Crane and Garcia lead Senior and Junior competitions at 2018 Canadian Championships in Rhythmic Gymnastics

Gymnastics Canada – RICHMOND, BC (May 19, 2018) – Sophie Crane of Toronto, ON has the lead in the senior all-around competition at the 2018 Canadian Championships in Rhythmic Gymnastics after the first two days of competition, and will be looking to win her first senior Canadian title on Sunday in the finals.
 
Crane, who was recently crowned the 2018 Commonwealth Games champion in clubs, had the highest score in every apparatus except hoop at the end of Competition A, and sits on top of the standings with a total score of 60.250. Katherine Uchida of Toronto, who was the silver medallist in the all-around competition at the Commonwealth Games, sits in second with 58.200 points, while Carmen Whelan of Aurora, ON, the 2017 Canadian senior all-around champion, sits in third with a total of 53.850 points.
 
Those points will carry over to the all-around competition, or Competition B, on Sunday, but it will be a clean slate for the apparatus finals meaning it’s anyone’s chance to claim those titles. Crane was crowned the 2018 Elite Canada all-around champion back in February, but neither Uchida nor Whelan competed at the Elite Canada competition due to injury, so the competition for the senior titles is much fiercer at this competition.
 
Natalie Garcia of Mississauga, ON – fresh off her successful performances at the Junior Pan American and Pacific Rim Championships, sits on top of the junior all-around standings with a total score of 56.700, while the 2017 Canadian junior all-around champion Michel Vivier of Toronto is nipping at her heels for the title with a score of 53.200. In third is Elizabeth Savchenko of Montreal with 49.300 points.
 
“I’m feeling pretty good,” said Garcia following the competition when asked how she feels going into the finals tomorrow. “Anything can happen because it’s another day, but I’m focussed and ready for tomorrow. I worked really hard coming into this competition and I just tried to stay focussed and to stay positive and to take one thing at a time.”
 
Ontario athletes dominated the novice competition which wrapped up Saturday with Adel Karasik from Ritmika Rhythmic Gymnastics Club taking the all-around title, and Trillium Rhythmic athletes Emily Huseynov and Emili Ribakov taking silver and bronze respectively.
 
In the senior open competition, HPTC International athletes from Manitoba Grace Francis and Alexys Purdy finished first and third respectively while Emmalee Holland from Okanagan Rhythmic Gymnastics Club finished third. All three athletes, along with fourth-place finisher Nicole Stolys from York Stars Rhythmic Gymnastics Club will move on to compete in the Senior HP finals Sunday based on their total scores putting them in the top-15 of all the seniors overall.
 
In the junior open competition, a HPTC International athlete was again on the top of the podium with Samantha Pfeil taking the top spot with 41.100 points ahead of Joy Yi Ki-uhn from Toronto’s Kalev Estienne Club and Karina Boeckx from Chinook Rhythmique Gymnastic Club in Calgary, AB. Pfeil and Yi Ki-uhn’s overall scores were enough to move them into the Junior HP competition on Sunday.
 
The junior high performance finals start at 9:20 PST Sunday, with the seniors taking to the floor at 12:50 PST. Tickets are available at the door, or the public can watch the competition for free via http://gymcan.tv.
 
For complete results visit: http://bit.ly/RGCDNChamps18_results
 
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