© Diane Bidermann
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., June 08, 2010 – Three gymnasts from North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center in Glenview, Ill., are among the seven U.S. gymnasts who will face gymnasts from 11 countries in the 2010 Chicago Cup at the Broadway Armory Park on June 26-27, 2010. The Chicago Cup will consist of a junior and senior all-around and individual event competition, along with a group exhibition. The Rhythmic Junior Olympic Optional Championships and Level 10 Invitational will be held June 23-26 in conjunction with the Chicago Cup.
The U.S. Team for the Chicago Cup consists of seniors JoAnna Arnold of Northville, Mich./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center; Shelby Kisiel of Houston, Texas/North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center; Olga Pavlenko of Brooklyn, N.Y./Isadora Rhythmics; Anastasia Torba of Orinda, Calif./Allegro Rhythmic; and Julie Zetlin of Bethesda, Md./Rhythmflex. The two juniors are Rebecca Sereda of Staten Island, N.Y./Lido Isadora Sports School, and Jazzy Kerber of Highland Park, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center.
In addition to the USA, the countries expected to compete are Canada, Chile, Ecuador, Finland, Germany, Guatemala, Mexico, Russia, Slovenia, Thailand and Venezuela. Russia’s Ellina Tregubova is returning to defend her 2009 Chicago Cup all-around title, and Mexico is sending Rut Castillo, who was a silver and bronze medalist at the 2007 Pan American Games.
For the United States, Zetlin was second in the all-around, rope and ribbon at the 2009 Chicago Cup, and earlier this year, she won the all-around, rope and hoop titles at the Rhythmic Challenge. Torba was second in the all-around, rope, hoop and ball at the 2010 Rhythmic Challenge. Kisiel won the ribbon crown at the 2010 Rhythmic Challenge. Pavlenko competed as a junior in 2009, where she finished first in rope and second in the all-around at the 2009 Visa Championships.
For the juniors, Sereda is the defending Chicago Cup all-around, rope and hoop champion, and later in 2009, she won the all-around, rope, hoop and ball crowns at the Junior Pan American Championships. She also swept the junior titles at the 2010 Rhythmic Challenge, in addition to winning the all-around, hoop, ball and clubs gold medals at the 2009 Visa Championships. Kerber was third in the all-around, rope, ball and clubs at the 2009 Chicago Cup. Earlier this year, she was second in the all-around, hoop and ball at both the Opal Cup and Rhythmic Challenge.
As part of the Chicago Level 10 Invitational, four gymnasts will vie for the USA’s berth to the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in August: Megan Kincaid of Los Angeles/California Rhythms, Polina Kozitskiy of Fountainville, Pa./Philadelphia Rhythmic Academy, Alexis Page and Amanda Tran of Shoreline, Wash./Kortel Academy of Gymnastics.
The first day of the Chicago Cup determines the all-around champion, which is the gymnast with the highest aggregate score after four events, as well as the top eight gymnasts who advance to the individual event finals.
The apparatus for the Chicago Cup are: senior – rope, hoop, ball and ribbon; and junior – rope, hoop, ball and clubs. The all-around competition includes routines with all four apparatus. Individual event finals feature qualified gymnasts competing with each apparatus for a score. In rhythmic gymnastics routines, the athlete coordinates very difficult body movements with each apparatus in synch with the music, which requires strength, power, flexibility, agility, dexterity and endurance. The group discipline combines those skills in a choreographed routine with five group members.
USA Gymnastics is partnering with World Sport Chicago to bring the Chicago Cup back to the Windy City. The two organizations worked together on the 2009 Tyson American Cup and Chicago Cup, which were held in the Chicago area as part of World Sport Chicago’s outreach in conjunction with the city’s bid for the 2016 Olympic Games.
Individual session tickets for the Chicago Cup are $20 for June 26 and 27. An all-session ticket, which provides access to all Chicago Cup and Junior Olympic Championships sessions, is available for $45. Tickets may be purchased through participating local gymnastics clubs or online at www.usa-gymnastics.org/chicagocup. Visa is the preferred method of payment.
Rhythmic Gymnastics Junior Olympic Optional Championships
The U.S. Rhythmic Gymnastics Junior Olympic Optional Championships, which showcases the country’s best Level 7-9 gymnasts, and the Level 10 Invitational will be held in conjunction with the Chicago Cup. The Junior Olympic Championships spans five days, with competition at the Broadway Armory. For the complete competition schedule, go to www.usa-gymnastics.org/chicagocup. Junior Olympic tickets are $10 and may be purchased onsite.
Background information World Sport Chicago: World Sport Chicago believes that sport has the power to transform and is dedicated to helping children in Chicago find a sport to meet their interests and abilities. The organization is a legacy of the 2016 Olympic bid and promotes the Olympic ideals of fitness, education and well being by working with partner organizations to launch or expand sport programs for kids. WSC is working to introduce Chicago’s youth to the fun and benefit of sports and the ideals of fair play, teamwork, respect and leadership.