One of the world’s most beautiful sports is being showcased in Edmonton.
Canada’s top rhythmic gymnasts will be competing for National titles at the 2010 Canadian Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships until Sunday.
The event is taking place at the Grant MacEwan Centre for Sport and Wellness, and will determine the national teams’ rankings.
“It’s is a very unique sport,” said Shari Hebert, coach for HPTC international in Winnipeg.
“People don’t realize it, but it actually involves so many technical aspects that it is very complicated, very unique and very interesting.”
The performers will be judged on four different parts of their routines during this competition: body difficulties, apparatus difficulties, the artistry, and the execution.
“The four aspects make up the final score, so there is a lot that goes into it, which is why there are at least four different panels of judges,” Hebert said.
Rhythmic gymnasts from the Edmonton team’s national level train between four and five hours every day, five days a week, and also receive ballet training.
“We just came back last week from Hungary and Poland … we travel a lot internationally,” said Bree Chelle, 15, of the Edmonton Rhythmic Gymnastics team.
“We went to Belgium in November, one girl went to the Pan American Games in Cuba in October, then we have Westerns and Elite Canada in between, and this is our second last competition for the year, so next week we have provincials which is just Alberta.”
“I’m a little nervous for the competition but I hope it goes well,” she added. “I’ve been training really hard, so we’ll see.”
