They were small but their skills were mighty this weekend at the 2010 Triple Flip Wild Rose International Women’s Gymnastics Invitational.
More than 500 female gymnasts from Canada, China, the United States and the U.K., were in town showcasing their gravity-defying routines on all four gymnastics apparatus.
“Canadian athletes from seven provinces are competing and over 60 Canadian gymnastics clubs are represented by their athletes and coaches,” said Al MacPherson, a spokesperson for the event hosted at the Expo Centre. “This event was created to provide Canadian female gymnasts with a top-notch competitive experience on home soil and to inspire younger gymnasts to achieve their maximum potential as athletes.”
This year, junior and senior-level gymnasts, including the 2008 Olympic gold medallist Deng Linlin from China, competed for two days on the vault, bars, beam and floor apparatus.
“This competition is the largest of its kind in Western Canada and one of the largest in North America,” said Scott Hayes, president and CEO of the Alberta Gymnastics Federation.
“International events are very important to the success of gymnastics within Alberta and across Canada. They occur on such an infrequent basis that when they do occur, they are the highlight of the competitive season.”
Four past participants in the Wild Rose have gone on to compete at the Olympic Games and three of them won either gold, silver or bronze.
“The England coach told me that this event is one of the highlights of their girls’ career,” said Linda Maslechko, president of Triple Flip, the title sponsor. “To be here in Canada competing with athletes of this caliber; we know this will be an experience these athletes will never forget.”
For more information, visit www.wildrosegymnastics.com.
