Chris Estrada is one of 14 gymnasts representing the USA in the 2007 World Cup USA in Lake Placid, N.Y.
© J.A. Garcia

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., March 28, 2007 — All seven reigning men’s and women’s trampoline, synchronized trampoline and tumbling world gold medalists are expected to participate in the World Cup USA, April 1-2, at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, N.Y. In addition, 2004 Olympic trampoline gold-medalist Yuri Nikitin of the Ukraine and 2000 Olympic trampoline champion Irina Karavaeva of Russia highlight the field of 137 trampoline and tumbling gymnasts from 21 countries, which includes the 14 members of the U.S. Team announced last week.

 

“U.S. fans will truly have the chance to see the world’s best trampoline and tumbling gymnasts at the World Cup in Lake Placid this weekend,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. “We are looking forward to two great days of competition that will bring out the best in all the gymnasts.”

Admission to the World Cup USA is free for both days of competition.

The current world champions are: Karavaeva, women’s trampoline and synchronized trampoline; Russia’s Alexander Rusakov, men’s trampoline; Belarus’ Nikolai Kazak and Vladimir Kakorko, men’s synchronized trampoline; Russia’s Natalia Chernova, women’s synchronized trampoline; China’s Wang Jiexu, men’s tumbling; and Russia’s Anna Korobeynikova, women’s tumbling. Canada’s Karen Cockburn and Germany’s Henrik Stehlik were the 2003 world champions in women’s and men’s trampoline, respectively.

In addition to Nikitin and Karavaeva, the field includes four other Olympic trampoline medalists: Cockburn, 2004 women’s silver medalist and 2000 bronze medalist; Ji Wallace of Australia, 2000 men’s silver medalist; Huang Shanshan of China, 2004 women’s bronze medalist; and Stehlik, 2004 men’s bronze medalist.

Five 2006 U.S. champions are competing on the U.S. Team for the World Cup USA. Highlighted by 2006 U.S. trampoline and synchronized trampoline champion Chris Estrada of Lafayette, La., the reigning U.S. champions on the squad are: Kalon Ludvigson of Cedar Lake, Ind., men’s tumbling and double mini-trampoline; Amanda Bailey of Sundown, Texas, women’s synchronized trampoline; Erin Blanchard of Lafayette, La., women’s trampoline and synchronized trampoline; and Leanne Seitzinger of Stafford, Va., women’s tumbling. Also scheduled to compete is eight-time U.S. trampoline champion Ryan Weston of Chubbuck, Idaho.

Hosted by the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA), the World Cup USA is the first event in the 2007-08 World Cup series and counts toward qualification for the 2008 World Cup Final. The competition format consists of three events: the Olympic discipline of trampoline, synchronized trampoline and tumbling. The qualification round for all events is on April 1 at 10 a.m., and the final round is on April 2 at 5 p.m.

“We appreciate the chance to work with USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid,” said ORDA Director of Events Jim Goff. “This is a wonderful opportunity for us to host a completely new competition. We’ll have an excellent lineup of Olympic gold medalists and World Champions, many of them headed to the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Once again we can say that the road to the Games runs through Lake Placid.”

Karavaeva is an eight-time world champion with four individual trampoline titles, three team trampoline crowns and one synchronized trampoline title. She also has won two world silver medals and a world bronze medal. She has claimed the World Cup trampoline title four times (1997, 1999, 2002, 2004) and the World Cup synchronized title twice (1997, 2004). Most recently, Karavaeva finished sixth in the 2006 World Cup Final.

In addition to his Olympic title, Nikitin won a trampoline team world bronze medal in 2003 and synchronized trampoline bronze medals in 1994 and 2003. In 2004, he claimed the European individual and synchronized trampoline titles, and placed first in trampoline at the World Cup Final.

Cockburn is the reigning World Cup individual and synchronized trampoline champion. She won her ninth career Canadian trampoline title in 2006 and garnered a silver medal in synchronized trampoline at the 2005 World Championships.

The reigning tumbling world champion, Korobeynikova placed second at the 2006 World Cup Final after winning two consecutive titles in 2002 and 2004. She won a bronze medal at the 2003 World Championships and won silver at the 2004 European Championships. In addition to his 2005 world tumbling crown, Wang won the World Cup Final in 2006.

This year’s competition is the first time Lake Placid has hosted a trampoline and tumbling World Cup and the first in the United States since 2002 when the event was in Greensboro, N.C.

About the Olympic Regional Development Authority

ORDA, headquartered in Lake Placid, N.Y., was created by the New York State legislature in 1981. It manages, promotes, maintains and updates the venues that were used in the 1980 Olympic Winter Games. ORDA and Lake Placid offer venues that are used by the best winter athletes for training and competition, as well as for the enjoyment of recreational users. The sites offer the activities of skiing, snowboarding, cross country skiing and snow shoeing, bobsled, luge, skeleton, hockey, figure skating, speed skating, ski jumping, Nordic combined, biathlon, aerials skiing, mogul skiing and mountain biking.

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Field for 2007 World Cup USA

 Listed alphabetically by country

 Australia

Scott Brown, men’s trampoline, synchronized trampoline

 

Ji Wallace, men’s trampoline, synchronized tr