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Boychuk claims world gold in France

Airdrie’s Corissa Boychuk became the first Albertan to win gold at a Trampoline and Tumbling World Championship, when she claimed top spot in the double mini-trampoline final in Metz, France on Nov. 13.
Airdrie’s Corissa Boychuk poses for a photo with the gold medal she won at the Trampoline and Tumbling World Championships in Metz, France, Nov. 13.
Airdrie’s Corissa Boychuk poses for a photo with the gold medal she won at the Trampoline and Tumbling World Championships in Metz, France, Nov. 13.

Airdrie’s Corissa Boychuk became the first Albertan to win gold at a Trampoline and Tumbling World Championship, when she claimed top spot in the double mini-trampoline final in Metz, France on Nov. 13.

Boychuk, 21, a member of the Airdrie Edge Gymnastics Club, qualified for the eight-woman final in first place, but had to battle back from third place after the first pass in the medal round. She earned the gold with the highest score of the competition – a 70.500 – in her next pass.

Her victory is Alberta’s best-ever finish at the event and Canada’s best individual finish since Karen Cockburn’s women’s trampoline gold in 2003.

“It feels amazing,” Boychuk said. “Hearing the applause and then when I saw number one come up on the scoreboard, I got goosebumps. I actually didn’t know where I was in the standings until the end because I don’t pay attention to scores. It’s one of those distractions I like to avoid, but I just knew that no matter where I was in the standings, I needed to pull out the best I could on both routines.”

Boychuk, a bronze medal winner at last year’s worlds, finished ahead of silver medal winner Bianca Budler of South Africa, who scored 70.300, and Russia’s Svetlana Balandina, who took bronze with a 70.200 score.

“It was the strongest top four girls at a world competition that we’d seen,” said Jaime Atkin, head coach and club manager for the Edge Gymnastics Club. “They all looked really good. (Corissa’s) were just that much tighter and that much cleaner. She did exactly what she was supposed to do, followed every step all the way through, and was just impeccable in her preparation.”

Airdrie’s Julie Warnock also competed in the double mini-tramp event, in her fifth and final worlds, but failed to qualify for the final. Janelle Desmarais-Moen competed Nov. 18 (after press time) in the 17-18 age group double mini-trampoline event at her second World Age Group Championships.

Atkin said the event’s atmosphere was phenomenal, as every seat was full and hundreds of extra spectators found any useable space to watch the finals.

“We’ve experienced a fair bit of success (here in Airdrie), but there’s a real difference in the attention paid. It was a packed, packed house – and they paid big money to come watch. It’s a different level of exposure and level of interest,” he said. “It is good for our club as well. We’re proud of elite program, and equally proud of everything else we do, and it’s nice to have a concrete example of that particular type of excellence.”

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