2000 Olympian Jennifer Parilla Expected to Compete For release – April 18, 2001
Indianapolis – The 2001 Trampoline and Tumbling National Championships are scheduled for June 8-9, at the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio and will name National Champions in each discipline and the 2001 World Championships Team. Events that will be contested include trampoline, synchronized trampoline, power tumbling and double-mini trampoline.
“USA Gymnastics looks forward to hosting a very successful event in San Antonio,” said Bob Colarossi, President of USA Gymnastics. “The National Championships are an important chance for our athletes to showcase their skills in this new Olympic quadrennium and prove that they are on track for the upcoming World Championships.”
“High profile events such as the 2001 Trampoline and Tumbling National Championships continue to build San Antonio’s reputation for hosting amateur sporting events in the sports center of the Americas,” said Susan Blackwood, Executive Director of the San Antonio Sports Foundation.
Among the athletes scheduled to compete are 2000 Olympian Jennifer Parilla (Lake Forest, Calif,) and 2000 Olympic alternate Ryan Weston (Chubbock, Idaho). Parilla was the first trampolinist to represent the U.S. at an Olympic Games, as 2000 marked the inaugural year for trampoline as an Olympic sport. Weston is a four-time trampoline national champion. Also highlighting the line-up are defending Tumbling National Champions Randy Direen (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Amanda Lentz (Seminole, Texas). Lentz recently won the 2000 Tumbling World Cup.
The 2001 Trampoline and Tumbling National Championships are the final of three Team Trials to select the U.S. Team that will represent USA Gymnastics at the World Championships, July 26-28 in Odense, Denmark. The U.S. will select four men and four women in each discipline, and one pair of men and women in synchronized trampoline.
Competition Schedule
Friday, June 8
9:00-1:30 p.m. – Junior Elite Preliminaries
3:00-7:30 p.m. – Senior Elite Preliminaries
9:00-1:30 p.m. – Junior Elite Preliminaries
3:00-7:30 p.m. – Senior Elite Preliminaries
Saturday, June 9
12:00-3:00 p.m. – Junior Elite Finals
6:00-8:00 p.m. – Senior Elite Finals
Tickets are available for $10 at the door. Children six and under are free.
Trampoline and Tumnbling Events
TRAMPOLINE
Trampoline routines are performed on 7’x 14′ web or string beds that can propel the gymnast up to 30 feet in the air. A competitor takes as many preliminary bounces as necessary for height and control, before beginning the first of 10 skills in a routine. Two routines are performed, a compulsory and a voluntary. The compulsory routine must include four required elements, plus six other skills chosen by the athlete. The second routine is a 10-skill voluntary, made up of single, double or triple somersaults with multiple twists. No skill may be repeated within either routine. A successful routine will show consistency of height, proper technique and a minimum deviation from the center of the bed. The routine must end under control in an upright position. After the last skill, the competitor is allowed to do one more jump in a stretched position (outbounce).
Trampoline routines are performed on 7’x 14′ web or string beds that can propel the gymnast up to 30 feet in the air. A competitor takes as many preliminary bounces as necessary for height and control, before beginning the first of 10 skills in a routine. Two routines are performed, a compulsory and a voluntary. The compulsory routine must include four required elements, plus six other skills chosen by the athlete. The second routine is a 10-skill voluntary, made up of single, double or triple somersaults with multiple twists. No skill may be repeated within either routine. A successful routine will show consistency of height, proper technique and a minimum deviation from the center of the bed. The routine must end under control in an upright position. After the last skill, the competitor is allowed to do one more jump in a stretched position (outbounce).
SYNCHRONIZED TRAMPOLINE
Synchronized trampoline demands the same athletic skill as individual trampoline, while adding the element of precision timing. Athletes perform two routines, a compulsory and a voluntary. Using two trampolines, two athletes perform identical 10-skill routines at the same time. In this most artistic event, each performs a mirror image of the other, doubling the visual beauty of the competition. The goal is to have both trampolinists in total synchronization of skills, height and form.
POWER TUMBLING
Power Tumbling is performed on a 6’x 88′ platform made of fiberglass rods and covered with approximately 3″ of carpeted foam. Tumblers can propel themselves higher than a basketball goal, demonstrating speed, strength and skill, while executing a series of acrobatic maneuvers. Explosive somersaults with multiple flips and twists will be performed by the top-level contenders. Athletes perform two eight-skill routines. The first routine focuses on somersaulting with no more than ½ twist allowed. The second routine requires athletes to show their twisting skills. One eight-skill voluntary routine is performed in finals. A high-scoring routine is characterized by continuous, speedy, rhythmic hands-to-feet, and feet-to-feet rotational jumping skills, without hesitation or intermediate steps. The routine should show good control, form, execution and maintenance of tempo.
DOUBLE MINI-TRAMPOLINE
Double Mini-Trampoline is a relatively new sport which combines the horizontal run of tumbling with the vertical rebound of trampoline. After a short run, the athlete jumps onto a small, two-level trampoline to perform a rebounding skill, immediately followed by a dismount element onto a landing mat. Competitors perform two two-skill voluntary routines in preliminaries and two two-skill voluntary routines in finals. No skill may be repeated. A good routine will show height, multiple flips and twists and a landing with no extra steps.