Canadians face stiff challenge from Chinese world champions at Canada Cup trampoline and tumbling meet
Posted Monday, July 12, 2010

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. -- Three-time Olympic medal winner Karen Cockburn and teammate Rosannagh MacLennan, both of Toronto, lead Canada’s trampoline team against some tough international competition at the Canada Cup July 15-17  in Mississauga, Ont.

With five-time Canadian champion Jason Burnett out with broken leg, the pressure will be on Cockburn and MacLennan to challenge a strong Chinese team for medals in both the women’s individual events and in the synchro competition.

At past Canada Cup meets, Cockburn and MacLennan have routinely walked off with the top honours, but this year’s competition, includes 2009 world synchro champions Li Dan and Zhong Xingping of China, who edged the Canadian pair for gold at last year’s world championships in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The clear favourites in the men’s trampoline in both the individual and synchro events are world champion Dong Dong of China and his teammate Tu Xiao, winner of the men’s title at the Chinese national championships earlier this year.

Without Burnett in the lineup, Canada’s top threat in the men’s event is Charles Thibault of Quebec City, who is having his best year so far on the World Cup circuit with two medals in synchro and his first top-eight finish in individual competition at a World Cup in Belgium.

The Canada Cup opened to international competitors for the first time last year with MacLennan taking the women’s individual trampoline title and Yasuhiro Ueyama of Japan taking the men’s crown.

In addition to the Chinese team, this year’s Canada Cup also includes strong teams from Germany, Great Britain and Japan.

The Canada Cup also includes age group competitions for younger competitors, including rising stars such as Mariah Madigan of Toronto and Curtis Gerein of Kelowna. B.C.

Madigan and Gerein will represent Canada at the first-ever Youth Olympics next month in Singapore.