More than 200 of the top trampoline and tumbling athletes from across the country, as well as nine other countries, began the Canada Cup gymnastics meet at Genesis Place on July 28.
Local stars Corrisa Boychuk and Janelle Desmarais-Moen will be among the 12 Airdrie athletes competing at the event, which will conclude on July 30 with finals in all of the various disciplines.
Airdrie Edge Gymnastics head coach Jaime Atkin said this might be the biggest gymnastics event ever held in the city.
“We’ve held a couple of big events here before, last year’s Western Canada Cup and Elite Canada, but this is the next step up,” he said. “Pretty much all of the top trampoline and tumbling athletes in the country will be here.”
The Canada Cup is the final national event of the season, and results from it will determine roster spots for several upcoming world events.
In addition to the top Canadians, competitors from the United States, Denmark, Georgia, Czech Republic and South Africa are among the foreign presence. The Danish team has been in the city for more than a week already, training alongside the Airdrie squad at its gym.
“It’s been great for our athletes, and not just our senior level competitors,” Atkin said.
“Our entire team has had the opportunity to watch their entire team and interact among them as well. It’s been a great experience, especially for younger athletes and those who aren’t competing at the national level just yet.”
Preparations for the massive event, which has taken over the two indoor soccer fields at Genesis Place, in addition to the Edge’s facility, have taken several days. Two large replay boards, with a third in the warm-up area, will provide instant coverage of the event for the other athletes and spectators to view.
New trampoline equipment has been trucked in from Quebec as well, instead of the Edge club having to move all of its apparatus into the soccer fields. Atkin said the entire set-up is something he rarely sees at these types of events.
“The whole production is something we’re very proud of,” he said. “Everything looks amazing in here and it’s easy for the coaches and the athletes to move back and forth between the warm-up area, in our normal gym, and the competition floor. Plus, the video boards are something we’re really looking forward too.”
The Canada Cup is also a big bonus for the city, Genesis Place, nearby businesses, as well as the Edge club itself, Atkin said, as the further awareness to the sport and its economic offshoot have been very important.
“Everyone has been commenting on the facility, of course, as it’s now becoming fairly well-known, but they’re also saying how they enjoy the proximity and the quality of the services nearby,” he said. “This will be another successful event and will help us continue to increase the exposure of our sport.”
