SOFIA, Bulgaria, Nov. 7, 2013 – Logan Dooley of Lake Forest, Calif./World Elite Gymnastics, and Charlotte Drury of Laguna Niguel, Calif./World Elite Gymnastics, lead a quartet of Americans who qualified to the trampoline semifinals today at the 2013 World Trampoline and Tumbling Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. Steven Gluckstein of Atlantic Highlands, N.J./ETA, and Shaylee Dunavin of Amarillo, Texas/All-American will join Dooley and Drury in the semifinals.

Competition continues tomorrow with qualification for men’s and women’s double mini-trampoline, tumbling, and synchronized trampoline (9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Sofia/2:30 a.m.-11 a.m. ET), and team finals for men’s and women’s trampoline (7 p.m. Sofia/12 p.m. ET).

The semifinals for individual trampoline features the top 24 competitors with no more than three per country based on the results from today’s qualification round. The men compete Saturday, while the women take center stage on Sunday as the competition concludes.

Earlier in the day, Dooley posted a 47.785 for his compulsory exercise and a 55.430 in his optional routine for a combined 103.215, which led the first group. Gluckstein earned a total of 102.775, behind scores of 46.790 and 55.985. Alexi Shostak of Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express, and Jeffrey Gluckstein of Atlantic Highlands, N.J./ETA, also competed.

Drury posted scores of 45.450 and 51.540 for a total of 96.990. Shaylee Dunavin of Amarillo, Texas/All-American, posted a 93.925 total. Deana Parris of Burtonsville, Md./Fairland Gymnastics, and Hayley Butcher of St. John, Ind./Midwest Training and Ice Center, finished with scores of 92.180 and 91.080, respectively.

The rest of the World Championships’ competition schedule is:

  • Nov. 8 – qualification for men’s and women’s double mini-trampoline, tumbling, and synchronized trampoline (9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Sofia/2:30 a.m.-11 a.m. ET), and team finals for men’s and women’s trampoline (7 p.m. Sofia/12 p.m. ET);
  • Nov. 9 – semifinals and finals for men’s trampoline (2:30 p.m. Sofia/7:30 a.m. ET, and 8 p.m. Sofia/1 p.m. ET), team finals for men’s and women’s double mini-trampoline and tumbling (5 p.m. Sofia/10 a.m. ET), and finals for women’s synchronized trampoline (7:30 p.m. Sofia/12:30 p.m. ET);
  • Nov. 10 – semifinals and finals for women’s trampoline (1:30 p.m. Sofia/6:30 a.m. ET, and 6:30 p.m. Sofia/11:30 a.m. ET), and finals for men’s and women’s double-mini and tumbling, and men’s synchronized trampoline (3:30 p.m. Sofia/8:30 a.m. ET).

USA Gymnastics will have coverage, photos and videos from Sofia on usagym.org, Facebook and YouTube. Additional information is available on the International Gymnastics Federation’s microsite, sofia2013.fig-gymnastics.com.

Trampoline events involve athletes using trampolines that can propel them up to 30 feet in the air, during which they can perform double and triple twisting somersaults. Tumbling utilizes elevated rod-floor runways that enable athletes to jump at heights more than 10 feet and execute a variety of acrobatic maneuvers. For the double-mini competition, the athlete makes a short run, leaps onto a small two-level trampoline, performs an aerial maneuver and dismounts onto a landing mat. Trampoline was added to the Olympic Games in 2000, and at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, the USA had its first athlete in history advance to the finals.