News News

Alberta shows well at inaugural National WAG competition January 27 - 29

2012-02-03T19:34:05Z

WAG athletes participated both as Team Alberta members and individual clubs in the inaugural National Stream Cup competition last week in Mississauga, Ontario. This competition is new on the competitive calendar in an attempt to provide more competitive experience to our National level athletes.

Highlights of Results:

Mackenzie Itcush, National Open: 3^rd AA, 1^st (T) FX, 2^nd UB
Alyson Arcand, National Novice: 6^th AA
Diana Dick, Pre Novice Elite: 8^th AA
Elizabeth Holmstrom, Pre Novice Aspire: 4^th AA
Miranda Rau, P5: 5^th AA

For full results, please click the following:

Alberta & Saskatchewan T & T athletes compete in Okotoks this weekend

2012-02-01T15:27:48Z

Good luck to all of the Alberta T & T athletes (and some visiting Saskatchewan athletes) who will be competing in Okotoks this weekend. The Airborne Trampoline Club is hosting the 3rd Trials for the 2012 Canadian Championships. Stay tuned for a full set of results.

2012 GymPower Competition results are in

2012-01-25T19:38:25Z

Congratulations to all the athletes who competed at the 2012 GymPower Competition at Capital City this weekend. Click HERE for a complete set of results.

Special thanks to the coaches, judges, and parents who volunteered to make this meet a success. Congratulations to all the gymnasts!

Alberta Games 2012 – Set to Begin!

2012-01-17T20:42:18Z

The 2012 Alberta Winter Games are coming to Stony Plain, Spruce Grove and Parkland County February 9-12, 2012. The 2012 Alberta Winter Games celebrate the achievements of youth in sport and culture. More than 2,800 athletes, coaches, officials, and performers will participate in the Games, competing in a variety of sports in and around the tri municipal region. These Games provide the opportunity for many of Canada's future elite athletes to enjoy their first taste of competition at a provincial level.

Artistic Gymnastics features three levels of competition: WAG Provincial 2, 3, and 4. The competition gets underway on Friday, February 10^th with the Qualification round. The All Around and Team awards will be handed out to the top three performers. Competition concludes on Saturday with the Event finals, showcasing up to the top 8 athletes on each event.

Ticket sales, competition venue information, and further information can be found by going to these sites: www.2012awg.ca and www.albertagames.com

Full competition schedule can be found HERE.

Male gymnasts gear up for Gym Power Competition this weekend

2012-01-17T16:11:13Z

Good luck to all of the male gymnasts who will be competing at the 2012 Gym Power Competition this weekend. This competition at Capital City Gymnastics in Edmonton counts as the MAG First Trials of the year, where athletes are trying to achieve the qualifying scores to attend Westerns, Elite Canada and Canadians.

Click HERE for the Gym Power 2012 Final Schedule.

Burnett wins Canadian berth in men’s trampoline at 2012 Olympics

2012-01-16T14:36:33Z

LONDON, England -- Toronto’s Jason Burnett nailed down a berth for Canada at the 2012 Olympics in men’s trampoline at the sport’s final qualification meet on Friday at London’s O2 Arena.

Burnett, silver medalist at the Beijing Olympics, placed fourth in a field of 16 competitors to claim one of eight spots still up for grabs following the world championships in November.

Dong Dong and Chunlong Lu of China finished 1-2 and Masaki Ito of Japan was third.

All three had previously qualified their countries for the Games, making Burnett the top competitor among those battling for the final spots.

Keegan Soehn of Red Deer, Alta., placed 13th.

At the Olympics the world’s top 16 competitors in both men’s and women’s events, with a maximum of two per country, will vy for the medals.

“Qualifying meets like this are way more nerve wracking than the Olympics,” said Burnett, who was hampered by a foot injury that held him back from going all out at the world championships which also doubled as the first qualifier.

“Once you get to the Olympics it’s time to have fun, but with the qualification meets there’s still another step to go.”

Burnett, who holds the world record for difficulty, toned down his optional routine considerably, not wanting to take any unnecessary risks.

“I just needed safe routines, something I knew I could complete with good form and good height.”

In the women’s competition Rosannagh MacLennan of Toronto won the gold medal without the extra pressure of fighting for an Olympic berth.

“My goal was to fully experience the venue and also to try a new routine with higher difficulty,” said MacLennan, who earned one of two spots for Canada in the women’s Olympic competition two months ago in Birmingham, England.

Teammate Karen Cockburn, also of Toronto, earned the other Olympic berth at the worlds and did not compete at the test event.

MacLennan scored 54.520 points for the victory in front of close to 20,000 spectators at the O2 and also debuted her new optional routine.

“I managed to get through it and it felt pretty strong, a little low but I think that’s something I can definitely work on,” added MacLennan, whose difficulty score of 15.400 was a full point higher than any other finalist.

Andrea Lenders of the Netherlands placed second with 54.045 points and Ana Rente of Portugal was third at 54.035.

Olympic champion He Wenna of China faltered in the final and wound up 7th.

Following the trampoline event, Victoria Moors of Cambridge, Ont., won the silver medal in the women’s floor final in gymnastics.

Vanessa Ferrari of Italy won the gold and Daiane dos Santos of Brazil took the bronze.

“This was the biggest competition I’ve ever competed at,” said Moors, 15, who helped Canada qualify a full team for the Olympics in women’s gymnastics earlier in the week. “It was incredible with so many people and so much noise.”

In other event finals, Madeline Gardiner of Cambridge, Ont., was fourth on beam and Ken Ikeda was eighth on parallel bars.

Alberta’s best WAG athletes are competing this weekend at Elite Canada SCREENING

2012-01-12T20:58:58Z

A GCG requirement, the Screening event for Elite Canada takes place Saturday, January 14 at Altadore Gymnastics Club in Calgary (3:00 – 5:30pm). The province’s top WAG athletes will be competing to attain a pre-determined minimum score which will qualify them to move on to Elite Canada in Mississauga, ON, February 17-18. We’ll see 6 Novice athletes, 5 Juniors, and 5 Seniors try out. Come cheer on these athletes as they impress with very good early-season difficulty!

Canadian women’s gymnastics team clinches Olympic berth

2012-01-12T14:56:40Z

LONDON, England - The Canadian women’s gymnastics team clinched a berth at the 2012 Olympics with an impressive performance at the last chance qualification meet on Wednesday, placing second in a field of eight teams battling for the final four spots at the Games.

The Canadians came out firing on all cylinders in the vault event and never looked back enroute to placing second with a total score of 221.913 points just behind top ranked Italy with a score of 224.621.

The other two teams to qualify were France in third with 220.744 points and Brazil in fourth at 217.985.

The top eight nations at the recent world championships in Tokyo qualified directly for the 2012 Games while teams ranked 9th to 16th, including 11th place Canada, advanced to the London meet.

On vault, three of the five Canadian competitors landed high difficulty double twisting Yurchenkos with former Ottawa resident Talia Chiarelli, who now lives in Boston, leading the way with a score of 14.500. Victoria Moors of Cambridge, Ont., was right behind at 14.400 and Brittany Rogers of Vancouver scored 14.200 in an eye-popping overall performance.

“I think only the athletes truly understand how much work has gone into this performance,” said Rogers, who has battled back from a career threatening ankle injury to win a spot on the team.

“We missed Christmas and New Year’s this year to get ready which was really hard and it absolutely paid off here.”

Peng Peng Lee of Toronto was the top Canadian all around and tied Kristina Vaculik of Whitby, Ont., for the team’s best score on uneven bars (14.33).

“I’m so excited, this is the most amazing feeling I’ve ever had,” said Lee. “We’re all thrilled with the result.”

Moors, a new addition to the team along with Rogers since the Tokyo world championships in October, was tops on floor with a score of 14.183 and Canadian all around champion Madeline Gardiner had the best result on beam with 14.133 points.

“I was very scared but I am gaining confidence every day,” said Moors, 15, the youngest member of the team and current Canadian junior champion. “Qualifying for the Games is like a dream come true.”

Canada failed to qualify a full team in women’s gymnastics for the Beijing Olympics, adding an extra soupcon of satisfaction to the current team’s success in London.

The gymnastics test event continues on Thursday with apparatus finals for both men and women and on Friday attention shifts to the trampoline gymnasts, including Canada’s Jason Burnett of Toronto and Keegan Soehn of Red Deer, Alta.

Burnett, the 2008 Olympic silver medal winner, just missed qualifying at the world championships in November, but has since fully recovered from a foot injury that held him back and is expected to earn one spot for Canada in men’s trampoline.

At the world championships Karen Cockburn and Rosannagh MacLennan, both of Toronto, earned two Olympic spots for Canada by finishing in the top eight.

Italy edges Canada for final Olympic spot in men’s gymnastics

2012-01-11T14:46:12Z

LONDON, England - Italy edged Canada by less than a point in men’s gymnastics at the final 2012 Olympic qualification meet on Tuesday, earning the last full team berth in the 12-country field for the London Games.

The six-man Canadian squad needed to finish in the top four at the eight-country meet but wound up fifth and out of the Olympics team event for the first time since the 2004 Games in Athens.

Canada will now be limited to just one individual competitor in the men’s event in 2012.

Great Britain romped to first place to the delight of a large British crowd at London’s O2 arena, easily earning its spot at the Games with a total score of 358.227 points.

France placed second, (350.659) Spain third, (347.292) and Italy fourth (346.334).

The Canadians got off to a strong start but faltered on high bar and floor, two of its strongest events, and finished one spot away from securing the Olympic berth with 345.892 points.

Jackson Payne of Edmonton and Casey Sandy of Brampton, Ont., were Canada’s most consistent performers. Other members of the team were Nathan Gafuik of Calgary, Brandon O’Neill of Edmonton, Ken Ikeda of Abbotsford, B.C., and Kevin Lytwyn of Stoney Creek, Ont.

“It’s extremely disappointing to come so close to qualifying and then not make it,” said Canadian program director Jeff Thomson of Vancouver. “But there were a number of significant mistakes and those mistakes meant we didn’t make it.”

Despite coming up short, the Canadian team had come a long way since losing four members from the 2008 Olympic team to retirement, including veteran leader and 2004 gold medalist Kyle Shewfelt of Calgary.

“I don’t believe there’s a single country in the world except the top three - China, Japan and the U.S. - that could lose four super gymnasts all at once as happened to our team after Beijing and still be this close to making it to the Olympics.”

The top eight nations at the 2011 world championships in Tokyo qualified directly for the 2012 Games while teams ranked 9th to 16th advanced to the London qualification meet.

The Canadian women’s team is also in the running for an Olympic berth and takes to the floor on Wednesday.

Alberta gymnasts and their teammates set to battle for 2012 Olympic berths

2012-01-10T13:52:36Z

LONDON, England - Canadian competitors are set to battle for Olympic berths this week at a last chance qualification meet in men’s and women’s gymnastics and trampoline.

Up for grabs are the last four full-team berths in both men’s and women’s gymnastics and final selections in men’s trampoline.

In the gymnastics qualification, the Canadian men take to the floor on Tuesday and the women on Wednesday needing to finish top four in their respective competitions.

The top eight nations at the recent world championships in Tokyo qualified directly for the 2012 Games while teams ranked 9th to 16th advanced to the London qualification meet.

The Canadian women ranked 11th in Tokyo and the men were 12th.

Members of the men’s team are: Nathan Gafuik of Calgary, Brandon O’Neill and Jackson Payne, both of Edmonton, Ken Ikeda of Abbotsford, B.C., Casey Sandy of Brampton, Ont., Kevin Lytwyn of Stoney Creek, Ont., and reserve Jayd Lukenchuk of Saskatoon.

“The guys have looked really good in training and they are ready to go,” says Canadian men’s program director Jeff Thomson of Vancouver.

Other men’s teams in the running are Great Britain, France, Puerto Rico, Belarus, Spain, Italy, and Brazil.

Members of the women’s team are: Madeline Gardiner, Victoria Moors of Cambridge, Ont., Brittany Rogers of Vancouver, Kristina Vaculik of Whitby, Ont., Peng Peng Lee of Toronto and Talia Chiarelli, a former Ottawa resident now living in Boston and reserve Mikaela Gerber of Cambridge, Ont.

Rogers, who has battled back from a career threatening ankle injury, and Moors, the 2011 Canadian junior champion, are new additions to the team since the world championships in October.

“I have a very good feeling that we are going to do very well and make the top four in London,” says Lee, who turned heads at the worlds with her innovative routine on beam.

Other women’s teams vying for an Olympic berth are Belgium, France, Italy, Korea, the Netherlands, Spain and Brazil.

In trampoline Canada has already secured two spots in the women’s Olympic competition but needs a top-eight performance from either Jason Burnett of Toronto or Keegan Soehn of Red Deer, Alta., on Friday to win a berth on the men’s side.

Burnett, the 2008 Olympic silver medallist, just missed earning a spot for Canada at the world championships in November but has since fully recovered from an injured foot that held him back and is expected to qualify this time around.

Karen Cockburn and Rosannagh MacLennan, both of Toronto, clinched two Olympic berths for Canada by finishing in the top eight at the world championships.

Athlete & Team of the Year Award Nomination starts

2011-12-20T17:06:10Z

As 2011 comes to a close, it is time to reflect and recognize the amazing accomplishments of Alberta’s athletes and teams.

The Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation is proud to once again be recognizing the 2011 Athlete and Team of the Year Awards at the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet on May 25, 2012.

Awards will be presented for the following categories: Junior Male, Junior Female, and Junior Team of the Year (under 21 years of age) and Open Male, Open Female, and Open Team (21 years of age and over). We would encourage you to take a look at the athletes and teams that your organization has recognized for the 2011 calendar year and forward their nomination for consideration of the Alberta awards.

Nomination Forms and Criteria may be found at http://www.asrpwf.ca/news-events/awards-programs/athlete-team-of-the-year.aspx.

The deadline for nominations will be February 29, 2012.

AB’s Top Gymnasts and teammates gather in Calgary for last shot at 2012 Olympic qualification

2011-12-13T17:40:14Z

CALGARY – It’s down to the short strokes for the Canadian men’s gymnastics team.

Gearing up for the last chance Olympic qualification meet in early January, the team will hold its final training camp in Canada at the Calgary Gymnastics Centre, December 13-20.

Members of the team are Nathan Gafuik of Calgary, Brandon O’Neill and Jackson Payne, both of Edmonton, Ken Ikeda of Abbotsford, B.C., Casey Sandy of Brampton, Ont., Jayd Lukenchuk of Saskatoon and Kevin Lytwyn of Stoney Creek, Ont.

A media availability, hosted by 2004 Olympic Champion, Kyle Shewfelt, will take place on December 15 at the Calgary Gymnastics Centre. Athletes and coaches will be available for interviews following the morning training session. Lukenchuk and Ikeda will be returning from a competition in Japan and will not be present.

Location: Calgary Gymnastics Centre, 179 Canada Olympic Road SW, Calgary.

TRAINING: 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. (Open to all)

MEDIA: 11:15 P.M. (One on one interview opportunities)

LUNCH: 11:30 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.

To clinch one of just 12 full team berths at the Games next summer the Canadian team needs a top-four finish at the Olympic qualifier.

The top eight nations at the recent world championships in Tokyo qualified directly for the 2012 Games while teams ranked 9th to 16th advanced to the Olympic qualification meet on January 11 in London, England.

“Our 12th place at the worlds in October showed we have what it takes to qualify a full team,” says Canadian program director Jeff Thomson of Vancouver.

“Our strategy now is to make the team a little bit stronger across the board so that we have a buffer at the qualification meet. We want to improve the quality and consistency of the routines, eliminate mistakes we made at the worlds and improve on our landings.”

A final preparation camp will take place in Lowestoft, England with the British team in January.

Contacts: Liang Chang (National Team Coach) - liang@inspiresportsinc.com

Trials To Alberta Winter Games & Trials To National Stream Cup Are Complete

2011-12-13T14:43:10Z

A very successful weekend in Red Deer, as WAG athletes competed for spots on the eight zone teams to Alberta Winter Games and the six spots on the National Stream Cup team.

We had a record breaking 109 athletes competing in the Provincial 2 category, 47 athletes competing in Provincial 3, and 25 athletes competing in Provincial 4. Despite the early season, we also saw 24 athletes compete in the National Novice and Open category.

Please click the following for complete Teams Rosters and all Results:

Alberta Winter Games Trials:

National Stream Cup Trials:

Trials to Alberta Winter Games and Trials to National Stream Cup

2011-12-09T21:21:47Z

One hundred eleven P2 athletes and seventy eight P3 and P4 athletes will be converging on Exelta Gym Club in Red Deer this weekend to vie for spots on the Alberta Winter Games teams. There are eight zones across our province and they each get to bring two teams of four athletes (one team of P2 athletes and one team of P3/P4 mixed athletes). The Alberta Winter Games will occur February 9-12, 2012, in Spruce Grove.

Also competing this weekend are twenty seven national level athletes, vying for spots on the inaugural National Stream Cup team. Alberta will be sending one team of six Novice girls and one team of six Open girls to the competition being held at Futures Gym Club in Ontario, January, 27-29.

Please check back after the weekend’s competitions for the results.

MAG Provincial Training Camp & National and Provincial Physical Testing to Occur this Weekend

2011-12-07T21:03:21Z

This weekend at Gymtastics in Calgary, 36 Men’s Provincial level gymnasts will participate in physical testing, the first of two offered during the season. In conjunction with testing is the Provincial Level Training Camp. Over 40 gymnasts will be present for this camp, featuring guest speakers Miguel Costante from Calgary Gymnastics Center on pommel horse, Rory Hornstein a sports nutritionist who worked with the Alberta Team for the Western Canada Summer Games and Nigel Joseph, who will be presenting on running and sprinting techniques.

Alberta’s national level gymnasts will also participate in Physical testing this weekend at the University of Calgary. There will be18 participants at this event.