Jacquie Harvey Wins Lady Luck!

LAS VEGAS, NV, Jan. 20-22 -- Jacquie Harvey of Gemini Gymnastics traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada to represent Ontario at the 2006 Lady Luck Invitational Gymnastics Competition. This was a large, fast-paced competition hosted by Brown’s Gymnastics and located at the Tarkanian Basketball Academy. Awards presented by Olympians, Nadia Comaneci and Bart Connor.

The 16 year-old won first all around in the Level 9 category against a field of 14 other competitors. Harvey’s consistent performances brought home gold for floor exercise, silver medals for vault and bars and a bronze medal on beam. Her results, combined with three other team mates, led “Team A” Ontario to capture third place overall with a total score of 106.675. Ontario’s “Team B” finished up eighth out of a total of 12 teams.

Harvey earned a position on the Ontario Tour Team by placing fourth overall at the Tour Selection meet in November 2005. Her next meet will be the Ontario Winter Games, held in Barrie this March.

Ontario’s First Ever ODP Event

There are no routines at this meet. Instead, a series of stations are set up to test 3 main areas – Flexibility, Handstand Development and Strength/Power/Endurance. The athletes can be entered in the Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced level where they are evaluated for scores by certified ODP Assessors. They are awarded a gold, silver or bronze ribbon in the 3 areas as well as an overall medal. Showcase athletes, ages 5 & 6, are not evaluated for scores, however, all participants receive a gold medal.

Kristina Vaculik Wins Second Elite Canada Title

Gatineau, Quebec - In her first year as a Junior High Performance athlete, Gemini’s Kristina Vaculik found herself at the top of the podium at the prestigious 2005 Elite Canada Gymnastics competition. On Saturday Dec. 10th, she was crowned Canada’s top High Performance Junior with an all around score of 37.645 giving her back to back Elite Canada wins. (Last year she won the Novice crown at the same event). The next day, she dominated in Event Finals winning gold medals for floor, with a score of 9.85, balance beam (9.550), vault (9.062) and a silver medal on uneven bars (9.2).

Gemini’s Brittnee Habbib, a member of Canada's Senior National Team, also put in a strong performance in the Senior High Performance category. On Friday, she placed 2nd on floor and beam and 6th overall in the All Around competition. In the Senior Event Finals, she won a silver medal for floor exercise and finished 7th on the balance beam.

The prestigious event was held at the Palais de Congress in Gatineau, Quebec and was overseen by President and CEO of Gymnastics Canada Gymnastique, Jean Paul Caron, and Canada's National Head Coach of Women’s Artistic Gymnastics, Claude Pelletier. Olympic Champion, Kyle Shewfelt and World Silver Medallist, Brandon O'Neill and were also present.

Elite Canada is one of the most important competitions of the year for Canada's top male and female gymnasts. It is an important stepping stone to the high performance program and national team for younger gymnasts and a showcase for senior team members as they go head to head for national titles

Gemini Gymnastics Erupts on the World Scene

Gemini Gymnastics was well represented recently at 3 international gymnastics events.

At the 2005 Pan American Gymnastics Championships, Senior National Team Member, Brittnee Habbib, contributed to the Canadian Team’s bronze medal finish in the women’s team competition. The U.S. took the women’s team gold with 110.959 points with Brazil second at 108.691 and the Canadians third at 102.179 out of 15 countries. At this high-calibre event, Habbib ranked 15th overall in the individual all-around standings with a score of 33.276. The Canadian Men & Women’s Teams earned a total of 8 medals at this event, which served as a qualifier for the multi-sport Pan American Games scheduled for 2007.

Soon after, Habbib was off to Ljubljana, Slovenia to compete at the Siska Gym International 2005. At this international gymnastics event, Habbib ranked 8th overall and took 5th place on uneven bars in the event finals.

Youth National Team Member, 13 year-old Kristina Vaculik, traveled to Marseille France where she competed at the 2005 Massilia Cup. Representing Canada on the Junior 1 Team, Vaculik and her team mate, Sydney Sawa from Calgary, Alberta, ranked 12th overall in the combined Junior and Senior team competition. In this high-pressured environment against world-level athletes, including three 2004 Olympic gold medalists, the young athletes gained valuable international experience and an opportunity to showcase new skills.

Gemini gymnasts are golden at Tour Selection 2005

Mississauga – Gemini Gymnastics’ Kristina Vaculik, Riley Cholod, Katherine Fairhurst and Jacquie Harvey had golden performances at the recent Tour Selection meet held November 12-13 at Gymnastics Mississauga. This event was the Selection and Screening activity for these athletes in their respective categories.

In the Junior High Performance category, Whitby’s Kristina Vaculik, 13, performed with confidence to win the overall gold medal. She also received event gold for vault, beam and floor and silver on bars. In addition, Vaculik participated in the Physical Abilities testing portion of the competition, a screening activity for the prestigious Elite Canada held on December 7-11 in Quebec. While there were no rankings, she demonstrated a very high level of strength, endurance and flexibility. Vaculik recently returned from France where she represented Canada at the 2005 Massilia Cup. In this high-pressured environment against world-level athletes, including three 2004 Olympic gold medallists, she gained valuable international experience and an opportunity to showcase new skills.

Young National newcomer, Riley Cholod age 10, of Courtice, was beaming as she also captured the overall gold in her new National Pre Novice category. For Cholod, this was her first competition of the season, and she posted excellent results to bring home gold on both bars and beam and silver on vault and floor against a field of 10 other gymnasts.

Making a come back after a lengthy time off from the competitive gymnastics scene, was Katherine Fairhurst of Whitby. In her debut meet, this Senior High Performance athlete placed an impressive third overall. Fairhurst, competed with poise and was awarded second on floor, third on vault, fifth on bars and seventh on beam. Fairhurst has qualified, along with her teammate, for Elite Canada in December of this year.

Jacquie Harvey, also of Courtice, took event gold as she placed first on beam, in her new OCP Level 9 category. Competing for the first time this season, she ranked fourth on vault, fifth on floor, 12th on bars to capture a fourth place finish overall and earned a position on the Ontario Tour Team. Harvey will travel to Las Vegas, NV in February 2006 for the Lady Luck International competition.

Elena Davydova chosen for National Team Coaching Apprenticeship Program

Women’s Artistic gymnastics coach Elena Davydova of Oshawa, Ont., who won an Olympic gold medal competing for the Soviet Union in 1980, former world wrestling champion Christine Nordhagen and former world cycling champion Tanya Dubnicoff, both of Calgary, Alta., are among the coaches selected for the Coaching Association of Canada’s Women in Coaching (WiC) National Team Coaching Apprenticeship Program (NTAP). Also selected to the two-year program are softball coach Marie-Claude Lapointe of Greenfield Park, Que., and cross country ski coach Lisa Patterson of Thunder Bay, Ont.

The NTAP provides opportunities for women coaches to work with their national team programs leading up to and during major international events such as the Olympic Games, the Pan American Games, or a major international event such as a world championship that falls within the timeframe of the apprenticeship.

“These apprentice coaches are an amazing group of talented women,” says Sheilagh Croxon, the former medal winning Olympic synchro coach who has responsibility for the NTAP. “The ultimate objective of this 2005-2007 program is to increase the number of women coaching at the Olympic Games, and with young coaches of this high calibre, I am confident of success.”

All-Around Olympic champion and world champion gymnast Elena Davydova holds a doctorate in pedagogical science. She began her coaching career with the St. Petersburg Olympic Reserve College and was a coach with the Soviet gymnastics team. She came to Canada in 1991 and is head coach of Gemini Gymnastics in Oshawa. She coaches three national team members and has coached numerous Elite Canada winners and novice and junior Canadian champions. She was a member of the coaching staff at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

“The NTAP will further enhance my knowledge and experience as a coach in preparing for and competing successfully at major senior international competitions,” says Davydova. “The program will allow me to be in contact with experienced coaches and resource people in Canada and abroad and will give me accelerated learning, development, and hands-on experience to meet the challenges that my athletes, my club, and I face. My goal is to become a mentor coach and clinician with Gymnastics Ontario and Gymnastics Canada.”

CAC is a not-for-profit amateur sport organization with the mandate to improve the effectiveness of coaching across all sports and at all levels of the sport system. Visit www.coach.ca for more information about coach education and training.

The Women in Coaching program is a national campaign to increase the number of coaching opportunities for women at all levels of sport. Since 1987, women coaches across Canada have benefited from professional development grants, NTAP grants, Best Practices grants, and National Coaching Institute scholarships. The program also develops resources for women coaches including the Canadian Journal for Women in Coaching.

Kelsey Hope Junior Canadian Champion

In the Novice Women’s Team competition, Whitby’s Kristina Vaculik ranked first overall after 2 flights of competition. Her balance beam score of 9.825 boosted her to the top spot in a category of 54 athletes from across Canada. In the All Around Competition, Vaculik’s total ranked her 3rd, however a tie at 2nd put her 4th overall taking home a bronze medal for her performance on floor and 4th place for uneven bars. Another aspect of National competitions is the Physical Ability Testing for the Novice and Junior athletes. The gymnasts are tested on strength, flexibility and endurance, and their scores are totaled to determine their ranking. Vaculik finished up with the highest score winning gold in the Novice category, and Hope taking silver in the Junior division.

Gemini’s Senior High Performance athlete, Brittnee Habbib went up against Olympians, Melanie Banville, Kylie Stone, Gael Mackie and Marci Bernholtz. Proving that she ranks among the best, Habbib tied for 5th on floor in the All Around competition placing ninth overall. She qualified for 3 event finals taking 4th place for her powerful vault, 6th on floor and 7th on beam. At the conclusion of the All Around finals, both Habbib and Hope received awards for Remarkable International Achievement.

Carrina Lo Bello, Julia Vinkovic, Roxanne Wood and Rachael Snider win Ontario Championship titles

Brittnee Habbib and Kelsey Hope Top of the Podium at Zakharova Cup -- April 16^th and 17^th

It was a proud moment for Gemini’s gymnasts, Brittnee Habbib and Kelsey Hope to stand at the top of the podium at the Stella Zakharova Cup held in Keiv, Ukraine on April 16th – 17th. Representing Canada, both girls qualified for event finals for the floor exercise and came away with the top 2 spots. Equally proud was Gemini Head Coach, Elena Davydova, who in 1980 not only captured the title of Olympic All Around Champion, but also shared in the victory of Olympic Team Gold with Russian team mate, Stella Zakharova.

Davydova’s athletes, sixteen-year-old Habbib and thirteen-year-old Hope competed in the elite Senior and Junior categories. Habbib ranked 7th all around in the Senior division and qualified for floor event finals the next day, where her charm and near perfect performance earned her the gold medal.

Hope won her first silver medal at this meet, ranking 2nd all around in the Junior category just behind Belgium. To determine the event finalists, the scores for the Juniors and Seniors (approx. 50 athletes) were combined in the all around competition. Hope’s impressive performance in the all around on day one, positioned her for two event finals on day two. She won her 2nd silver medal for her performance on floor and took 5th place for her dynamic vault.

Gymnastics Canada Gymnastique sent 2 teams of 4 athletes each, 2 Juniors and 2 Seniors per team. Team Canada 1, which included Hope, brought home the silver medal behind Ukraine, and Team Canada 2, (Habbib) ranked 4th. Zakharova Cup drew elite athletes from many countries including Canada, Russia, Ukraine, Belgium, Belarus, Hungary, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Slovakia and Croatia.

International Friendship Classic 2005 -- April 2^nd

Gemini’s High Performance athletes Brittnee Habbib, Kelsey Hope and Kristina Vaculik travelled with Russian friends, Ekaterina Kramarenko and Tatina Nabieva, to Pottsville, Pennsylvannia to attend the International invitational, “Friendship Classic”. The Russian gymnasts, who competed with the Gemini athletes at Montreal’s 2005 International Gymnix, returned to Oshawa with their coach, Vera Kiryashova and trained at Gemini Gymnastics in preparation for their 2nd International meet in North America.

Representing Canada, Gemini’s Brittnee Habbib, a Senior National Team Member, brought home the bronze medal in the Senior Women’s all-around, scoring 34.800. Her total score was .5 short of the silver medal taken by the 2004 Olympic Bronze all-around medallist, Nan Zhang of China (35.300). Habbib earned a second bronze medal for her performance on balance beam. This was an incredible finish for Habbib who in February helped Canada to a close 2nd place finish to the USA at the 2005 American Cup, held in Long Island, New York.

Also representing Canada and competing in the Junior division were Courtice’s Kelsey Hope and Whitby’s Kristina Vaculik. Hope, a Junior National Team Member, actually tied China’s Han Bing, for the highest score, but finished second after a tie-breaker. In addition to her all-around silver, Hope brought home the gold for her bar routine and another silver medal for balance beam. Vaculik, a Youth National Team Member, injured her foot during warm-up, yet finished a remarkable fifth all-around. Gemini’s Russian friends captured the 3rd and 4th spots with Kramarenko taking home the bronze all-around medal.

Gemini head coach Elena Davydova said that it was very exciting for Gemini athletes to train and compete alongside the Russian gymnasts and their coach. “I want my athletes to know that the level of the Russian gymnasts is within reach, that they are the same kids and there is no difference.” During training sessions, there was much sharing of gymnastic skills and techniques. It proved to be a valuable learning experience for both the Russian and Canadian athletes.

Gemini Gymnasts "Gems" at International Gyminix meet -- March 18^th - 20^TH

The National and Provincial level athletes from Gemini Gymnastics travelled to Quebec with their Coaches to compete at the 2005 L'International Gymnix and La Classique Gymnix held March 18th - 20th, 2005 in Montreal. Approximately 500 athletes descended upon Montreal's Centre Sportif Claude-Robillard to compete over the course of the weekend. Once again, Club Gymnix attracted an impressive crowd of competitors. Headlining the International portion were athletes from the Ukraine, Russia, Mexico, Belgium, Austria, and host, Canada. The Senior field boasted Ukraine’s Olympian, Olga Scherbatykh. Canada's Olympians Melanie Banville and Amélie Plante were also on site during the awards and presentations.

The Gemini athletes posted impressive results at this event. Four Provincial level gymnasts, Carinna Lo Bello, Jacquie Harvey, Roxanne Wood and Meghan Black all captured 1st All-Around in their respective divisions. Competing in the International portion, and representing Canada were Gemini's National level athletes, Kristina Vaculik, Kelsey Hope and Brittnee Habbib. All three athletes qualified for Event Finals. In the International Junior division, Kelsey Hope ranked 3rd on vault and 4th on floor. Also competing in the Junior division was Novice, Kristina Vaculik who placed 5th on bars. In the International Senior division, Brittnee Habbib ranked 4th on vault, 6th on bars and 4th on floor. Unfortunately due to injury, Senior Katherine Fairhurst, was unable to compete but was in attendance to support her team mates.