Trampolining and Tumbling Coming to Colorado

Headlining the field of 277 athletes competing in trampoline and tumbling's 2015 U.S. Elite Challenge, scheduled for April 24-26 at U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., are: 2014 World double mini-trampoline champion Erin Jauch of Crystal Lake, Ill./Fox Valley Tumbling & Trampoline; 2012 Olympian Steven Gluckstein of Atlantic Highlands, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy; 2014 U.S. trampoline champions Charlotte Drury of Laguna Niguel, Calif./World Elite Gymnastics, and Jeffrey Gluckstein of Atlantic Highlands, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy; World double-mini medalists Austin White of Newport Coast, Calif./World Elite Gymnastics (silver), and Austin Nacey of Braidwood, Ill./Twiststars (bronze); and five-time U.S. women’s tumbling champion Yuliya Stankevich-Brown of Idaho Falls, Idaho/Idaho Elite Gymnastics. The three-day event showcases the USA's best in men's and women's trampoline, tumbling, synchronized trampoline and double mini-trampoline.  The two men and two women who will compete in trampoline at the 2015 Pan American Games, pending approval by the U.S. Olympic Committee, will be determined at the conclusion of the Elite Challenge.

To be considered for the Pan Am Games Team, eligible senior trampoline athletes have two ways to qualify for the Pan Am Games athlete pool: already earned minimum scores (46.000 for compulsory and a 54.000 for optional routines, men; 44.000 for compulsory and 50.000 for optional routines, women) at one of three events prior to the Elite Challenge; or earn at least the minimum score noted above for the compulsory routine and the optional routines in the preliminary and final rounds. The gymnasts who have already met the minimum scoring criteria are: 2014 Youth Olympian Nicole Ahsinger of San Diego/So Cal TTC; 2008 and 2012 Olympic alternate Logan Dooley of Lake Forest, Calif./World Elite Gymnastics; Jeffrey Gluckstein; and Aliaksei Shostak of Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express. The Pan Am Games team will be determined either by performances at the Elite Challenge and/or through the Selection Committee.  The four athletes will be announced on April 25.  For the complete, official selection procedures, go to https://www.usagym.org/PDFs/Pressbox/Selection%20Procedures/t_15panamgames.pdf.

In addition to the junior and senior elite levels, the U.S. Elite Challenge also includes athletes competing in Level 10 and Elite Youth and Open Junior levels.  The junior and senior elite competition schedule is highlighted below, but the competition sessions for all levels runs from 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m., 12:30-5:30 p.m. and 6:30-9:15 p.m. on April 24; 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and 4:30-7 p.m. on April 25; and 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. on April 26. All times listed are Mountain Time. The complete competition schedule is available at usagym.org/pages/tt/events/2015/elitechallenge.html. 

The roster for the senior elite field is listed below, and the junior and senior elite competition schedule is as follows.

April 24

9:30-11 a.m.               Junior men’s trampoline and junior men’s and women’s double mini-trampoline preliminaries

12:30-3 p.m.               Senior men’s and women’s trampoline and double-mini, and junior and senior men’s tumbling prelims

6:30-7:15 p.m.           Senior men’s and senior and junior women’s synchronized trampoline prelims and finals

April 25

10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.   Junior and senior women’s tumbling and junior women’s trampoline prelims

4:30-6:10 p.m.           Junior and senior men’s and women’s trampoline and tumbling; junior and senior men’s and senior women’s double-mini finals

April 26

9:30 a.m.                     Junior women’s double-mini final

Available at the door, all-session passes, which allow access to every session on all three days, are $25 for adults and $10 for children.

Trampoline events involve athletes using trampolines that can propel them up to 30 feet in the air, during which they can perform double and triple twisting somersaults. Tumbling utilizes elevated rod-floor runways that enable athletes to jump at heights more than 10 feet and execute a variety of acrobatic maneuvers. For the double-mini competition, the athlete makes a short run, leaps onto a small two-level trampoline, performs an aerial maneuver and dismounts onto a landing mat. Synchronized trampoline demands the same athletic skill as individual trampoline, while adding the element of precision timing. Using two trampolines, two athletes perform identical 10-skill routines at the same time. Trampoline was added to the Olympic Games in 2000, and at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, the USA had its first athlete in history advance to the finals.

Based in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. Its mission is to encourage participation and the pursuit of excellence in the sport. Its disciplines include men's and women's artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, acrobatic gymnastics and Gymnastics for All (formerly known as group gymnastics). For more information, log on to www.usagym.org.