By William Bailey
Emily Zhang from the host Kanata Rhythmic Sportive Gymnastics Club got to stand on the top step as many local athletes stormed the podium at the recent Ontario rhythmic gymnastics provincial championships qualifying meet.
All four local clubs had athletes finish on the all-around podium across 17 individual categories, divided by age and ability levels, during the competition held at the University of Ottawa from Mar. 22-24.
Zhang’s gold medal win came in the Level 6B division for ages 16+, powered by a decisive margin of victory in the clubs event. KRSG head coach Yuliana Korolyova says Zhang’s composure in the moment is what separates her from her competition.
“I think just the consistency and her overall focus helped her deliver,” she highlights. “Her personal coach has put in a lot of work and dedication over the years, so I think this was kind of a success in the making. It evolves slowly but surely, and it has finally gotten her at the senior level the gold medal.”
Fiona Tong also delivered a top result for the host club, with her silver medal finish in the 5C competition for ages 13-15. Tong was an Ontario championships bronze medallist in the B class last season, and she’s now moved up to the top C provincial level.
Korolyova has seen a lot of growth in Tong’s development as a gymnast.
“I think it’s really just a matter of her commitment,” she indicates. “It’s the regular training, it’s the regular inner-development, and all the work that Fiona’s family has put in, and also the coaches. I think all of that has something to do with her success.”
~~~~~~~~~ Advertisement ~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~ Advertisement ~~~~~~~~~
The competition served as the first of two qualifying events for the Ontario rhythmic gymnastics provincial championships, to be held June 14-16 in Markham.
Bronze medallist Alison Zhang of the Ottawa Rhythmic Gymnastics Club joined Emily Zhang on the Level 6B all-around podium, while Ottawa’s Claire Sun and Pirouette’s Megan Jia finished 1-2 in the 6A category, and Barrhaven’s Katelyn Situ took gold in 4A.
“I think the meet was a tremendous success,” Korolyova underlines. “A big thanks to all the volunteers and to such dedicated, committed families. The help that we had from them has made it such a big success.”
Roughly one-third of the 290 total entries hailed from local clubs. On top of the 17 individual divisions, groups and aesthetic gymnastics brought the total number of categories to 39.
The number of local athletes competing at the national level is in double-digits this season as well, led by Kanata senior high-performance division athletes Selena Pang and Keira Agnew, who are working towards the Canadian championships in late May.
Altogether, the variety of streams available is a key reason why the sport has gained good traction in Ottawa in recent years, signals Korolyova.
“I think it’s really about focusing on the purpose. Why are they coming to the gym? How can they be better everyday to develop something within themselves or accomplish something? This is what we emphasize in our club,” explains the KRSG coach of eight years, who fully took over the club’s lead role from founder Dasa Lelli when she retired in 2019.
“It’s not necessarily about gold medals, but about the journey of who they are becoming on the way to their own personal success,” Korolyova adds. “Gold medal or not, I think every one of them has a very successful experience.”