On The Rise: Team Canada Part 2

A new series looking at countries that are On The Rise and may be able to challenge the countries at the top at the team or individual level as we approach Rio 2016.


Casey Carvahlo, Gabriella Douglas, Kaitlyn Hofland of Futures Gymnastics at 2012 Gymnix
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Gabriella Douglas - Futures Gymnastics
Accomplishments: 8th on BB at 2012 Canadian Championships, 1st on BB at 2012 Elite Gym Massilia, 4th BB, 10th AA at 2012 Elite Canada
Watch For: Her prowess on beam. Gabriella does a double turn to single turn, an illusion turn, and a triple turn. She also does a side aerial to sky high back tuck. Watch her 2012 Gymnix beam performance here. FX - double arabian, full twisting double back, triple turn-double turn. UB - very floaty Tkatchev.
Upgrades: There are a few training videos of Ella Douglas: switch split to front tuck, quad turn, and 2 1/2 sit spin into standing full turn on BB. She has also played around with a quintuple turn too! That same account has video of her training a Jaeger on UB.

Kaitlyn Hofland - Futures Gymnastics
Accomplishments: 3rd AA at Canadian Championships in 2011 (as a Junior), 5th AA at 2012 Elite Canada, 8th at 2012 Glasgow World Cup
Watch For: Hofland became a senior in 2012. She was in the running for Olympic selection but sustained an injury earlier in the year. Consistency seems to be an issue but she is a lovely gymnast with excellent style and toe point. Her best events are bars and beam although she is a fair all-around gymnast. She has a very unique beam set with a double turn to immediate back tuck, full twisting back handspring (Kotchetkova), and a back walkover from sitting (Valdez) - back handspring step out - layout step out. Watch her beam here or below. UB - straddled Jaeger, Tkatchev, Ricna, and double front dismount.
Upgrades: Hofland is working a Khorkina (clear hip Shaposhnikova) on UB and a back tuck - Kotchetkova on BB.



Credit: Gymnastics Ontario
Madeline (Maddie) Gardiner
Accomplishments: 2nd BB, 4th UB, 5th AA, at 2012 Canadian Championships, 4th AA, 1st on beam, 5th on FX, 8th UB at 2012 Elite Canada, competed at 2010 Youth Olympic Games
Watch For: On BB, Maddie does an excellent double sit spin to an immediate split and a switch-leg side aerial on the balance beam.
Upgrades: Gardiner is recovering from broken wrists but is hoping to bring back her back handspring - layout stepout - back pike on beam that she competed when she was younger. Her next competition will be Gymnix. Watch her 2011 beam routine here.


Credit: Gymnastics Ontario
Mikaela Gerber
Accomplishments: 4th BB 2012 Canadian Championships, 4th FX, 5th BB, 7th AA at 2012 Elite Canada, 7th in AA, 2nd on FX at 2011 Pan Ams,
Watch For: Gerber is great on floor with excellent interpretation of her music and amazing flexibility (watch here). On beam, she does a front-aerial to immediate back tuck and she also has a lovely and interesting mount.
Upgrades: "I'm adding a 2/1 layout off bars, I've upgraded my leaps on floor, and I'm doing switch split-switch half-back tuck on beam."


Victoria-Kayen Woo, 1st year senior 2013 - Gym-Richileu
Accomplishments: 1st on UB, 2nd AA, 7th FX at 2012 Canadian Championships, 1st on UB, 2nd AA, 3rd on FX, 5th VT, 7th BB at 2012 Elite Canada, 9th place at Canadian Championships in 2011 (as a Junior)
Watch For: sky high Jaeger and nice double layout dismount on UB
Upgrades: "Right now I'm recovering from a hip injury. I've been working on Shaposh connected to shout on bars. But for the other events I'm working on getting back in shape."


Heaven Latimer, senior in 2014
Accomplishments: 1st FX, 2nd AA at 2013 Elite Canada, 1st FX, 8th AA at 2012 Canadian Championships, 5th BB, 9th AA at 2012 Elite Canada
Watch For: Her bhs-bhs-layout full on beam is incredibly high. On FX, she has a 5.6 D-score, comparable with the seniors, with a tucked double arabian, tucked full in, triple twist, and a front tuck through to double tuck. Her weakest even seems to be bars with a 4.9 D-score.
Watch her beam from Elite Canada here (especially if you haven't seen her bhs-bhs-1/1). Also, check out her difficult FX routine here or below:


Shallon Olsen, senior in 2016
Accomplishments: 1st VT & AA at 2013 Elite Canada, 1st AA, 2nd FX and BB, 3rd UB, at 2012 Canadian Nationals, 1st AA, FX and VT, 3rd UB, 8th BB at 2012 Elite Canada
Watch For: Shallon first popped on the scene as a 12 year old already vaulting a solid double twisting Yurchenko. On bars, she does a piked Jaeger and a full twisting double back dismount. She dismounts beam with a double pike. Her floor is very exciting with a piked full in, 1.5 through to double tuck, triple twist, and double pike. Before Elite Canada, she competed whips through to double tuck, and a double Y turn to an immediate double turn with foot at knee.
What her FX here or below:


Rose-Kaying Woo, senior in 2016 - Gym-Richileu
Accomplishments: 1st BB at 2013 Elite Canada; 1st BB, 2nd UB, 3rd AA at 2012 Canadian Championships, 1st on BB, 2nd on UB, 4th AA at 2012 Elite Canada
Watch For: Rose has 2 vaults - a very tidy Yurchenko full and a front handspring front pike (almost sticks it!). BB includes a back handspring-back pike (or pikey layout), and a switch split-split-wolf. On FX, she has a double arabian, super high double tuck, 2.5 twist, and double pike dismount.
Upgrades: On BB, Rose hopes to add a "double split ring" and a double pike dismount. She has also added a pak salto on uneven bars. Watch her FX from 2013 Elite Canada here or below:


On The Rise Series
Switzerland
Canada Part 1