STICK IT GYM MOVIE TO BE RELEASED ON DVD!

The hit gym movie Stick It will be released on DVD in the USA on September 19th by Buena Vista Entertainment and will cost $29.99        ( approximately £16.33).

The DVD stars Jeff Bridges as a Gym Coach who tries to tame Missy Peregrym who plays a rebellious elite competitive gymnast. Stick It is written and directed by ex elite gymnast Jessica Bendinger who wrote the excellent Cheerleading hit movie “Bring It On”, and features Nastia Liukin, Carly Patterson, Allana Slater, Isabelle Severino, China’s Yang Yun and Tania Gener from Spain. Many former Colliegate gymnasts also appear in the film.

“ Stick It” was released in US cinemas earlier this year to good reviews from the Critics. NBC described the movie as “A perfect 10” with KTLA describing the movie as “Stick It  -- Seen It -- Loved It!”. The film is rated PG-13 and lasts for 103 minutes.

We will include a link here on Gymnastics Online where you can pre-order copies of Stick It, but UK Visitors please note you will need a Multi Region DVD player to view the movie. These are available in the UK for as little as £30.

We will also bring you details of UK Cinema release dates for Stick It as soon as this is confirmed.

Meanwhile the hip-hop flavoured CD Soundtrack is already out.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE OFFICIAL STICK IT WEB SITE TO SEE TRAILERS FROM THE HIT MOVIE!

USA TUMBLING AND TRAMPOLINE CHAMPIONSHIPS 2006 ATTRACTS OVER 1600 GYMNASTS!  

More than 1,600 gymnasts who compete in trampoline and tumbling will compete in the 2006 Trampoline and Tumbling National Championships which takes place from July 8-14, at the Renaissance Convention Center in Schaumburg,. The seven-day event includes the U.S. Trampoline and Tumbling Championships, which is a junior and senior elite competition that determines the U.S. champion, on July 8-9 and the USA Gymnastics Junior Olympic Championships, which features competitions for Levels 5-10, on July 10-14.

This year’s event features competition in trampoline, double-mini trampoline, synchronized trampoline and tumbling for both men and women. Competition in the senior elite division is expected to be fierce on each event.

Women’s trampoline will feature Amanda Bailey of Levelland, Texas, and Brittany Dircks of Orland Park, who were team mates on the women’s team that earned the bronze medal at the 2005 World Championships. The 2005 U.S. champion Chris Estrada of Lafayette, La., hopes to successfully defend his title, but must hold off efforts from eight-time national champ Ryan Weston of Chubbuck, Idaho.

In double mini, Derek Stangel of Rockford, Iowa, and Daniel Walker of Lubbock, Texas, are among those to watch. The women’s field includes two members of the women’s team that earned the silver medal at the World Championships: Shelley Klochan of Whiting, Ind., and Megan Dacy of Waxahachie, Texas.

Tumbling’s action is expected to feature Chris Ford of Haymarket, Va., and Kalon Ludvigson of Plano, Texas, for the men and Yuliya Hall of Idaho Falls, Idaho, and Alexis Diaz of Ferndale, Mich., who were on the bronze medal team at the World Championships, vying for the women’s crown.

To compete in the event, athletes must meet the qualifying criteria and score requirements which vary by category and event. The junior and senior elite levels include athletes at the highest level of their event. Those in Levels 5-10 are ranked by their level of expertise, with 10 being the highest and just below elite.

The event competition schedule is: July 8 -- junior and senior preliminary rounds; July 9 – junior and senior preliminary finals; July 10 -- Levels 9-10 competition; July 11 -- Levels 9-10 competition and Level 10 finals; July 12 -- Levels 7-8 competition; July 13 -- Levels 7-8 and Levels 5-6 competition; and July 14 -- Levels 5-6 competition. Daily tickets are available at the door for $12 per person; children 6-years and under are admitted free.

2006 Trampoline and Tumbling National Championships Schedule

Renaissance Convention Center, Schaumburg, Ill.

U.S. Championships, July 8-9

July 8 10 a.m.- 6:45 p.m. Junior and senior elite preliminary rounds

July 9 3-5 p.m. Junior and senior elite finals*

Junior Olympic Championships, July 10-14

July 10 8:15 a.m.-12 p.m. Levels 9-10 Competition

1-6:30 p.m. Levels 9-10 Competition

July 11 2-4:30 p.m. Levels 9-10 Competition

5-6:45 p.m. Level 10 Finals*

July 12 2:20-4:40 p.m. Levels 7-8 Competition

6-8:45 p.m. Grand March/Regional All-Stars

July 13 8:30-10:45 a.m. Levels 5-6 Competition

11 a.m.-3 p.m. Levels 7-8 Competition

3:45-7:40 p.m. Levels 7-8 Competition*

July 14 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Levels 5-6 Competition

1-5:30 p.m. Levels 5-6 Competition*

*Indicates finals

DOMINIQUE MOCEANU RETURNS AT US CLASSIC!

FIRST COMPETITION FOR ALMOST 6 YEARS FOR OLYMPICS STAR

Fantastic news for all Dominique Moceanu fans as the USA Olympic Medalist has confirmed she will be competing at the US Classic on July 29th in Kansas City! One year after announcing her return to elite gymnastics, this will be Domi’s first competition in almost 6 years. Dominique is now 24 and attended a Training Camp with the US Team after an invitation from Marta Karolyi who saw a video of Dominique’s routines in March. Domi attended the Camp at the Karolyi ranch where she trained in the period leading up to those amazing Olympic Games Finals in Atlanta 1996!

Domi revealed that her stay at the ranch was an “ emotional homecoming” and that the USA girls loved hearing stories about the olden days, and that training camp is going really well.

Dominique became the youngest Senior National Champion in 1995 when she was only 13. She also finished fifth in the All Around and tied for the Silver Medal on Beam at the World Championships in Japan the same year. In 1996, Domi was the youngest member of the USA Team which won the Olympic Title on that magical night in the Georgia Dome. I can still picture Domi now performing her fantastic Floor routine to “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” and that amazing crowd chanting “ USA, USA” !

Now 10 years later Domi returns to competition where she hopes to qualify for the US Championships which will be held from August 14th - 17th in Minnesota. Dominique will marry on November 4th in Houston and may aim to compete in this year’s World Championships. "We are still waiting to see how the new Code of Points shakes out. The FIG could even change the rules after worlds! So we're keeping our options open, but I think that my present routines will score well under this set of rules if execution is truly one of the priorities of the Code”.

Good luck Domi at the US Classic, all your fans around the World will be cheering you all the way!  

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE GREAT PHOTOS OF DOMINIQUE!   

FORMER ROMANIAN NATIONAL CHAMPION ANDREEA MUNTEANU RETIRES .

Andreea Munteanu has retired after a losing her battle to overcome leg and back injuries. She became the 2003 Romanian Women’s All Around Champion and was a Silver Medalist with the Romanian Team in the 2003 World Championships in Anaheim. Andreea also finished in fourth place in the World Championships Floor exercise when she quickly became a crowd favourite for her dynamic floor routine, and placed 15th in the All Around. 

Andreea shared a room at the National Training Centre in Deva with Catalina Ponor. She went on to win the Masillia Cup which had previously been won by other top Romanian stars including Lavinia Milosovici, Gina Gogean, Simona Amanar and Andreea Raducan.  Her dream was to compete in Athens and win an Olympic Team Gold and the All Around Olympic Title. But sadly Munteanu aged just 17, was forced to withdraw from the Romanian National Team just before the Athens 2004 Olympics after suffering from shin splints. She was replaced by Silvia Stroescu, who was a member of the gold medal winning Romanian Team at the 2001 World Championships, and the European Championships in 2004.

Andreea will be remembered for her excellent tumbling skills on Floor which included full in back out, whip to triple twist and two and a half twists, and she also competed double twisting Yurchenko’s.  Tiny Andreea is only 4 feet 5 inches tall and she bravely continued her bid to compete in further competitions, but unfortunately her injuries prevented this.

Now Andreea will retire from gymnastics, and on behalf of gym fans everywhere we wish Andreea all the very best in the future.

GREAT BRITAIN VERSUS ROMANIA AT CITY OF NEWCASTLE NEXT MONTH!

Romania have also confirmed they will travel to Great Britain to compete in Newcastle against Great Britain! The International will be at the City of Newcastle on August 26th and 27th, and more details will be here soon!   

Meanwhile Romanian women's head coach Nicolae Forminte told newspaper "Gazeta Sporturilor" that there are currently only five senior Romanian gymnasts training for the 2006 Worlds, which will take place in October in Aarhus, Denmark. However the Romanians are in a transitional period following the resignation of Octavian Belu, and we think that they could spring a surprise at World’s!

The Newcastle International will give British fans an opportunity to see some of the new Romanian team next month and you can could be there to cheer on the British gymnasts and Coaches as they go head to head against great quality opposition, just a few months before the World Championships begin! 

NEW £2 MILLION GYMNASTICS CENTRE OPENS IN SOUTH DURHAM!

A new £2 million state of the art Regional Gymnastics Centre has been officially opened at South Durham Gymnastics Club.

The Centre was built with a grant of £1.34 million from the Sports Lottery, and £150,000 from the private sector with a further £500,000 contribution from Sedgefield Borough Council. The Centre has taken four years to build and firmly places the North East as a region with world class training facilities. It is hoped that visiting teams will base themselves in Spennymoor as they prepare for the London 2012 Olympics.

South Durham are led by High Performance Coaches Nicola Preston and Rachael Wright, and were one of the first Clubs in Britain to be awarded Gym Mark status. Funding was also awarded for the third year from the Youth Sports Trust to enable South Durham to enable the Club to continue with the British Gymnastics project of talent identification.

The Centre is open seven days a week and specialises in Women’s Artistic Championships but also has classes for toddlers, boys and adults. The new gym boasts a working area which measures 40m by 25m and the upper floor provides spectator seating for 200 people. Since opening at Easter, South Durham now has over 1,000 members with 30 full-time, part-time and volunteer coaches.

Judith Rasmussen, the Regional Director of Sport of Sport England North East said “ Gymnastics is a very popular and growing sport in the region, and we have some exceptional talent emerging, especially in Sedgefield where we now have a new state-of-the-art gymnastics facility. The Coaches at Sedgefield in conjunction with Sedgefield Borough Council have done a tremendous job to make the project happen for the benefit of the local community”.

Congratulations to everyone at South Durham and all those involved in fund raising, and good luck with the fantastic new Centre.

SPORT RELIEF TAKES PLACE TODAY SATURDAY JULY 15TH!

DON’T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO TAKE PART AND HELPRAISE MONEY FOR SOME GREAT CAUSES!

2006 Acrobatic Gymnastics National Championships head to Kansas City

600 Sports Acrobats set to compete at U.S. Nationals!

The defending U.S.A Mixed Pair champions Clare Brunson and Michael Rodrigues and Men’s Pair Julian Amaro and Tyler are among the more than 600 gymnasts who are competing in the 2006 Acrobatic Gymnastics National Championships, July 23-27, at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City. The country’s top acrobatic gymnasts are vying for national titles in five categories -- men's pairs, women's pairs, mixed pairs, women's groups and men's groups – and on the elite level, as well as Levels 5-10.

“Acrobatic gymnastics is a dynamic gymnastics discipline, requiring incredible strength, flexibility, core body control and balance,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. “I think anyone who watches acrobatic gymnastics will be amazed at the athleticism of these athletes, which is combined with musical interpretation and intricate choreography. The national championships showcase the entire spectrum of the discipline, from some of the world's best acrobatic gymnasts competing on the elite level to those just beginning on the competitive ladder.”

The 2006 Acrobatic Gymnastics National Championships have daily competitive sessions from July 23-27. Daily tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children, with an all-session package available for $65 for adults and $30 for children. Tickets will be available at the door, as well as in advance at ticketmaster.com or 816-931-3330. Additional information is available at www.usa-gymnastics.org/acro/.

Though acrobatic gymnastics has been competed at the world level since the 1970s, the sport became a part of USA Gymnastics in 2002. The USA’s mixed pair of Brunson and Rodrigues claimed the bronze medal at the 2006 World Acrobatic Gymnastics Championships in Coimbra, Portugal. The USA’s women’s group of Mariah Henninger, Allysha Kidd and Tisa Penny, all of whom are from Livermore, finished sixth. The World Championships are acrobatic gymnastics’ most prestigious event and are held every two years. Arthur Davis and Shenea Booth became the USA’s first acro world champions in the mixed pairs event at the 2002 World Championships, and then became the first U.S. acro athletes to repeat their success as World Champions in 2004. The U.S. women's trio of Samantha Schabow, Danielle Heider and Jennifer daSilva won the bronze medal in the women's trio event in 2004, marking the first U.S. medal in women's group at a World Championships.

Acrobatic gymnastics, previously referred to as sport acrobatics, combines the beauty of dance with the strength and agility of acrobatics. Gymnastics skills add excitement to the exercises, while intense acrobatic balances show grace, strength and flexibility. Routines are choreographed to music and consist of dance, tumbling, and partner skills. At the elite level, each pair or group performs a balance, Dynamic and combined routine. Pyramids and partner holds characterize the balance routine, while synchronized tumbling and intricate flight elements define the dynamic exercise. The combined exercise unites elements of balance and dynamic.

#

2006 Acrobatic Gymnastics National Championships

Competition schedule

Sunday, July 23, 2006

6:30 p.m. Opening Ceremony

7:00 p.m. Level 9 and junior and senior elite prelims

Monday, July 24, 2006

8:30 a.m. Levels 5 and 6 competition

1:30 p.m. Levels 5 and 6 competition

6:30 p.m. Level 9 and junior and senior elite prelims

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

8:30 a.m. Levels 6 and 7 competition

1:30 p.m. Levels 7 and 8 competition

6:30 p.m. Level 10 and junior and senior elite event finals

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

8:30 a.m. Levels 7 and 8 competition

1:30 p.m. Levels 7 and 8 competition

6:30 p.m. Levels 8 and 10 and junior and senior elite all-around finals

Thursday, July 27, 2006

8:30 a.m. Levels 7 and 8 competition

2 p.m. Nationals gala (exhibitions and award presentations)

NOTE: Except for Sunday’s session, U.S. champions for the respective levels will be determined at each session; elite junior and senior U.S. champions are determined on July 25 and 26.

WORLD SPORTS ACROBATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS NOW AVAILABLE ON DVD !

Two fantastic pieces of news for Sports Acrobatics fans around the World! The FIG have announced that the DVD from the World Sports Acrobatics Championships in Coimbra 2006 is now available! The DVD features all the highlights of the 5 Finals plus the World Champions and Podium Awards in all categories. This is a must have DVD for Acrobatics fans everywhere, and there is another bonus!

If you participated at the World Championships as a gymnast, coach or a judge and your name appears on the official FIG registration forms, then you will receive a 50% discount! Just identify yourself to Stephanie at the FIG Shop when you place your order.

The Coimbra DVD can be supplied in either PAL or NTSC and lasts for 52 minutes, and the cost is just 16.67 Euros! The pictures are from the host broadcaster RTP and edited by the FIG and the program will also be shown on TV around the World for the first time ever! There are also DVD’s from the 2002 World Championships in Riesa and 2003 World’s from Krasnodar available for just 33.34 Euros each!

And as an added bonus, if you love Aerobic Gymnastics, then a double DVD of the 2006 World Championships in Nanjing China is also available for just 25 Euros!

CLICK HERE TO GO THE FIG SITE AND ORDER YOUR DVD’S FROM THE 2006 WORLD ACROBATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS NOW!

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS WILL ALSO BE SHOWN ON TV FOR 1ST TIME EVER IN 100 NATIONS! 

For the first time in the history of Acrobatic Gymnastics, the sport will appear in a TV production that will be broadcast around the World! Four television professionals from the FIG staff were at the World Championships to support the host broadcaster RTP. The FIG will produce a 52 minute TV show featuring highlights from the 5 finals of the Acrobatic World Championships.

The programme will be transmitted to 29 broadcasters, which cover approximately 100 nations on all five continents including the popular Internet portal USA based WCSN's website (World Championships Sports Network) . The FIG have also confirmed that Acrobatics will henceforth be an integral part of the TV package offered to networks for the entire duration of the current Olympic cycle from 2005 - 2008. This is fantastic news for the sport as we feel it will raise the whole profile of Sports Acrobatics world wide with millions of TV viewers able to watch the Championships for the first time. It is also essential to publicise the fantastic achievements in the media as much as possible, which is crucial if the sport is to grow in popularity and progress, and hopefully attract more funding to help development and elite programmes.  

The World Championships highlights have already been shown on RTP2 in Portugal and WCSN’s on demand video is set to take place soon. This may be restricted to USA viewers only as WCSN had exclusive US TV rights to the 2005 World Artistic Championships which was later made available to viewers around the World for just $9.99. We subscribed to the online coverage which was excellent.

We will bring more details of the TV broadcasts as soon as these are confirmed. But if you can’t wait to see these, then the DVD is now available! See the article above for more information and don’t forget to claim your 50% discount on the DVD if you were a participant at World’s!  

DON’T MISS MORE FANTASTIC PHOTOS FROM THE WORLD ACROBATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS PLUS INTERVIEWS WITH GB ACROBATS COMING SOON ON GYMNASTICS ONLINE!!

BABY SON FOR NADIA AND BART

30 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF NADIA’S PERFECT TEN CELEBRATED ON ROMANIAN TV

Gymnastics legends Nadia Comaneci and Bart Conner celebrated the birth of a baby son on June 3rd. Dylan Paul was born at Oklahoma City hospital weighing 4 pounds 10 ounces. Nadia became famous around the World when she won three Olympic Titles and was awarded the first “perfect ten” in the history of gymnastics on Uneven Bars at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games aged just 14 years 8 months! Nadia followed this with an incredible performance which included 6 more perfect ten’s at the Games, and changed the face of gymnastics forever. She had been due to give birth in July, 30 years after winning the Olympic Titles, and this is the first child for 44 year old Nadia and 48 year old Bart. The delivery room staff made a poster describing the baby as “a perfect ten”. Bart Conner won 2 Olympic Gold Medals at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and married Nadia in 1996 in Bucharest, and the couple live in Oklahoma.

Nadia became the European All Around Champion in 1975, followed by the three Gold Medals at the Montreal Games in 1976. She followed this with 2 Gold Medals at the 1980 Moscow Games when a fall on Beam cost her the All Around Title. She retired in 1984 aged 22, and then worked for the Romanian Gymnastics Federation from 1984 - 89 and then defected to the USA. She set up a very successful Gymnastics School, and still has a home in Romania.   

 The Romanian TV Station TVR1 also commemorated the 30th anniversary of Nadia’s three Olympic titles and the first perfect 10 at the 1976 Olympic Games. The Bucharest Daily News reports that former National Romanian Coach Octavian Belu said that he believed Nadia revolutionized gymnastics , both in competition and training. as she was only 14 years and 8 months at the time, and she came from a small country to topple the might of Russian domination of gymnastics. This made her a symbol of the Games inspiring hundreds of thousands of people to take up gymnastics. After seeing her amazing success, the numbers of young people registered with USA Gym Clubs increased from 40,000 at the time of the Olympics to a staggering 400,000 members one year later. Speaking on on the phone to TVR1 on the after the birth of her new son in Oklahoma, Nadia said she had not realized the importance of her remarkable achievement “ I was only afraid not to make any mistakes, and wondering if my parents were able to see the competition on television”. At the rime the scoreboard showed 1.00 as it was not possible to show 10.00 as it was considered impossible to achieve a perfect score.

The former President of the Romanian Gymnastics Federation Nicolae Vieru described Nadia at the Games as “"an extraordinary talent, accompanied by extraordinary self control for a 14-year-old, charisma, the precision of a Swiss watch, and a harmonious body which made her ideal for this sport."

Speaking to the BBC in 2004, Nadia said "I didn't usually watch the scoreboards. I usually gave a score to myself and I thought a 9.90 was good enough. I turned around and saw the board at 1.00 and I looked around at my team-mates. Then I realised the board couldn't accommodate the 10 as they didn't have enough space. It was not the perfect routine although it looks very good on television. The judges had given the top gymnast 9.90 and they felt this was better - there was no choice but to go to 10."

She added "It was good to be a kid because I did not realise all the things that came with the success. Going to the Games I was asked what I expected to do. I hoped to win a medal and hoped it would be gold. I knew I was good but didn't know I would be the one to score something that had never been done before."

No-one will ever forget the fantastic performances of Nadia and Bart and the tremendous contributions which they have continued to make to gymnastics. In addition to her fabulous career as a gymnast, Nadia has also done a lot of Charity work for children with disabilities, and she has opened a School for poor children in Bucharest. Bart is also the Associate Publisher with Nadia as Contributing Editor of the excellent International Gymnast magazine.

Congratulations to Nadia and Bart on the birth of Dylan Paul and on the Anniversary of an unforgettable performance.

EMILIE LEPENNEC TO MISS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Emilie LePennec, the French Olympic Champion on Bars in Athens will miss the World Championships due to an inflamed Achilles. The French sports newspaper l'Equipe reports that Le Pennec has been suffering from chronic pain in her right Achilles, and Doctors have advised her to rest and avoid risking further injury to the tendon which has caused her to withdraw from preparing for the 2006 World Championships in October.

18 year old Emilie has enjoyed great success since making her International debut, and came 5th in the All Around at the 2005 World Championships. This was a huge improvement on her 14th place in the All Around in Athens, and her 11th place in Anaheim, where she also finished in 5th place in the Floor Final. Emilie also became the European Champion on Bars at the 2005 European Championships, but did not defend her Title at the 2006 Championships as she was concentrating on her exams. She also led after the first 2 rotations in the All Around at the 2005 European Championships, but two falls on Beam and a score of only 7.30 cost her the chance of the All Around Title. This was won by her French Team mate Marine Debauve who became the first French gymnast to win a European Championships All Around Title.

We send our good wishes for her recovery and we hope to see Emilie back in action later this year.

Acrobatic gymnasts Booth and Davis advance to America’s Got Talent $1 million dollar finals! See their winning routine here!

Double Sports Acrobatic world champions Arthur Davis and Shenea Booth were the judges’ choice from the July 19 semi final to advance to the finals of NBC’s new talent show, America’s Got Talent. Performing as Realis, their  selection for the $1 million final round was announced on the program on July 20.

“We are so proud of Arthur and Shenea,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. “Watching them perform on national television was incredible for those of us in the gymnastics family who have long recognized their talent, grace, strength and artistry. They worked long and hard to perfect their skills and achieve success on the competitive stage as acrobatic gymnasts and it is wonderful that their dedication has resulted in this well-deserved opportunity in the entertainment arena.”

Realis performed in the semifinals on July 19 but the judges delayed announcing their selection until July 20. The pair performed another routine at the end of the July 20 show.

To see a clip of Realis performing in the semifinals, click on http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/talent/index.shtml#main. They are listed under Semifinals, round 2, and marked as the Judges’ Choice.

Davis’ and Booth’s competitive accomplishments included winning the world mixed pair title in both 2002 and 2004, and were three-time    U.S. champions (2002-04); and named Acro Athletes of the Year in 2003-04

Good luck to Arthur and Shenea in the Finals!

USA GYM SUMMER CAMPS DETAILS NOW HERE!

School’s almost out for the Summer and lots of visitors have contacted us asking about Gymnastics Summer Camps which are taking place in their Country! If you are in the USA, then an amazing total of 357 Gym Summer Camps are taking places in almost every State! Whether it’s Sports Acrobatics, Artistic, Rhythmic, Trampoline or Tumbling, there are Camps for every type of gym including all the leading USA Club’s Camps! If you want to attend a Gym Camp this Summer, then book your places now!     

Click here to for all the details on the USA Gymnastics Summer Camp Directory for 357 Summer Camps plus contact details and links to the Summer Camp web sites!

TRAMPOLINE AND TUMBLING WORLD CUP FINALS COME TO BIRMINGHAM!

SEE THE TOP 60 TUMBLERS AND TRAMPOLINIST’S BATTLE FOR WORLD CUP TITLES AT THE NIA!

The 8th FIG Trampoline and Tumbling World Cup Final will be staged in the U.K. at the Birmingham National Indoor Arena on Saturday 25 November 2006 in Birmingham. The event will feature approximately 60 of the best trampolinists and tumblers in the World with competitors from Russia, China, Japan, USA, Belarus, Ukraine, Canada, Germany, France and Poland, amongst 20 countries expected to be represented at the World Cup Final. Competitors will be invited to the World Cup Final based on their world ranking and gymnasts have to compete at a number of qualifying events, which are staged across the world, in order to pick up ranking points. Only the top eight gymnasts or pairs in each of the disciplines will be invited to compete.

The competition will be jointly organised on behalf of the F.I.G. by British Gymnastics and Birmingham City Council and will be supported by UK Sport’s National Lottery funded World Class Events program which is supporting the Event with a grant of £200,000.

The World Cup Final will include six separate disciplines:

  women’s individual trampoline,
- men’s individual trampoline,
- women’s synchronised trampoline,
- men’s synchronised trampoline,
- women’s tumbling
- men’s tumbling.
 

Great Britain currently have several gymnasts ranked in the top ten of their discipline including Damien Walters (men’s tumbling) and Samantha Palmer (women’s tumbling), who both attended the official launch of the World Cup Finals. In trampoline Claire Wright (women’s individual and synchronised and trampoline) and Jaime Moore (women’s synchronised trampoline) are the leading lights for the host nation.

Great Britain’s tumblers are in sensational form with every Tumbler in the Junior and Senior Teams winning a medal at the 2006 European Championships and 4 Team Medals out of four including 3 Gold and 1 bronze! The GB successes included:-

Junior Women’s Team  Sarah Turner, Zara McLean and Jenny Dawes- European Champions. Sarah is also a double World Champion.

Junior Men’s Team  Gary Aspinall, Greg Boosey and Stephen Newey - Bronze Medal at European’s

Senior Women’s Team Sarah Bellis, Laura Housan and Samantha Palmer - European Champions

Senior Men’s Team Michael Barnes, Charlie Burrows and Damien Walters - European Champions

Samantha Palmer from Lynx - European Champion

Laura Housan - 8th place in Senior European Championships

Sarah Turner from Wakefield - European Silver medalist

Michael Barnes also from Wakefield - European bronze medalist

Charlie Burrows - 4th place in Senior European Championships

Sarah Turner -European Silver Medalist

Zara McLean - 4th place in Junior European Championships

Gary Aspinall - 4th place in Junior European Championships

Greg Boosey - 6th place in Junior European Championships

Expect to see some terrific tumbling from current World Champion Anna Korobeynikova, Silver medalist at European’s, just pipped by GB’s Sam Palmer and for the Russian Men Tagir Murtazev from Russia, and new European Champion.

GB’s trampolinists, Claire Wright from OLGA performed superbly in the same arena at last weekend’s British Trampoline Championships to win her 6th consecutive British Title just 0.1 ahead of Jaime Moore from NTGA! The Championships attracted a huge audience in a dress rehearsal for the World Cup Final, with a new format and over 200 entries, and a fantastic 2 day competition will inspire many people to support our trampolinist’s at competitions around the country, and attract new participants to the sport. Claire and Jaime both competed in the European Championships earlier this year with Claire’s first routine second only to the World Champion Irena Karavaeva. Claire Wright and Jaime Moore were also crowned champions at the World Cup qualifying event in Ghent in the women’s synchronised trampoline competition. In the British Championship’s Men’s Finals, Simon Milnes won the Senior Men’s British Title, 0.9 ahead of Silver Medalist James Higgins. 

Details of the competitors at the World Cup will be released once the qualifying stages are completed, and Gymnastics Online will be at the NIA to see the World’s best trampolinist’s and tumblers come to Birmingham!  Don’t miss your chance to be there too!

TICKETS FOR THE WORLD CUP FINALS ARE NOW ON SALE AND START AT JUST £6 FOR ADULTS AND £4 FOR CHILDREN EXCLUDING BOOKING FEES! EACH TICKET HOLDER WILL ALSO RECEIVE A FREE BRITISH GYMNASTICS RADIO WITH FULL COMMENTARY AND EXPERT ANALYSIS!

To purchase tickets please contact the
Ticket Hotline on 0870 3666543
or book online at www.necgroup.co.uk
 

AMAZING NEW 9 PAGE PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE 4TH INTERNATIONAL AGE GROUP ACROBATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS!

We are very proud to bring you a fantastic 9 page photo special from the International Acrobatics Age Group Championships! This features amazing new photos from Isabel Silva who is a fantastic sports photographer who filmed the IAGC and World Championships in her very first photo shoot for an Acrobatics Event! Don’t miss these fabulous 9 pages of photos as they include some of the best photos from the Championships including all your favourite Sports Acrobats!

Isabel specializes in Ice Skating on her Web Site where she has some incredible photo galleries and she is also increasing her Sports Acrobatics coverage. Isabel is a regular visitor to Gymnastics Online and has kindly allowed me to use some of her fantastic photos here. All photos in this feature are copyright of Isabel Silva and must not be reproduced or copied without permission.

Full results from the Championships and links to every group of photos for the 11-16 and 12-19 Age Groups Championships are shown below. The photos capture all the excitement and drama in Coimbra and include 5 photos of nearly every Great Britain Team member at the IAGC plus all the medalist’s! Our first page features the 11-16 Women’s Pairs and Silver Medals for Casey and Ellie from Great Britain! More fantastic photos from the World Championships will also appear here soon!

Please visit Isabel’s fantastic Site to see many more amazing photos from the International Age Group Championships and the World Acrobatics Championships! See her IAGC Photos here and World Acro Championships photos here!

Three world champions scheduled to compete at 2006 U.S. Classic this weekend!

Chellsie, Nastia and Alicia all set to compete plus Dominique’s return!

NEWSFLASH - Shawn Johnson wins Junior All Around at US Classic

 World champions Chellsie Memmel of West Allis, Wis., Nastia Liukin of Parker, Texas, and Alicia Sacramone of Winchester, Mass., are among the 80 gymnasts who are competing in the 2006 U.S. Classic, set for July 29 at the Business and Technology Exhibit Hall at Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City, Mo. Hosted locally by Dragon Gymnastics/Great American Gymnastics Express, the U.S. Classic is the main qualifying event for women for the 2006 Visa Championships, Aug. 16-19 in St. Paul, Minn., where the national champions for both juniors and seniors will be determined. On July 28 and 30, the U.S. Challenge will showcase rising young gymnasts.

At the 2005 World Championships, Memmel became the first U.S. woman to win the all-around title since 1994. Liukin, who finished second in the all-around at just 0.001 behind Memmel, is the uneven bars and balance beam world champion. Sacramone is the world floor exercise champion. At the 2005 U.S. Classic, Liukin won the all-around title at the U.S. Classic and went on to win the all-around title at the Visa Championships. Ashley Priess of Hamilton, Ohio, won the junior all-around title at the 2005 U.S. Classic.

U.S. Junior National Team members Sarah DeMeo of Overland Park, Kan., and Ivana Hong of Blue Springs, Mo., are two of the seven junior gymnasts from Dragon Gymnastics, which train at the Great American Gymnastics Express (GAGE) that is located in Blue Springs. The others are Rebecca Clark of Blue Springs.; McKenzie Fechter of Waterford, Wis.; Jackie Mesh of Oak Grove, Mo.; Erica Smith of Independence, Mo.; and Rachel Updike of Overland Park, Kan.

The field includes both gymnasts who have already qualified for the Visa Championships and those gymnasts vying for a berth to the Visa Championships.

On July 29, the junior competition has two sessions, at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., with the seniors competing at 7 p.m. The U.S. Challenge portion of the event includes competition on July 28 at 5:30 p.m. and on July 30 at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Athlete warm-up sessions begin two hours prior to the start of the event.

Tickets are available at the Dragon Gymnastics Box Office by calling (816) 229-7775, or online at www.dragongymnastics.com. For more information and a detailed schedule, contact Dragon Gymnastics at (816) 229-7775, or log on to www.dragongymnastics.com.

The Visa Championships feature the United States’ best gymnasts vying for national titles in men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics and rhythmic gymnastics, as well as qualifying for the respective U.S. national teams. Acrobatic gymnastics is holding its national team trials. Competition is held on both the junior and senior levels. The Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul is playing host to the 2006 Visa Championships, Aug. 16-19. For more information, log on to usa-gymnastics.org.

Fong, along with his wife and partner Armine Barutyan-Fong, are the head coaches of Dragon Gymnastics. Based in Blue Springs, Mo., they own and operate the Great American Gymnastic Express, which opened 27 years ago.

#

Field for the 2006 U.S. Classic

Listed by state; name, hometown, club, competition division

California

Kaitlyn Clark, Cucamonga, Calif./Scats-Diamond, junior division

Mattie Larson, Los Angeles, Calif./All Olympia, junior division

Katelyn Mohr, Lincoln, Calif./Byers, junior division

Sara Morrison, Pacifica, Calif./Metroplex, junior division

Shantessa Pama, Dana Point, Calif./Gym Max, junior division

Samantha Shapiro, Los Angeles, Calif./All Olympia, junior division

Ashley Stott, Temecula, Calif./SCEGA, junior division

Colorado

Lindsay Ebel, Highlands Ranch, Colo./Champion CO, junior division

Florida

Jana Bieger, Coconut Creek, Fla./Boca , senior division

Kyra Platt, Ft. Myers, Fla./Coast Elite, junior division

Madison Turchin, Orlando, Fla./Brandy Johnson, junior division

Georgia

Aziza Day, Snellville, Ga./Gwinnett, junior division

Taylor Schick, Duluth, Ga./Gwinnett, junior division

Michelle Shealy, Snellville, Ga./Gwinnett, junior division

Hawaii

Randi Lau, Honolulu, Hawaii/Hawaiian Island Twisters, junior division

Illinois

Jessica Staples, Crystal Lake, Ill./Cincinnati Gymnastics, junior division

Indiana

Samantha Peszek, McCordsville, Ind./DeVeau's, junior division

Shelby Salmon, Noblesville, Ind./DeVeau's, junior division

Bridget Sloan, Pittsboro, Ind./Sharp's, junior division

Iowa

Shawn Johnson, Des Moines, Iowa/Chow's, junior division

Kansas

Rachel Updike, Overland Park, Kan./GAGE, junior division

Sarah DeMeo, Overland Park, Kan./GAGE, junior division

Louisiana

Reaghen Courville, Baton Rouge, La./Elite, junior division

Maryland

Kytra Hunter, Frederick, Md./Hill's, junior division

Corrie Lothrop, Gaithersburg, Md./Hill's, junior division

Britany Ranzy, Gaithersburg, Md./Hill's, senior division

Massachusetts

Stephanie Brown, Newton, Mass./Brestyan, junior division

Petra Matthies, Mills, Mass./Brestyan, junior division

Alicia Sacramone, Winchester, Mass./Brestyan, senior division

Monica Shoji, Boston, Mass./Cincinnati Gymnastics, senior division

Michigan

Rebecca Bross, Ann Arbor, Mich./WOGA, junior division

Jordyn Wieber, DeWitt, Mich./Gedderts, junior division

Missouri

Rebecca Clark, Blue Springs, Mo./GAGE, junior division

Ivana Hong, Blue Springs, Mo../GAGE, junior division

Jackie Mesh, Oak Grove, Mo./GAGE, junior division

Erica Smith, Independence, Mo./GAGE, junior division

New Jersey

Amy Borsellino, Boonton, N.J./North Stars, junior division

Noel Couch, Towaco, N.J./North Stars, junior division

Austyn Fobes, Howell, N.J./Will-Moor, junior division

Shelby Gies, Pennington, N.J./Will-Moor, junior division

Darlene Hill, Mt. Laurel, N.J./Will-Moor, senior division

Kayla Hoffman, Union, N.J./Rebound, senior division

New York

Alexandra Christensen, South Hampton, N.Y./Exper-Tiess, junior division

North Carolina

Haley Bodenheimer, Lexington, N.C./Southeastern, junior division

Kimberly Jacob, Raleigh, N.C./Gymcarolina, junior division

Sarah Persinger, Charlotte, N.C./Southeastern, junior division

Ohio

Bianca Flohr, Creston, Ohio/Cincinnati Gymnastics, junior division

Jacquelyn Johnson, Westchester, Ohio/Cincinnati Gymnastics, senior division

Hilary Mauro, Westchester, Ohio/Cincinnati Gymnastics, senior division

Dominique Moceanu, Universal Heights, Ohio/Unattached, senior division

Ashley Priess, Hamilton, Ohio/Cincinnati Gymnastics, senior division

Madison Shorts, Powell, Ohio/Buckeye, junior division

Hannah Toussaint, Warren, Ohio/Olympic Dreams, junior division

Cassie Whitcomb, Cincinatti, Ohio/Cincinnati Gymnastics, junior division

Oklahoma

Cortni Beers, Tulsa, Okla./Krafft Academy, senior division

Jennifer Taylor, Tulsa, Okla./Krafft Academy, senior division

Rachel York, Broken Arrow, Okla./Krafft Academy, junior division

Pennsylvania

Lia Delpriore, Center Valley, Pa./Parkettes, junior division

Annette Miele, Easton, Pa./Lehigh Valley, junior division

Geralen Stackk-Eaton, Horsham, Pa./Parkettes, senior division

Gabrielle Swart, Coopersburg, Pa./Parkettes, junior division

Amber Trani, Richland, Pa./Parkettes, senior division

Rebecca Tutka, Upper Black Eddy, Pa./Parkettes, junior division

Texas

Hope Bruce, McKinney, Texas/US Gold @ Excite, junior division

Chelsea Davis, Lakeway, Texas/Texas Dreams, junior division

Liz Green, Coppell, Texas/Texas Dreams, junior division

Alaina Johnson, Tyler, Texas/Texas East, senior division

Natasha Kelley, Katy, Texas/Stars Houston, senior division

Nastia Liukin, Parker, Texas/WOGA, senior division

Catherine Nguyen, Plano, Texas/WOGA, junior division

Christine Nguyen, Plano, Texas/WOGA, senior division

Taylor Spears, Plano, Texas/WOGA, junior division

Christa Tanella, Lucas, Texas/WOGA, junior division

Kailey Tissue, Plano, Texas/WOGA, senior division

Virginia

Olivia Courtney, Burke, Va./Capital GNTC, junior division

Morgan Evans, Norfolk, Va./Excalibur, senior division

Blair Ryland, Woodbridge, Va./Capital GNTC, senior division

Randi Stageberg, Chesapeake, Va./Excalibur, senior division

Wisconsin

McKenzie Fechter, Waterford, Wis./GAGE, junior division

Chellsie Memmel, West Allis, Wis./M&M, senior division

--
 

RELATED NEWS ITEMS - Natasha Kelley & Ashley Priess tie for US Classic Senior Title

Shawn Johnson wins Junior All Around Title at 2006 US Classic

Dominique to compete at US Classic after 6 year absence!

Dominique Photo Gallery

US Classic Photos 2005 - US Classic Photos 2004

Natasha Kelley and Ashley Priess Tie for U.S. Classic Title

KANSAS CITY, Mo., July 29, 2006 -- Natasha Kelley of Katy, Texas, and Ashley Priess of Hamilton, Ohio, tied for the senior all-around title at the 2006 U.S. Classic in Kansas City, Mo. Kelley, the 2005 junior national champion, and Priess, the 2005 U.S. Classic junior champion, both scored a 60.900 to take the title. This is the first year competing as seniors for both gymnasts.

Priess, who is 16 and trains at Cincinnati Gymnastics, said, “I was really happy with the way I hit four for four routines today. I didn’t know what the scores were. I just stayed in my box and focused on what I needed to do.”

Also 16, Kelley, who trains at Stars Gymnastics, said, “I’m very happy. I’ve been training really hard for this and I’m prepared for Visa Championships.”

     Content removed - Ken Summerfield - 25th August, 2008

Ashley Priess shown at the US Visa Championships 2005

Alicia Sacramone of Winchester, Mass., the 2005 floor exercise world champion, won titles on both the vault (15.750) and the floor exercise (15.55), as well as finished second on the balance beam and third in the all-around (60.40).

Sacramone, who trains at Brestyan’s, said, “I was so excited to realize that even with a mistake I was close to the top. I’m happy that I hit beam and I’m looking forward to Visa Championships.”

Kelley also won the uneven bars (15.90) and was second on vault. 2005 uneven bars and balance beam world champion Nastia Liukin of Parker, Texas, won the balance beam (16.05).

Liukin, who trains at WOGA, said, “You can’t always be on and today I was off. I added new skills on every event but vault. I’m going to go back to the gym and train hard to be ready for Visa Championships.”

In addition to the all-around title, Priess also tied for second in the floor exercise and third in the uneven bars and balance beam. Kayla Hoffman of Union, N.J./Rebound, tied with Priess for second in the floor exercise. Jana Bieger of Coconut Creek, Fla./Boca Twisters, was second in the uneven bars. Morgan Evans of Norfolk, Va./Excalibur, was third in the vault

Earlier today in the junior all-around competition, Shawn Johnson of Des Moines, Iowa and Chow’s Gymnastics, won the title with a score of 60.65. Samantha Peszek of McCordsville, Ind./DeVeau’s School of Gymnastics, was second at 60.500. Bianca Flohr of Creston, Ohio/Cincinnati Gymnastics, took third with a 59.95.

Approximately 80 gymnasts competed in the U.S. Classic, the main qualifying event for women for the 2006 Visa Championships, Aug. 16-19 in St. Paul, Minn., where the national champions for both artistic and rhythmic gymnastics will be determined. The field included both gymnasts who have already qualified for the Visa Championships and those gymnasts vying for a berth to the Visa Championships.

Full results are available at http://www.dragongymnastics.net/results/results.html.

2006 U.S. Classic

Senior Division Top 3 Results

All-Around

1. Natasha Kelley, Katy, Texas/Stars Houston, 60.900

1. Ashley Priess, Hamilton, Ohio/Cincinnati Gymnastics, 60.900

3. Alicia Sacramone, Winchester, Mass./Brestyan’s, 60.400

Vault

1. Alicia Sacramone, Winchester, Mass./Brestyan’s, 15.750

2. Natasha Kelley, Katy, Texas/Stars Houston, 15.050

3. Morgan Evans, Norfolk, Va./Excalibur, 15.000

Uneven bars

1. Natasha Kelley, Katy, Texas/Stars Houston, 15.900

2. Jana Bieger, Coconut Creek, Fla./Boca Twisters 15.800

3. Ashley Priess, Hamilton, Ohio/Cincinnati Gymnastics, 15.600

Balance beam

1. Nastia Liukin, Parker, Texas/WOGA, 16.050

2. Alicia Sacramone, Winchester, Mass./Brestyan’s, 15.750

3. Ashley Priess, Hamilton, Ohio/Cincinnati Gymnastics, 15.600

Floor exercise

1. Alicia Sacramone, Winchester, Mass./Brestyan’s, 15.550

2. Ashley Priess, Hamilton, Ohio/Cincinnati Gymnastics, 14.750

2. Kayla Hoffman, Union, N.J./Rebound, 14.750

2006 U.S. Acrobatic Champions crowned at National Championships

Clare Brunson & Michael Rodrigues retain Mixed Pairs US Title

Julian Amaro & Tyler Spray win Men’s Pairs US Title.

Michael Rodrigues & Clare Brunson, USA Mixed Pairs Champions for 2 consecutive years

KANSAS CITY, Mo., July 31, 2006 – No surprises ar the USA National Acrobatics Championships as reigning US Mixed pair Champions Clare Brunson and Michael Rodrigues from Mission Hills Gymnastics, and men’s pair Julian Amaro and Tyler Spray of West Coast Acrobatics, successfully earned their second consecutive U.S. titles at the 2006 Acrobatic Gymnastics National Championships in Kansas City. West Coast trio Mariah Henninger, Allysha Kidd and Tisa Penny of Livermore won the women’s group title.

The USA’s mixed pair of Brunson and Rodrigues claimed the bronze medal at the 2006 World Acrobatic Gymnastics Championships in Coimbra, Portugal. The USA’s women’s group of Henninger, Kidd and Penny finished sixth. The World Championships are acrobatic gymnastics’ most prestigious event and are held every two years.

After working together for less than 2 years, 23 year old Rodrigues and 16 year old Brunson have achieved remarkable success winning back to back US Titles and winning bronze medals at the World Championships, finishing just over one tenth of a point behind the World Silver Medalist’s from Russia.

The Mixed Pair won their first U.S. Title in Louisville in 2005 and Michael told the World Championship Sports Network "It felt really good to come in and defend our title. The first time is always exciting, but to be able to hold it the whole year and do it again is a little more exciting. There was a little more pressure this time. Everybody expected us to bring that same performance that we had just brought from Worlds. I think we accomplished that. I would say the performance level here was very similar."

Clare is about to start her senior year in high school, and plans to go to college in the Autumn of 2007 where she hopes to become a Sports Acrobatics Coach after she graduates. The Couple plan to continue competing until at least 2007 and  Michael added "How many people can say they were two-time defending national champions and third in the world in something? There's nothing that can replace that. It has been a great two years working with Clare."

Although Sports Acrobatics is not yet an Olympic Sport the success of the USA at the World Championships plus the appearance of former two time World Champions Arthur Davis & Sheanea Booth on “America’s Got Talent” has made a huge difference to help increase the profile of the sport in the USA.  This was demonstrated at the US National’s where over 600 of the country’s top acrobatic gymnasts competed for national titles in five categories -- men's pairs, women's pairs, mixed pairs, women's groups and men's groups – and on the elite level, as well as Levels 5-10.

Mariah Henninger, Allysha Kidd & Tisa Penney , 2006 USA Senior Women’s Groups Champions. Photos copyright of Isabel Silva & Eloisa Valdes.

Julian Amaro & Tyler Spray USA 2006 Men’s Pairs Champions  Photos copyright of USA Gymnastics

Though acrobatic gymnastics has been competed at the world level since the 1970s, the sport became a part of USA Gymnastics in 2002. Arthur Davis and Shenea Booth became the USA’s first acro world champions in the mixed pairs event at the 2002 World Championships, and then became the first U.S. acro athletes to repeat as world champions in 2004. The U.S. women's trio of Samantha Schabow, Danielle Heider and Jennifer daSilva won the bronze medal in the women's trio event in 2004, marking the first U.S. medal in women's group at a World Championships.

Acrobatic gymnastics, previously referred to as sport acrobatics, combines the beauty of dance with the strength and agility of acrobatics. Gymnastics skills add excitement to the exercises, while intense acrobatic balances show grace, strength and flexibility. Routines are choreographed to music and consist of dance, tumbling, and partner skills. At the elite level, each pair or group performs a balance, Dynamic and combined routine. Pyramids and partner holds characterize the balance routine, while synchronized tumbling and intricate flight elements define the dynamic exercise. The combined exercise unites elements of balance and dynamic.

"Kansas City has hosted the largest acrobatic gymnastics nationals we have had to date , as well as one of the best ," said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. "The quality of the performances was at the highest level, and I want to extend congratulations to all of the newly crowned U.S. champions. We look forward to seeing them compete in the National Team Trials in St. Paul as part of the Visa Championships."

2006 National Championships

Elite Women's Group All-around

1. Mariah Henninger, Allysha Kidd, Tisa Penny/West Coast Acrobatics, 84.412

2. Melissa Summers, Nicole Summers, Karilynn Rockhill/Skyview Gymnastics, 80.057

3. Jessica Geppert, Jessica Guiel, Kaitlyn Hilton/KW TOPS Acrobatics, 77.050

Elite mixed pair all-around

1. Clare Brunson, Michael Rodrigues/Mission Hills Gymnastics, 86.210

2. Xiau-Ling Wee, Andre Solodar/Paramount Tumbling & Acro Gymnastics, 82.841

3. Kristin Allen, Brian Kincher/West Coast Acrobatics, 78.750

Elite men’s pair all-around

1. Julian Amaro, Tyler Spray/West Coast Acrobatics, 83.833

2. Jake Kanavel, Lukas Martincik/Paramount Tumbling & Acro Gymnastics, 77.240

Junior elite champions

Women’s group all-around: Lauren Eklund, Heather Vachon, Alayna Davis/Aerial Tumbling & Acrobatics, 73.910

Mixed pair all-around: Kelianne Stankus, Ryan Ward/Mission Hills Gymnastics, 79.924

Complete results are listed at http://usag.usacro.com/scores/index.php?Style=USAG&MeetID=17.

PHOTOS FROM THE USA NATIONAL ACROBATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS COMING SOON!