5 Routines To Rewatch From The 2019 Elite Canada Rhythmic Competition

FloGymnastics highlights the top routines from the 2019 Elite Canada Rhythmic Gymnastics competition, including from the all-around winner Katherine Uchida.

Feb 19, 2019 by Miranda Martin

5 Routines To Rewatch From The 2019 Elite Canada Rhythmic Competition

The 2019 Elite Canada Rhythmic Competition aired this past weekend on FloGymnastics, and it was a huge competition for the gymnasts involved, as those who won will go on to compete at the Canadian Championships. Gymnasts competed in the novice, junior and senior categories, and top gymnasts in the country fought hard for their titles. Hosted by Rhythmic Gymnastics Alberta at the Genesis Centre in Calgary, Alberta, this annual event never disappoints.

On Friday, Feb. 15, we saw juniors compete rope and ball, seniors do hoop and ball and Novices compete free and rope, as well as all groups’ first performance. Saturday brought us junior clubs and ribbon, senior clubs and ribbon, novice ball and clubs and all groups’ second performance. On Sunday, juniors and seniors competed in all-around and event finals, and all groups did first performance in group finals, with juniors and seniors doing second performance as well.

Here are five performances that are worth a second look, whether you missed the competition initially or just wanted another glance at some of these amazing routines.

1. Katherine Uchida

Taking first all-around in Senior B with a 66.850, Uchida had a few performances that were worth looking back on. Uchida swept this competition, taking first on ribbon and clubs, second on hoop and third on ball. A special routine to look back on for this gymnast would be her club routine, as she has greatly improved on that apparatus over time. Her score at this competition is not only her highest clubs score of 2019, but her highest clubs score in awhile, as she has scored as low as a 10 and an average of about 14 or so in past years, and this weekend nailed an 18.750. She also improved her hoop score in this competition, although her scores on ball and ribbon dropped a bit since her last competition. On ribbon, she has still greatly improved since 2018, where she finished the year with a score a little under 12 and hit a high 14.500 in this competition.

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2. Sophie Crane

Taking second all-around in Senior B with a 63.750, Crane came out with first on hoop, scoring a well-deserved 18.200. This routine is certainly one to look back on, although all of Sophie’s performances from this competition were good. She also took first on ball, scoring a 17.350, and second on ribbon with a 14.450. Although hoop has always been an event she is strong in, her score went up drastically in this competition since her last one this season, and she has gained a full point from where she began her season on this event. We love the pure emotion and energy in this routine, especially near the end, when she nearly drops the hoop and saves it, nailing a near-perfect routine.

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3. Natalie Garcia

Garcia, a senior this year, had an incredible showing at this meet in general, but especially on ball, which is usually a good event for her. Although her score was actually lower than some of her previous scores on this event earlier this season, she still managed to do well, scoring a 16.600 and taking third on the event. She also placed second on hoop and ribbon, as well as third on clubs. Garcia looks exceptionally elegant on the floor, with long lines that make her skills look graceful and controlled. A senior from Mississauga Newnorth RGC, she will be someone to watch in upcoming competitions.

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4. Michel Vivier

Competing in Junior B, Vivier took first on ribbon in her age category with a 14.700. After a difficulty of 7.700, execution of 7.050 and deductions of 0.05, she claimed first place, well above second place’s 13.600. Vivier also took first on the other three events, with a 15.900 on rope, 15.900 on ball and 16.900 on clubs. She shows incredible balance and precision within her ribbon performance, making it one to look back on. Although all four of her events were impressive this meet, this was one place she improved since her last competition and significantly improved since last season. Her ending is especially dramatic, speeding up into an impressive finish.

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5. Suzanna Shahbazian

From Questo RG, this junior took first in her age division for her rope performance, scoring a 15.050 after a difficulty of 7.400 and execution of 7.650. Although she looked a bit nervous as she stepped onto the floor, she quickly calmed her nerves and gave a solid performance, other than a very small misstep in the middle. Shahbazian recovers so quickly, those who are unfamiliar with the event may not even notice she faltered. Compared to a performance at the beginning of the weekend where she dropped the rope, this routine was a great improvement. She also placed second on clubs with a 14.450, third on ribbon with an 11.800 and fifth on ball with a 13.300, giving her a 54.600 all-around score. Her rope score is steadily improving this season, from an early competition being as low as a 10, to this competition’s 15.050. This score was even a huge upgrade from her last, which was barely over a 12. As many juniors and seniors have made huge strides in this competition, it will be interesting to see where the rest of this season takes them.

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Miranda Martin is a freelance writer who writes about gymnastics, social justice issues, and more. You can follow her on Twitter, Instagram, or contact her through her website.