MacLennan wins gold at Canada Cup trampoline
Posted Monday, March 16, 2015 by Gymnastics Canada Gymnastique
In her first competition since the world championships last fall, MacLennan didn’t go with her most difficult optional routines, but still managed to win by a wide margin with a score of 156.720.
Samantha Smith of Kelowna, B.C. placed second with 151.235 points and Samantha Sendel was third at 150.075.
“I was doing my base routine and it went better than yesterday in the prelims,” said MacLennan. “It’s a good start to the season and I’m looking forward to going up from here.”
With the next Olympics just over a year away MacLennan said the anticipation is beginning to build as she aims to reach the podium again at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janiero.
“I’m laying down some good ground work and ramping up in training so we’re kind of in the final stretch now. It’s really feeling a lot closer, especially with the Pan Am Games coming up this summer.”
MacLennan is planning to use a more difficult optional routine with three triple somersaults at the first international meet later this year.
MacLennan also teamed up with Sendel to win gold in the women’s synchro event.
In men’s trampoline Kyle Soehn of Red Deer, Alta., won easily with a score of 157.110 points.
Curtis Gerein of Kelowna, B.C., was second with 144.035 and Ian MacMullin was third at 134.000.
Soehn also teamed up with brother Keegan Soehn to earn his second gold medal of the meet in the men’s synchro event.
In the men’s double mini trampoline veteran Denis Vachon of Burlington, Ont., carried his lead from the prelims into the final and won the gold with a total score of 148.500 points.
Kyle Carragher of Vancouver was second with a score of 144.80 and Jon Schwaiger of Burlington, Ont., was third at 144.50.
“My passes in prelims are safe and consistent and they’re easy to hit for me but in the finals I do an extra three and a half points of difficulty,” said Vachon, who has been one of Canada’s top athletes in double mini for over a decade and is also a full-time coach in Burlington.
“I’m definitely shooting for the world championships this year,” added Vachon, who has flirted with retirement in recent years.
“Right now I’m just trying to help motivate the younger kids and inspire them to go for bigger things and to believe these international medals are possible.”
In the women’s double mini, Danielle Gruber of Kelowna topped the field followed by Karine Dufour of Montreal and Caitlin Brown of Calgary.
In the senior tumbling finals Jon Schwaiger of Burlington, Ont., and Raphaelle Villotte of Montreal won the men’s and women’s titles.