miguel Pineda and Samantha Peszak. The U.S. women's team consists of the top four junior all-around finishers from this past weekend's U.S. National Championships.
Team Brazil will be led by Jade Barbosa and rounded out by Khiuani Dias, Ethiene Franco, and Ana Cláudia Silva. Brazil's men's team will consist of Francisco Barros, Marcos Barros, Sérgio Eras, and Tomás Siqueira.
Rhythmic is also being contested, and will be held this weekend in Toronto at Sport Seneca. Stay tuned to Gymn.ca this weekend for news from Gatineau and possible video footage, in the coming
weeks.
 |
 |
Above: 2006 Canadian Pan Am Games Team Trials (photo
by Grace Chiu)
Left: 2006 Canadian Pan Am Games Team (photo by Grace
Chiu) |
AUGUST 13 – CANADIAN MEN GEARING UP FOR WORLDS
Canada's top male gymnasts descended on Calgary this past week, training
together for the upcoming 2006 World Championships in October in Aarhus,
Denmark. Training was capped off with two trials, Friday and Sunday evenings.
Posting the top individual scores on Friday were Kyle
Shewfelt and Brandon O'Neill,
both scoring 16.45 on vault. Only two from squad A competed all-around, with
traditional all-around powerhouse Adam Wong
sitting out p-bars with a slight finger injury. In the all-around, 2006
Commonwealth Games silver medalist Nathan
Gafuik bested reigning 2006 National Champion David
Kikuchi. (Scores from Sunday's trials are currently unavailable).
Making a return to competition is Alexander
Jeltkov, who last competed at the 2005 Elite Canada. Also back in the gym is
Grant Golding, who has returned from
training at Cirque du Soleil.
The top two all-arounders from this weekend's trials are expected to be named
to the team, with a third trials set for August 31 to round out the team. A mock
meet for the named team is set for September 2.
Team Canada has drawn the fifth of 9 qualification subdivisions, and will
most likely compete late Saturday, October 14th (or possibly first thing, Sunday
morning on October 15).
Also in the fifth subdivision are Romania, France, Switzerland, Egypt, and a
mixed group. Barring injury, Canada's men's team enters these Worlds with its
best shot at a first ever berth to team finals. The
6-3-3 (three up, three count) format of team finals also plays to team Canada's
strengths.
Stay tuned to Gymn.ca in the coming weeks, for videos from today's trials and
news from the final trials late August. A special feature on the team's travels
to the Chinese National Training Center in Beijing, last month, is also planned
for the coming weeks.
 |
2006 Canadian World Team Trials -
trial #2
