Winnipeg Free Press

Gymnastics trio in Elite company

Wed Nov 22 2006

By Martin Zeilig

GEORGE DOUKLIAS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

Gabrielle May isn't making any predictions about how she'll do at the Dec. 7-11 Elite Canada Gymnastics

Competition in North York, Ont., but she's sure looking forward to it.

"The competition is a challenge and so much fun,'' said the grade eight student at Ecole Varennes,

a member of the Panthers Gymnastics Club. "I'm going to do my best at Elite Canada and hope to make it."

May trains five days a week for a total of 25 hours. "It's going really well,'' she said.

Her overall goal is to do the best she can and one day, "maybe," represent Canada at

the World Championships or Olympics.

Robert Persechino -- who along with his wife, Helene Desmarais, is a head coach at Panthers

-- noted that May's Panthers teammates, Melissa Clark and Leah Cuscito, also will be attending

the Elite Canada event.

He explained that every year, gymnasts in Canada have to "prove themselves" in a national competition

to remain at a high performance level. Persechino added that May and Cuscito were in the novice category

last year but, because they'll turn 13 before Dec. 31, have moved up to the junior category.

Clark will be competing in the novice category.

"The high performance level for any age category from novice up to senior is the highest level in Canada

that a gymnast can attain," said Persechino.

He pointed out that gymnastics training is available at various levels -- recreational, regional, provincial,

national and, finally, high performance.

"They can stay at the same level, but people with more ability and desire can go on," said Persechino.

He observed that May, Clark and Cuscito are all very different.

"Melissa is a go-getter, extremely good in competition. Everything is a challenge and she likes to overcome

those challenges. Gabrielle is more mature. She's a systematic worker. If she wants something, she works

hard at it," said Persechino, adding that May was crowned the 2006 Novice Champion at the Manitoba

Open 2006 Championships.

Cuscito, meanwhile, is "a rock."

"Whatever you ask her to do, she'll do those things," said Persechino, pointing out that it took more time

for Cuscito to get to the competitive level than May and Clark because she entered the sport "a bit later."

"All three girls are going to the Elite Canada with a positive attitude, and their chance of attaining the status

of high performance is quite good." He added that all high performance gymnasts become part of the national

team pool.

"The best at the senior level are picked to represent Canada at international meets. The juniors are training

to become national team members. They're becoming stronger physically and mentally, to hopefully, represent

Canada one day," said Persechino.

Persechino points out that that the International Gymnastics Federation came up with a ruling -- implemented

for the cycle of the 2004 Olympic Games -- stating that an athlete has to be 16 years old in an Olympic year to

represent her country.