February News 2

Monday, August 25, 2008

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	LATEST GYM NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD ON GYMNASTICS ONLINE! CLICK HERE FOR LATEST NEWS UPDATE 28 APRIL NEWS HEADLINES LATEST NEWS! -UK Sport confirm further details of bid for extra £49.5 million pounds per year to fund Olympic Hopefuls, plus your chance to decide how Lottery Money is awarded! Only 7 days to have your Say plus BG’s Official Statement! - Commonwealth Games TV Details! All Finals to be shown LIVE on BBC Interactive Full listings! - Rhian returns at Celtic Cup, Full results - Zamolodchikova to compete in American Cup against Nastia but Chellsie out after ankle surgery - Top Men’s line up plus Chinese women confirmed for Cottbus World Cup! - British RG Duets & Trios - Anna Bessonova wins Gold at US Rhythmic International - Kyle Shewfelt to compete in Commonwealth Games, as Canadian Men’s Team named for Melbourne! - Alexandra Orlando wins 4 Golds in Elite Canada R.G. competion plus Commonwealth Team announced! - Gym Dogs collect 10 straight wins as Kupets & Heenan hit best ever scores - 10 pages of fantastic photos from European Sports Acrobatics Championships! CLICK HERE FOR GYM NEWS FROM 1ST TO 10TH FEBRUARY!



		Two of the leading International competitors who will battle for Gold at the 2006 American Cup, Elena Zamolodchikova and Hisashi Mizutori. Photos copyright of World Gym Art.

	15 February - ELENA ZAMOLODCHIKOVA AND HISASHI MIZUTORI HEADLINE INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE FOR AMERICAN CUP Olympic champions Elena Zamolodchikova of Russia and Hisashi Mizutori of Japan will headline the impressive roster of international gymnasts who have accepted invitations to compete in the 2006 American Cup on March 4, at Temple University's Liacouras Center in Philadelphia. Elena won the American Cup in 2001, and Mizutori won the Silver medal in the All Around Competition at the World Championships in Melbourne 2005. Leading gymnasts from 10 different countries will go head to head with Nastia Liukin from the USA who is a double World Champion on uneven bars and beam, plus Silver medalist on Floor. Three more top American gymnasts will trial for the three remaining spots on the US Team at the trials from 22 - 25 February. Current All Around World Champion Chellsie Memmel unfortunately had to turn down an invitation to compete as she is recovering from ankle surgery. Chellsie will still attend the Selection Camp which includes the World 2005 Floor Champion Alicia Sacramone, plus 2005 U.S. Women’s World Team member Jana Bieger, Annie DiLuzio, Bianca Flohr, Natasha Kelley, Kassi Price, Ashley Priess, Monica Shoji and Shayla Worley. The US Team will be named on 27 February. The International field consists of:- Women Daria Bijak, Germany Aisha Gerber, Canada Suzanne Harmes, Netherlands Maryna Kostiuchenko, Ukraine Kyoko Oshima, Japan Lais Souza, Brazil Elena Zamolodchikova, Russia Zhou Zhuoru, China A former American Cup champion, Zamolodchikova is one of the world’s top gymnasts. In 2000, she was the only gymnast to win two gold medals at the Olympic Games and just missed the podium by finishing fourth in the same two events, vault and floor exercise, at the 2005 World Championships. She won the American Cup in 2001, and in 2004, she was on the team that took the bronze medal at the Olympic Games. Suzanne Harmes was third in the floor exercise at the 2005 World Championships and placed fifth on floor in last year’s American Cup. This could well produce an electrifying repeat of the World Championships Floor Final if Alicia Sacramone who is the current World Floor Champion is selected at Trials, as she will go head to head with World Championships Silver medalist US Team mate Nastia Liukin and World bronze medalist Suzanne Harmes! Men Nathan Gafuik, Canada Fabian Hambuechen, Germany Sergey Khorokhordin, Russia Li Junhao, China Florent Maree, France Hisashi Mizutori, Japan Ryuta Nakazato, Japan Danilo Nogueira, Brazil Razvan Dorin Selariu, Romania The US Men’s Team will be David Durante of Team Chevron, Jonathan Horton of University of Oklahoma, Brett McClure of Team Chevron, and David Sender of Stanford University. Mizutori was second in the all-around at the 2005 World Championships. He finished second on the pommel horse and horizontal bar at the 2005 American Cup. He was a member of the team that won the gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games. Hambuechen won the horizontal bar at the 2005 European Championships and followed with a fourth-place finish at last year’s World Championships. Khorokhordin was fifth in the all-around at the 2005 World Championships. In 2005, Selariu was sixth in the all-around at the World Championships, as well as the silver medalist in the all-around at European Championships. He was a member of the team that earned the bronze medal at the 2004 Olympic Games. “This is one of the most impressive fields we have ever hosted for this meet,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. “The American Cup has always been a prestigious event, and this year’s list of competitors indicates the significance of this event.” The American Cup returns to it’s traditional all-around format this year with eight men and eight women competing in the Finals which will be televised live on NBC Sports at 1pm ET. Tickets are $27, $37 and $77 and may be purchased through several different avenues: via phone at 888.OWLS.TIX; online at liacourascenter.com; or in person at the Liacouras Center Box Office. Competition on March 4 starts at 11:30 a.m. .


	Canadian Kyle Shewfelt who will lead Team Canada at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne performing his famous Shewfelt Vault.

14 February - OLYMPIC CHAMPION KYLE SHEWFELT LEADS CANADIAN COMMONWEALTH TEAM

PERFECT TEN IN TRIUMPHANT RETURN FROM INJURY

The 2004 Olympic floor exercise champion Kyle Shewfelt made a triumphant return to competition at the Commonwealth Games Trials in Calgary scoring a perfect ten for execution on vault performing his own speciality Yurchenko 2 and a half “Shewfelt” vault ( Yurchenko 2 and a half ). Kyle suffered a broken ankle in October last year had not competed since winning Gold on Floor in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games when he became Canada’s first Olympic Champion in Men’s Artistic Gymnastics. Shewfelt’s total score on Vault as 16.8 which included the perfect 10.0 for execution and 6.8 for difficulty under the new Code of Points, with the 6.8 one of the highest for difficulty. He also earned the highest score on floor with a 15.2 , just ahead of World Championships Silver Medlaaist Brandon O’Neill who scored 14.9. Shewfelt also hit the second highest on high bar to secure a spot on the Commonwealth Team.

Shewfelt said afterwards ‘’I was a little bit surprised because a 10 is unusual but I did a great vault,. But it’s my vault so I guess I better be able to do it perfectly. I was little bit nervous leading up but I think my experience came through for me. I simply relied on what I knew and everything fell into place.The new code is a work in progress but I think it’ll be good for me. For floor, vault and high bar I’m able to construct routines that are still at the top level but on floor for example I had to change a lot of things. So it’s a lot of practice and getting comfortable with the changes.’’’

Grant Golding posted the best score on three pieces with a 14.8 on pommel horse, 15.6 on Rings and tying with Ken Ikeda on 14.8 on P Bars. After Day One of Trials Golding led with 88.50, David Kikuchi 2nd with 87.800. Each gymnast knew that only the top two would be guaranteed a place on the Commonwealth Team with three further selections based on performances in individual events, so the pressure was on to guarantee a spot.

Day 2 of saw Grant Golding finishing in 1st place in the All Around with a score of 177.40 points. Nathan Gafuik was second with 176.20, Adam Wong 3rd with 174.70, and David Kikuchi fourth with 173.00.This followed Kikuchi’s Gold Medal in the All Around at the Elite Canada Competition in December.

‘’We’re really excited about the team we’re going to bring to Melbourne,’’ said Jeff Thomson, men’s high performance director for Gymnastics Canada Gymnastique. ‘’The guys didn’t miss anything. There’s a lot of experience and the younger guys like Nathan and Adam showed once again they belonged to compete alongside the very best.’’

ALEXANDRA ORLANDO COLLECTS 4 GOLD MEDALS AT ELITE CANADA RHYTHMIC COMPETITION!

CANADIAN RG TEAM ALSO NAMED FOR MELBOURNE!

Alexandra Orlando of Toronto will lead the Canadian Rhythmic Gymnastics team at the Commonwealth Games after her superb performance at the Elite Canada competition where she won the Individual All Around competition for the fourth year in a row. 19 year old Alexandra then collected Gold in the Rope Final with 14.575, plus Clubs where she scored 14.175, and Ball with her gold medal winning 15.0. Alexandra said “ I am most satisfied with my rope win. It was my weakest event in the All Around competition and I came back today with an extremely clean routine one of my best in a while.I’m excited about going to the Games and I know there’ll be a big pressure to win because Canada will be one of the favourites”.

The competition also served as the Games selection trials and Alexandra scored 59.425 in the All Around, with Yana Tsikaridze from Montreal second with 56.925, and Toronto’s Stephanie Carew collecting bronze with 52.000. Yana Tsikaridze prevented a clean sweep by Orlando as she won Gold in the Ribbon Final with 15.025 to add to her Silver Medal in the A.A.

In the Junior All Around Demetra Mantcheva won Gold with 48.825, and Katia Zaitseva of Toronto second with 44.725. In the group competition, Academy from Vancouver took the gold in the senior competition ahead of Toronto’s Olympium. In junior group, Kalec of Toronto won Gold, with HPTC in Winnipeg second and Academy collecting bronze.

Canada have a strong record in Rhythmic Gymnastics after winning the Commonwealth Gold medal at the 1998 Kuala Lumpar Games when the RG Titles were last contested, and Erika Leigh Sturton took home 5 Gold medals, and the Canadian Team won Silver in the Team Event. mne e toutineg ! ted comprtformance at the rg;, looking to repeat the success of the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Games, when the event was last contested, and Canadian Erika Leigh Stirton took home five golds and helped her Team win a silver medal in the Team Event.

Orlando, Tsikaridze and Carly Orava of Toronto will be nominated to the team for the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games by Gymnastics Canada Gymnastique. Orlando’s coach Mimi Masleva was also announced as the Commonwealth Games team coach

17 February - WINTER OLYMPICS ATTRACTS AMAZING 140 MILLION AMERICAN VIEWERS !

London 2012 Advertisers and sponsors take note! NBC Sports have announced that an incredible 140 million viewers have watched the Winter Olympics in 6 days with average viewing figures of nearly 18 million viewers each night! This represents nearly half of all Americans and NBC are delighted with the response.

After watching the incredible ice dance competitions, which were full of drama and falls in the Original Dance, I can’t wait for the Free Dance Routine Finals!

Content removed - Ken Summerfield, 25th August, 2008

17 February - MEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONS TO COMPETE IN COTTBUS WORLD CUP AND CHINESE & BRAZILIAN WOMEN CONFIRMED!

The Cottbus Wotld Cup Otganisers have confirmed that current All Around World Champion Hiroyuki Tomita will lead a strong Japanese Team at the World Cup Event in Germany from 24 - 26 March. Tomita will be joined by Olympic Team mates Kenya Kobayashi, Kensuke Murata, Hitioshi Aoyama and Takauya Nakase. Also confirmed are Olympic P Bars Champion Valeri Gonsharov, reigning World Champion on Floor Diego Hypolito from Brazil, plus Yuri Van Gelder from the Netherlands on Rings, and the top Slovanian duo Mitja Petkovsek on p bars and Aljaz Pegan on H Bars. US Gymnastics have also confirmed that Alexander Artemev who won Gold on Pommels at the 2005 American Cup and won Silver in Cottbus last year and Sean Golden who competed at the 2005 World Championships will also appear. Top Russians also confirmed include the winners of the DTB - Pokal 2005 and former All Around World Champion Nikolai Krjukow and Alexander Safoshkin who defeated Yuri Van Gelder on Rings in Stuttgart

Amongst the women already confirmed are Polina Miller and Natalia Losetshko who will go head to head against top Chinese stars Li Ya who was the youngest member of the Chinese Team at the World Championships in Anaheim in 2003 where she came 4th on Beam, and also competed in the Beam Final in Athens before winning Gold in Glasgow last year. Chinese Bars specialist Huang Lu will also compete and will be keen to add to her Silver Medals from Stuttgart and Glasgow in 2005. The Brazilians are also sending a strong team with Floor specialist Daiane Dos Santos and Lais Souza who will be defending the Vault Title which she won last year, plus Spain’s Patricia Moreno and Marta Pihan from Poland also set to compete.

This year’s competition marks the 30th anniversary of the "Turnier der Meister 2006" looks set to repeat the success of the 2005 Event which featured Anna Pavlova, Oksana Chussovitna, Yulia Lozhecko, and Fan Ye, More names will be announced nearer the event and tickets are on sale now from the link above.

13 February - BRITISH RG DUETS AND TRIOS COMPETITION RESULTS

A great success was the verdict at the British RG Duets and Trios Competition at Burton-On-Trent which saw an impressive increased entry from Rhythmic South with 24 gymnasts, Northampton (18 gymnasts) and Stockport (17 gymnasts).

The competition also included British former Squad member Joanne Parkes coming out of retirement to compete for Burton and claim the Senior Duet Title with Phelba Johnson for the City of Birmingham Club. It was also very encouraging to see the debut of a new Club Quinton RGC participating in this event for the first time, and demonstrates the growing popularity of Rhythmic Gymnastics in the U.K..

The Competition winners were:-

Senior Duet: Clubs
1. P. Johnson & J. Parkes-City of Birmingham

Senior Trio: 1 Ribbon/2 Hoops
1. B. Atkinson, C. Bishop & J. Foyle-Rhythmic South

Junior Duet: Rope
1. M. Lee & H. Svarvasdottir-City of Canterbury

Junior Trio: Ball
1. J. Faulkner, L. Halford & M. Falaki- Esprit

Under 12 Duet: Ball
1. S. Barnard & K. Gore-City of Canterbury

Under 12 Trio: Hoop
1. M. Calwell, L. Hutchison & E. Longshaw-City of Bath

Under 10 Duet: Ribbon
1. J. Croucher & C. Holness - City of Canterbury

Under 10 Trio: Free
1. H. Evans, L. Halford & A. Veveris- Esprit

Congratulations to all of the gymnasts who took part in a wonderful competition.

To download full results please click here.

Anna Bessonova who won 4 Gold Medals at the San Francisco Invitational including the All Around Title. Photos copyright of Sing Lo.

15 February - ANNA BESSONOVA WINS GOLD AT SAN FRANCISCO RHYTHMIC INTERNATIONAL!

Anna Bessonova produced a fabulous performance at the 13th annual San Francisco RSG Invitational on 11th February winning 4 Gold Medals including the All Around plus Silver in the Ball Event. The World All Around silver medalist scored a total of 66.075 with beautifully choreographed routines full of elegance, demonstrating great technique on each apparatus.

Her Ukrainian team mate Galyna Shyrkina won the Ball Final scoring 15.650 with Bessonova collecting Silver as the Ukranian pair produced excellent routines to dominate the medal positions. Brennan Stacker from the USA was also in great form with her expressive style and dynamic performance earning her a bronze in the All Around with 54.075, with US Team mate Julie Zetlin from Rhyttmflex finishing 4th. Julie won the Silver medal at the US Junior National Championships last year and made a strong debut in the senior event.

The USA rounded off a great all round performance as Marlee Sharp won the Junior Title with 50.350, and Anastasia Torba from Allegro, USA collected Silver and Rachel Girma from LA Lights winning bronze..

.Past winners of the San Francisco Invitational include Tamara Yerofeyeva (Ukraine), Irina Chaschina (Russia) and Yelena Vitrichenko (Ukraine). Honorary guests this year included the 1980 Olympic Chmpion on Parallel Bars Alexander Tkatchev.

The competition concluded with gala performances of the champions, and a group routine by the Los Angeles School of Gymnastics. .

13th San Francisco Rhythmic International
February 11, 2006

Senior All-Around
1. Anna Bessonova (Ukraine) 66.075
2. Galina Shyrkina (Ukraine) 61.000
3. Brenann Stacker (Illinois/USA) 54.075
4. Julie Zetlin (Rhythmflex/USA) 51.750
5. Julia Itkina (Calif. Rhythmic/USA) 51.400
6. Annika Rejek (Germany) 51.100
7. Daria Krajisnik (Illinois/USA) 48.725
8. Emma Jay (LA Lights/USA) 48.575

Junior All-Around
1. Marlee Shape (Illinois/USA) 50.350
2. Anastasia Torba (Allegro/USA) 49.050
3. Rachel Girma (LA Lights/USA) 45.650
4. Kristina Goukova (Germany) 44.000
5. Rose Jureidini (LA Lights/USA) 43.550
6. Delaney Lonergan (LA Lights/USA) 43.125
7. Massiel Verastegui (Mexico) 41.450
8. Savannah Reynolds (Calif. Rhythmic/USA) 41.425

Athens at04RiK4841FXq Kate Richardson Can

Courtney Kupets and Kate Richardson shown at Athens 2004 Olympics. Courtney and Kate are due to compete this weekend as the Gym Dogs go for their 11th straight win against UCLA!

13 February - GYM DOGS COLLECT 10TH STRAIGHT WIN AS KUPETS AND HEENAN EARN RECORD SCORES!

9,000 FANS WATCH NUMBER 1 RANKED TEAM COLLECT GOLD !

The number 1 ranked Team, the Georgia Gym Dogs continued their amazing winning streak against Oklahoma as they swept to a straight tenth victory in a row in front of over 9,000 supporters at Stegeman Coliseum! The Gym Dogs scored a season best 197.475 to 195.950 against the number 6 ranked team, with new career high scores for Olympic gymnast’s Courtney Kupets and Katie Heenan, and the second all around victory of the weekend for Courtney! .

Their performance on vault this season has been outstanding and the Gym Dogs (10-0) posted a 49.425-48.875 lead over the Sooners (4-6) in the first rotation. Katie Heenan hit the highest vault score with a 9.950, with Tiffany Tolnay scoring 9.925 and Courtney Kupets at 9.900.

As the girls moved to uneven bars, Heenan posted a career high score of 9.925 with a fabulous routine, as the Gym Dogs' lead increased when Tolnay also produced a career high of 9.875, and Nikki Childs contributed a season best of 9.825.

Georgia continued their season-best scores on the beam with a total of 49.275, with Kupets tied her career high with a 9.925.

The floor exercise was a real crowd favourite as the girls responded by topping their season high of 49.425, and Courtney Kupets produced a fantastic routine for new career high of 9.950. Ashley Kupets also produced a season high of 9.875, and Abby Stack also hit a new career high score of 9.875.

In the all-around competition, Courtney Kupets scored the SEC's highest mark of the year at 39.6, Tolnay finished at another career-high of 39.5.

The Gym Dogs look red hot favourites for the National Title again this year as they take on UCLA at the Stegeman Coliseum this weekend with Tasha and Jordan Schwikert plus Kate Richardson competing for UCLA! On this form, the Gym Dogs could make it 11 straight wins in a row.


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