York Region sending star power to gymnastics meet

YorkRegion.com
Aug. 13, 2014
By Michael Hayakawa

Several York Region competitors will vie for gold when the Senior Pan American Gymnastics Championships take place in Mississauga starting Tuesday.

World and Olympic champion Rosie MacLennan of King City will be among the favourites in the women’s trampoline competition.

Among those competing against MacLennan, who also holds the Pan Am women’s trampoline title, and comprising a part of Canada’s trampoline contingent will be three-time Olympic medal winner Karen Cockburn of Stouffville and Samantha Sendel of Aurora, who was ranked fifth at the 2013 world championships.

In artistic gymnastics, Alezza Yu of Stouffville will be part of Canada’s seven-member team.

The Canadian rhythmic gymnastics team will be led by Patricia Bezzouhenko of Thornhill.

As one of four members on Canada’s team, Bezzoubenko is aiming to dominate the Americas in rhythmic gymnastics the way she did last month at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow where she won five gold medals.

A separate Canadian rhythmic team is also competing in the group event that includes Anjelika Reznik of Vaughan.

More than 300 competitors from over 20 countries will be in the hunt for medals and a spot at the 2015 Pan American Games to be held in the Greater Toronto Area in artistic and rhythmic gymnastics and trampoline.