The U.S. Team

The elite sessions at the annual International Gymnix begin tomorrow with the reintroduction of the Senior Cup, and it’s going to be a great match with members of several world championships teams from around the world expected to compete.

2018 world champion Kara Eaker headlines the team from the United States, which also features Alyona Shchennikova alongside newcomers Sloane Blakely and Aleah Finnegan, both of whom were added to the national team at the most recent camp. I love seeing some unexpected and inexperienced athletes in the mix here, especially as it’ll be great to watch how they stack up against some top international athletes, and I’m also looking forward to seeing some insanely gorgeous beam routines from a team tremendously talented on the event.

For Canada, the 2018 world silver medalist on beam, Ana Padurariu, leads one of three teams sent by the federation, competing alongside two-time world championships team member Victoria-Kayen Woo, 2018 Commonwealth Games champion Jade Chrobok, and 2018 Pac Rims bars champion Haley de Jong.

The second Canadian team is headed by 2016 Olympians Isabela Onyshko and Rose-Kaying Woo, both of whom returned from injury at Elite Canada last month and are looking to make improvements, with 2018 worlds alternate Laurie Denommée and first-year senior Mia St-Pierre also on the roster, and 2018 Youth Olympic Games vault medalist Emma Spence leads a young third team that will also feature fellow first-year seniors Lucia Jakab, Imogen Paterson, and Quinn Skrupa.

Australia and Belgium are also sending a mix of veterans and fresh faces, with Emma Nedov leading the Australians while two-time world championships competitor Maellyse Brassart will take the reigns with three of the country’s best new seniors under her command. Japan also has a senior team here, with a few young B-team kids being tested just like at Jesolo last week.

In the Junior Cup, held on Saturday, the U.S. will be the one to beat even as a team of newcomers, with Skye Blakely, Olivia Greaves, Lilly Lippeatt, and Kaylen Morgan all on the roster, though I’m giving the all-around edge to the reigning champion who trains at the host club, Zoé Allaire-Bourgie, who had a dominant year in 2018 and will be one to keep an eye on as a major Olympic team threat.

Also sending junior teams are Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, and Japan, and while the U.S. and Canada will be the ones to beat here, the Belgian team is nearly the same exact squad we saw in Jesolo last week, so expect them to do well here.

While the senior and junior cups are open only to federations wishing to send teams, the Challenge competition has open registration, and will feature some exciting entrants as well. Several U.S. gymnasts will compete in this field, including fan favorites Sienna Robinson and Emily Lee, both attending with their gyms, while the Australian federation has a couple of top names on the list, and a ton of Canadian clubs are represented as well, with Dynamo’s gymnasts – juniors Leah Tindale and Alexa Tucker alongside senior Jessica Dowling – always exciting, while some senior standouts include Audrey Rousseau and Laurie-Lou Vézina.

A full list of competitors is below. The Gymternet will be covering Gymnix live from Montreal with live blogs on our site as well as photos and videos across our social media channels.

Article by Lauren Hopkins