Olympic veterans Brandon O’Neill of Edmonton and Nathan Gafuik of Calgary will lead a seven-member Canadian team at the 2009 artistic world gymnastics championships October 13-18 in London, England.
Joining O’Neill and Gafuik on the men’s squad are 2009 Canadian men’s high bar champion Kevin Lytwyn of Burlington, Ont., and 2008 junior champion Jackson Payne of Edmonton.
The women’s team consists of 2007 Canadian junior champion Brittany Rogers and Charlotte Mackie, both of Coquitlam, B.C. and 2009 senior all around champion Sydney Sawa of Calgary.
This year’s worlds features just individual competition, the only time in the four-year Olympic cycle that does not include a team event for participating countries.
It’s a chance for many of the medal winners from the Beijing to get back in harness and, at the same time, an opportunity for all competitors to get a feel for the 2012 Olympic venue at London’s O2 Arena.
At the last individual-only worlds in 2005, O’Neill won the silver medal in the men’s floor exercise.
Gafuik and O’Neill both competed at the last two world championships in 2006 and 2007, while Sawa was a member of the Canadian women’s team two years ago in Stuttgart, Germany.
Lytwyn, Payne, Mackie and Rogers will all be competing at their first world championships.
Head coach of the Canadian men’s team is Edouard Iarov of Cantley, Que., and head coach of the women’s team is Vladimir Lashin of Coquitlam, B.C.
Other members of the Canadian contingent at the world championships:
Men Artistic Gymnastics:
Jeff Thomson, Program Director & Team Leader
Raymond Heiderich, Judge
Jerome Boisteau, Judge
Andrei Levit, Assistant National Coach
Liang Cheng, Coach
Tony Smith, Coach
Carlo Pacella, Coach
Paolo Bordignon, Physiotherapist (men and women)
David Paskevich, Sport & Exercise Psychology
Women's Artistic Gymnastics:
Lise Gosselin Simard, Program Director & Team Leader
Helen Laliberte, Judge
Elena Davydova, Judge
David Kenwright, Coach
Svetlana Lashina, Coach
Janna Ball, Coach
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Nathan Gafuik
Canadian team announced for 2009 artistic gymnastics world championships
