KAMLOOPS, B.C. -- Two-time Olympian Nathan Gafuik of Calgary and Kristina Vaculik of Whitby, Ont., won the men’s and women’s all around titles on Thursday at the Canadian gymnastics championships.
Gafuik, the men’s all around gold medal winner at the Pacific Rim Championships in Australia last month, kept up the momentum with a solid effort on all six apparatus to claim his first senior Canadian title.
“I didn't have amazing routines on any event, nothing that really stood out,” said Gafuik who placed in the top three in all events and topped the field on pommel horse, vault and high bar for a winning score of 89.550 points.
“I had a bit of trouble getting into the swing of things after getting back from Australia so my training coming in here wasn't amazing but I guess I was able to draw on my experience and hit my routines.”
Runner-up Jackson Payne of Edmonton was well behind with a score of 84.350 and Kevin Lytwyn of Stony Creek, Ont., and Hugh Smith of Halifax tied for third at 84.050.
In the women’s all around, Vaculik capped her remarkable comeback from a career threatening injury with a top-three finish in all four routines for a winning score of 55.950 points.
Madeleine Gardiner of Cambridge, Ont., was a close second at 55.100 and Dominique Pegg of Sarnia, Ont., placed third at 54.800.
Vaculik, who did not compete at last year’s Canadian championships, has been chalking up medals at home and abroad since returning to competition in December following a year-long rehab after surgery to correct a debilitating elbow ailment.
In the women’s junior event Sabrina Gill of Oakville, Ont., edged Mikaela Gerber of Cambridge for the all around title.
Gill, who also topped the field in the qualification round on Tuesday, scored 56.450 points for the victory with Gerber in second at 54.550.
Anna Gamelo of Toronto placed third with a score of 53.200.
“Everything was just perfect,” said Gill. “This is the highlight of my career so far, for sure. I also qualified for all four event finals so hopefully I can go in there on Saturday and bring some more medals home.”
In the novice competition, Shallon Olsen of Vancouver placed first followed by Elise Bolger of Oakville, Ont., and Maegan Chant of Hamilton, Ont.
In the synchro trampoline finals, Karen Cockburn and Rosannagh MacLennan, both of Toronto, teamed up to win the women’s gold, while Marty Myers of Toronto, and Carl Rom-Colthoff of Aurora, Ont., took the men’s title.
Source: sirc.ca
