2015 Artistic Gymnastics Provincial Championship

NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
April 13, 2015
ALBERTA’S TOP GYMNASTS PERFORM AT PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
LETHBRDGE, ALBERTA - More than 500 of Alberta’s top gymnasts kick off three days of competition this
Friday. For the higher level athletes, this event promises to be a key step on the road to the 2015 Canadian
National Championships. Alberta’s top artistic gymnasts will go up against each other and vie for a
position on the Alberta Provincial Team. For the beginner level athletes, this is their opportunity to
participate in a large and prestigious event while sharing the equipment with the advanced athletes.
West Wind Gymnastics Club in partnership with the Alberta Gymnastics Federation will once again host
the Men’s and Women’s Artistic Provincial Championships in Lethbridge at the Lethbridge College from
Friday, April 17 through Sunday, April 19, 2015.
“This event will showcase the best athletes from across the province,” says Alberta Gymnastics Federation
President & CEO Scott Hayes. “It is one of the premier gymnastics events of the 2015 season with several
of the athletes in attendance building towards a Canadian Championship appearance.”
On the Women’s side, this year’s competitors include: Calgary Gymnastics Centre’s Madison Copiak (silver
medalist Beam, Pan American Sports Festival, Guadalajara, MEX), 2014 Athlete of the Year Goldie Harder,
our two High Performance Novice athletes: Champions Gymnastics’ Emma Guthrie (silver medalist, Bars,
2015 Elite Canada) and Stampede City Gym’s Montana Fairbairn (bronze medalist, Floor, 2015 Elite
Canada). Competing on the men’s side; National Team Members Kevin Lytwyn (University of Calgary Gym
Club) member of the World Championships team in Nanning China and triple medalist at the 2015 Elite
Canada, Jackson Payne (Capital City Gym Club) member of the World Championships team in Nanning
China and Bronze Medalist from the Tokyo International Cup, Teagan Marsden (Capital City Gym Club),
Damien Cachia (University of Calgary Gym Club) the AGF 2014 MAG Athlete of the Year, and many Age
Group National Team Members from around the province will also be at this exciting event.
AGF Program Directors, Krista Morris (Women) and Derek Hanson (Men) are pleased to see such a large
number of athletes participate. “With a record high number of women gymnasts competing, the battle
to make the Provincial Team will be tight,” stated Morris. Mr. Hanson further added that with the large
number of athletes competing, Alberta will once again be sending one of our strongest teams to this year’s
Canadian Championships.
1
This year AGF is very pleased to announce that members of the Vietnamese National Team will also be
competing. From March 30 to April 20, 2015 the 17 member team will be training throughout the
province. The Alberta tour is part of national team preparations for the 28th Southeast Asian Games (SEA
Games) to be held in Singapore next June. Recently, gymnast Phan Thi Ha Thanh won a gold and a silver
medal in the eighth FIG Artistic Gymnastics Challenge Cup in Qatar. Other members include: MAG athlete,
Pham Phuoc Hung who won a gold medal on parallel bars at a 2012 & 2013 World Cup and Do Thi Van
Anh who was 3rd on Vault at the 2013 Toyota Cup. The Vietnamese athletes will go head to head against
Alberta’s own Friday, April 17 at 6:00 pm.
Competition begins Friday at the Lethbridge College at 8:00 a.m. and will conclude Sunday at 3:00 p.m.
Tickets for all sessions are available on-site; cash, VISA, MC or debit are accepted and will range from
$5.00 for a Student / Senior Day Pass to $50.00 for a three-day Family Meet Pass.
Media passes can be attained on site by contacting: Robin McDougall at 403-919-1194 or
Derek Hanson at 403-919-8985.
For more information on the event please visit:
http://abgym.ab.ca/Events/2015-Artistic-Gymnastics-Provincial-Championships#0
*****
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Please contact Molly Fang, AGF Communications Director
T: 403.212.5729 Email: comm@abgym.ab.ca
2