Students bounce to trampoline triumph
RIO DE JANEIRO (CUP) -- Two-time Olympic medalist Karen Cockburn and her apprentice Rosannagh MacLennan dominated the July 27-28 Pan Am Games trampoline event in Rio de Janeiro.
“They have a special quality, both of them, that they're very consistent in training and competition,” said Dave Ross, who coaches the two athletes out of the Skyriders trampoline club in Richmond Hill, Ontario.
“These girls really impressed me. They came out of the gate focused. They've trained well. They have gotten serious about everything, so I was very proud of their performances.”
Cockburn and MacLennan were the last two performers to be paraded into the Riocentro Convention Complex, an honour they earned the previous day thanks to strong routines in the qualification round that determined the presentation order for the final.
MacLennan's routine was virtually flawless and she placed ahead of the other six competitors easily. She earned 36.5 points from the judges, guaranteeing herself at least a silver medal ahead of Brazil's Giovanna Matheus, her nearest competitor at 34.3 points.
The only person able to out-do 19-year-old MacLennan was Cockburn, who breezed through a difficult routine that carried a higher start value than McLennan's. Her final score of 37.5 earned Canada the top two spots at the inaugural Pan Am Games trampoline competition.
“I think it's great because it shows the depth in our sport. Rosie is eight years younger than me,” said Cockburn, who is also working on a business degree at York University. “It shows that we have a lot of talent in Canada, so it's really good to come 1-2 here — we're really happy.”
Olympic medals tend to spur grassroots interest in their sport. Cockburn's wins were no exception. More trampoline clubs began cropping up across the country, and kids like MacLennan started doing well.
“To have three medals from two Olympics in trampoline is a great result for Canada,” said Cockburn. “That raised the profile of the sport a little bit.”
But along with Canada, interest in trampoline gymnastics has also spread around the globe and the competition worldwide is the best it's ever been. Before the two can even think of medals, they have to qualify for the Olympics. That means they both have to make the World Championships final in Quebec City this November.
“There'll be 70 girls who want those eight spots in the final,” Ross noted.
Fellow Skyriders club member Jason Burnett won a silver medal in the Pan Am Games men's trampoline competition. He studies general arts and sciences at Seneca College.
“They have a special quality, both of them, that they're very consistent in training and competition,” said Dave Ross, who coaches the two athletes out of the Skyriders trampoline club in Richmond Hill, Ontario.
“These girls really impressed me. They came out of the gate focused. They've trained well. They have gotten serious about everything, so I was very proud of their performances.”
Cockburn and MacLennan were the last two performers to be paraded into the Riocentro Convention Complex, an honour they earned the previous day thanks to strong routines in the qualification round that determined the presentation order for the final.
MacLennan's routine was virtually flawless and she placed ahead of the other six competitors easily. She earned 36.5 points from the judges, guaranteeing herself at least a silver medal ahead of Brazil's Giovanna Matheus, her nearest competitor at 34.3 points.
The only person able to out-do 19-year-old MacLennan was Cockburn, who breezed through a difficult routine that carried a higher start value than McLennan's. Her final score of 37.5 earned Canada the top two spots at the inaugural Pan Am Games trampoline competition.
“I think it's great because it shows the depth in our sport. Rosie is eight years younger than me,” said Cockburn, who is also working on a business degree at York University. “It shows that we have a lot of talent in Canada, so it's really good to come 1-2 here — we're really happy.”
Olympic medals tend to spur grassroots interest in their sport. Cockburn's wins were no exception. More trampoline clubs began cropping up across the country, and kids like MacLennan started doing well.
“To have three medals from two Olympics in trampoline is a great result for Canada,” said Cockburn. “That raised the profile of the sport a little bit.”
But along with Canada, interest in trampoline gymnastics has also spread around the globe and the competition worldwide is the best it's ever been. Before the two can even think of medals, they have to qualify for the Olympics. That means they both have to make the World Championships final in Quebec City this November.
“There'll be 70 girls who want those eight spots in the final,” Ross noted.
Fellow Skyriders club member Jason Burnett won a silver medal in the Pan Am Games men's trampoline competition. He studies general arts and sciences at Seneca College.
