INDIANAPOLIS – Sports Acrobatics stars Arthur Davis and Shenea Booth successfully defended their mixed pair world title by winning the mixed pair final at the 2004 Sports Acrobatics World Championships on May 23 in Liévin, France.

Davis and Booth, of Empire Acrogymnastics in Riverside, Calif., became the first U.S. Sports Acro world champions by tying the Russians for gold in the mixed pairs event at the 2002 Worlds in Riesa, Germany. In 2004, Davis and Booth separated from the pack to become the first acro athletes to repeat as world champions for the United States.

Davis and Booth scored a 20.64 to hold off Russia’s top pair of Revaz Gurgenidze and Anna Katchalova at 20.21. Ukraine’s Marina Chevchuk and Sergei Pelepets finished a distant third at 18.000.
The U.S. Women’s Trio of Samantha Schabow, Danielle Heider and Jennifer daSilva, also of Empire Acrogymnastics in Riverside, won the bronze medal the women’s trio event, marking the first U.S. medal in women’s trio at a World Championships.
Schabow, Heider and daSilva scored a 19.63 to trail only Russia and Australia. The trio qualified for the final in fourth place, but was able to pass Ukraine’s Alla Basiuk, Olexandra Borkovenko and Larisa Semeniuk in the final.
A total of 27 countries competed in the 19th Sports Acrobatics World Championships were conducted at the The Regional Covered Stadium in Liévin, France. The event was conducted in conjunction with the Sports Acro World Age Group Games.
USA’s Clare Brunson and Kristopher Duncan (Riverside, Calif./Empire) scored a 16.000 for silver in 12-19 Mixed Pair. The U.S. also earned a silver medal from the 12-19 Women’s Trio of Alanna Weisberg, Tami Annonson and Lindsey Zupancie (Sacramento, Calif./CAT).
Sports Acrobatics combines the beauty of dance with the strength and agility of acrobatics. Gymnastics skills add excitement to the exercises, while intense acrobatic balances show grace, strength and flexibility. Routines are choreographed to music and consist of dance, tumbling, and partner skills. Each pair or group performs a Balance, Tempo and Combined routine. Pyramids and partner holds characterize the Balance routine, while synchronized tumbling and dynamic flight elements define the Tempo exercise. Finally, the Combined exercise unites elements of Balance and Tempo.