Elite Gym Massilia Begins Friday

The annual Elite Gym Massilia competition, featuring both juniors and seniors in contention for Open and Master all-around as well as event titles, is set to begin this Friday November 20 in Marseille, France.

Several top nations have pre-qualified to send gymnasts to the Master competition, including Russia, Romania, Italy, Canada, France, and Belgium. The Open division also boasts some top-notch juniors in addition to some lesser-known juniors and seniors (many sent by club gyms as well as those from national programs), and will include the return of Aleeza Yu of Canada, out of competition for the past year due to injuries sustained at the 2014 World Championships. Additionally, those gymnasts who compete well in the Open division can qualify into the Master competition, so look for that field to grow.

The most exciting competition should come from the four juniors who stole the show at the European Youth Olympic Festival this summer, Russia’s Angelina Melnikova and Daria Skrypnik as well as Belgium’s Nina Derwael and Axelle Klinckaert. With these four ladies, all of whom turn senior in January, now competing at the same level as highly experienced seniors – especially those on the Italian, French, and Romanian teams – it will be our first look at how they’ll stack up to the veterans going into the Olympic year. Derwael, a beautiful bar worker, has been training some excellent upgrades there, including a take on the Tweddle but from a stalder entry!

A full list of competitors is below. The Gymternet will have a reporter on scene in Marseille with a full report coming after the weekend, and we’ll also be posting videos as they become available.

Edit: Some Canadians, possibly from one of the clubs listed in the Open division, will reportedly not attend due to the attacks that occurred in Paris last week. Tea Ugrin, initially listed to compete with Italy, has backed out due to injury. She was replaced by Francesca Linari.

Master Competitors

Belgium Senna Deriks Nina Derwael Axelle Klinckaert Julie Meyers	Canada TBA
France Marine Brevet Loan His Claire Martin Louise Vanhille	Italy Francesca Linari Martina Maggio Enus Mariani Elisa Meneghini
Romania Diana Bulimar Andreea Ciurusniuc Maria Holbura Laura Jurca	Russia Natalia Kapitonova Angelina Melnikova Evgenia Shelgunova Daria Skrypnik

Open Competitors

Australia Alexandra Eade Eliza Freeman	Belgium Maellyse Brassard Oriane Jungers Chloe Leblicq Myrthe Potoms ~~Vanina Vallee~~
Canada Jade Chrobok Haley de Jong Victoria Jurca Shallon Olsen Ana Padurariu Meixi Semple Laurie-Lou Vezina Aleeza Yu	France Clara Beugnon Juliette Bossu Marine Boyer Grace Charpy Lorette Charpy Coline Devillard Alisson Lapp Oreane Lechenault Alison Lepin Lea Marques Morgane Osyssek Oceane Pause
Pole France de Marseille Ines Ben Rhouma Camille Caruana Soyfa Cazalis Pauline Grac Gaelle Mahe Fiona Oke	ASCM Toulon Alisee Aicardi Melina Damianthe Emilie Lartin Alison Truchard
AG Le Mans Alba Asencio Sarah Coll Raquel Gil Marina Gonzalez Berta Miarons Florence Nang Laia Nohgue Ivet Ribo Malak Sakr Shaed Sakr Claudia Salat Violeta Sanchez Roser Senmarti Maria Serrano	Bretagne Gym Alice Bellanger Jade Bouffard Maelle Dumitru Marin Loeza Floch Chloe Tertrais
CIR Sud Ouest Mey Lyn Anton Clemence Behier Romane Cabrol Cecilia Flouchip	Dunkerque Gym Myriam el Koucho Romane Fontaine Manon Strosberg
GP Aix Elisa Bianchini Justine Jolet Marine Lebaux Lena Stockhausen	Saint Lo Gym Adelaide Challes Agathe Deshayes Loicia Porte Melissande Simonin
UGSP Valence Carmela Chopard Nina Dumay Joana Garagnon Maria Strisca Alise Tizon	Tittmoning (Germany) Claudia Colom Sonja Fischer Linda Hamersak Leonie Reichenbach
CAV Sarsfield (Argentina) Camilla Sofia Bonzo Tamara Casco Valentina Contreras Agustina Pisos Mayra Vaquie	Viagym (Canada) Marjory Bastien Emilie Dumont Elly Gilbert
Bluewater (Canada) Amy Bladon Jovie Richardson Rachael Riley	Gemini (Canada) Myrelle Morin Megan Phillips Paulina Vedenin
Silvya’s (United States) Jessica Hutchinson Kendall Whitman	Funtastic (Netherlands) Olessya Dadema

On Friday November 20, competition kicks off with the Espoirs (age 9-12) at 10 am followed by the international elite Open Massilia at 1 pm. The Master Massilia competition will be held Saturday November 21 at 4 pm and event finals are set to take place Sunday November 22 at 3 pm. All times are local to Marseille, which is six hours ahead of EST. Results should be available here following each competition.

Article by Lauren Hopkins