Gymnastics Canada – CALGARY, AB (May 7, 2017) – Gymnastics Canada is honoured to announce Rosie MacLennan as the trampoline gymnastics Athlete of the Year for 2016, and her coach – Dave Ross as the trampoline gymnastics Coach of the Year.

As the defending Olympic champion, and Canada’s only gold medallist (at that time) from London 2012, there was a lot of pressure on Rosie’s shoulders heading into Rio. Added to that was the privilege and the honour of leading Team Canada into the Opening Ceremonies as the official flag-bearer. With the wisdom and strength gained from her experience in London, and then battling through a concussion, Rosie was more than ready to show the world what she was made of when she first stepped onto the competition floor in Rio. With a technically superior routine executed in the finals, Rosie once again climbed to the top of the podium, winning her second Olympic gold medal and becoming the first Canadian summer athlete to successfully defend her title, and the first trampoline athlete ever as well.

 “It’s such an honour to be awarded athlete of the year for 2016. The road into the Olympics last summer was anything but what I planned but I had incredible support in Dave, my teammates, the IST team and all of Gymnastics Canada. I could not have done it without the support of everyone around me, I am so grateful to be a part of such an amazing team.”

This is the eighth time that Rosie has been named the trampoline gymnastics Athlete of the Year. She previously won in 2005, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014.

As the founder, president and coach of Skyriders Trampoline Place in Toronto, ON, Dave Ross has been a pioneer of trampoline sports in Canada. His enthusiasm, as well as his personal abilities, have launched him into the history books, developing the most impressive and technically advanced trampoline equipment in the world today. As Canada’s Olympic Team Coach from 2000 to 2016, Dave has coached all of Canada’s trampoline Olympic medallists — Karen Cockburn, Mathieu Turgeon, Jason Burnett, and Rosie MacLennan. He has also been a team coach of the Canadian trampoline team at every World Championship since 1976.

“It is always an honour to be recognized by Gymnastics Canada with a coaching award. As this award almost always goes to the coach of the athlete of the year, the real focus should be on the amazing Rosie MacLennan who against huge adversity and odds became the first Canadian repeat summer Olympic champion in any sport, ever! Rosie is one determined athlete.”

This is the 15^th time that Dave has been named the trampoline gymnastics Coach of the Year. He first won the award in 2000, and then won every year from 2002-2014.

The awards will be presented at 12pm on Sunday, May 7^th at the Canada Cup in Trampoline Gymnastics competition taking place at the Genesis Centre in Calgary, AB

ABOUT GYMNASTICS CANADA

First established in 1969, Gymnastics Canada is the national governing body for the sport of gymnastics in Canada. Gymnastics Canada works closely with the twelve Provincial Federations and the 700 local clubs to provide a broad range of programs and services to meet the needs of all participants. From athlete development, to coaching and judging education, Gymnastics Canada sets the operating standards and practices for the sport in Canada. Our mandate is to promote and provide positive and diverse gymnastics experience through the delivery of quality and safe gymnastics programming. Visit www.gymcan.org for more information, or follow us @CDNgymnastics.

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For more information, contact:

Julie Forget
Director, Communications and Marketing
Gymnastics Canada
Cell: 819.210.2064
Email: jforget@gymcan.org