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Evelyn’s dream was to place 10th

Nov 23, 2012 Estonian Life No. 47 2012

The Canadian Rhythmic Gymnastics Team, who qualified for the 2012 London Olympic Games were all Kalev Rhythmic Gymnastics Club members. We are very proud to have had Kalev members compete in the Rhythmic Gymnastics Group Competition for Canada for the first time in Olympic History. Unfortunately we made mistakes during the first routine. Since this was the first time for Canada, we wanted so much to beat Germany and place 10th. We have had individuals compete and represent Canada in the past, but 2012 was the first year that Canada had a Rhythmic Gymnastics Group in the Olympics.

For the next Summer Olympic Games in four years, we know Canada will most likely not qualify for the Rhythmic Gymnastics Group Competition because the next games are in Brazil, and they will receive the wild card. Fortunately, we have an opportunity to go to the World Championships and maybe, by some stroke of luck, we will be able to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games without a wild card. We are also organizing a team of at least three to five athletes to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games as Individual Rhythmic Gymnastics athletes and we already have one or two very promising Rhythmic Gymnasts.
Evelyn's dream

Will we be able to create a Senior Group and try to qualify for the 2016 Olympics? That is a very big question because we already know who the top countries are: Russia, Belarus, Italy, Spain, Ukraine, Bulgaria Japan and Israel. These countries train eight hours per day, which is impossible to do in Canada. We don't even have the facilities with the ceiling height at a minimum of 10 meters. This year, Russia came out with big changes creating a revolution of Rhythmic Sports Gymnastics. We can't even begin to teach that level without the necessary hours of training and desperately needed facilities.

What is Kalev Estienne's future regarding working internationally with a Rhythmic Gymnastics Group? We are looking towards the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in China. At the last Youth Olympic Games in 2010 in Singapore, Kalev Estienne's Junior Rhythmic Gymnastics Group came back with a bronze medal. We hope to do this well again and we are trying to develop girls who were born in 1999 and are able to qualify.

Kalev Estienne's girls are currently competing in the Pan-American Games in Argentina. We are proud to have an Estonian born athlete, Teija Korjus, on the team.

Kalev Estienne trains at Lawrence Park (Bayview and Lawrence), Willow Wood School (York Millks and Leslie), Doncaster (Yonge and Steeles), and Woodbine (Woodbine and Highway 7). For more info: www.kalev.net.

Kalev Estienne

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