Eleven athletes in Artistic Gymnastics (five women and six men) and three athletes in Rhythmic Gymnastics make up this year’s Commonwealth gymnastics Canadian teams, including Réne Cournoyer, a returning member of the Canadian gymnastics team for a Commonwealth Games. Cournoyer competed in the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia winning silver as part of the 2018 men’s team event, along with three fourth place finishes in the rings, parallel bars, and high bar events.
“I’m really excited to participate at my second Commonwealth Games,” shared Cournoyer. “Last time, we had a historic third place ranking for Canada for medals won. This time we are coming in with a younger and promising team, ready to show the world what we can do.”
In the Men’s Artistic Gymnastics (MAG) competition, René is joined by 2022 Canadian Champions Felix Dolci and Chris Kaji as they compete in their first Commonwealth Games. The Women’s Artistic Gymnastics (WAG) team includes 2018 Youth Olympic Games team member Emma Spence, as well as Laurie Denommée who recently captured three medals at the 2022 Cairo World Cup in Egypt.
“I’m super excited for my first Commonwealth Games,” shared Denommée. “I have heard so many good things about attending the Commonwealth Games competition. I’m really looking forward to being there and competing with Team Canada!”
As such a popular sport, Team Canada leadership are excited support this team and to see what this 2022 team can do at the Birmingham Games.
“Team Canada has been a perennial medal favorite in the Gymnastics events at the Commonwealth Games,” says Scott Stevenson, Executive Director, Team Canada 2022. “We always look forward to seeing Canada’s best gymnasts lead the way for our team at the Games.”
The Artistic Gymnastics competition will take place at the Arena Birmingham (King Edwards Road, Birmingham) from July 30 to August 2 with team and individual events in MAG and WAG, including qualification and final sessions. The Men’s Artistic Gymnastics competition will include eight events: rings, vault, pommel horse, horizontal bar, parallel bars, floor exercise, individual all-around, and team all-around. The Women’s Artistic Gymnastics competition will include six events: uneven bars, vault, balance beam, floor exercise, individual all-around, and team all-around.
The Rhythmic Gymnastics competition will take place at the Arena Birmingham (King Edwards Road, Birmingham) from August 4 to 6. The Rhythmic Gymnastics competition will include six events: hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon, individual all-around, and team all-around.
Birmingham 2022 will feature 19 sports and eight para-sports as part of its program with up to 4,500 athletes taking part. The Commonwealth Games are the only multi-sport event that feature equal standing for sport and para-sport events, and these 2022 Games will showcase the largest para-sport program ever. In addition, for the first time in its history, the Games will feature more medal events for women (135) than men (133).
The Gymnastics teams which will represent Canada at the Birmingham 2022 includes:
Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Team Athletes:
Emma Spence (Burlington Gymnastics Club, ON)
Cassie Lee (East York Gymnastics, ON)
Jenna Lalonde (Ottawa Gymnastics Centre, ON)
Laurie Denommée (Méga-Gym, QC)
Maya Zonneveld (Revolution Gymnastics, ON)
Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Team Coaches:
Lead Coach – Lisa Cowan
Coach – Melanie Major
Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Team Athletes:
René Cournoyer (Club Gymnika, QC)
Felix Dolci (Laval Excellence, QC)
Mathys Jalbert (Laval Excellence, QC)
Chris Kaji (Gymnastics Mississauga, ON)
Jayson Rampersad (Gymnastics Mississauga, ON)
Kenji Tamane (Laval Excellence, QC)
Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Team Coaches:
Lead Coach – Ed Van Hoof
Coach – Jean-Sebastien Tougas
Rhythmic Gymnastics Team Athletes:
Tatiana Cocsanova (Questo RG, QC)
Suzanna Shahbazian (Questo RG, QC)
Carmel Kallemaa (Glimmer Athletics, ON)
Rhythmic Gymnastics Team Coaches:
Lead Coach – Natalia Popova
Coach – Janika Mölder
ABOUT TEAM CANADA 2022
The 2022 Commonwealth Games will be host to 72 participating nations and territories taking part in the Games. The Commonwealth Games are a valuable opportunity as a steppingstone and development opportunity for Canadian athletes, coaches, and managers working towards Olympic and Paralympic success. Canada’s performance projection in 2022 is a top 3 ranking, in total medals, amongst all nations and territories competing. Commonwealth athletes won 80%+ of Canada’s medals at the 2020 Olympic Games
Team Canada’s dedicated mission team will provide an optimal environment by celebrating equality, diversity, and non-discrimination. This is in support of our goals needed to enable a best ever performance by Canadian athletes at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
ABOUT GYMNASTICS CANADA
First established in 1969, Gymnastics Canada has been supporting the mastery of movement in Canada for five decades as the national governing body for the sport of gymnastics in Canada. We work closely with the twelve provincial federations and 700 local clubs to provide a broad range of programs and services to meet the needs of all participants. From athlete development to coach and judge education, Gymnastics Canada sets the operating standards and practices for the sport in Canada. Our mandate is to promote and provide positive and diverse gymnastics experiences through the delivery of quality and safe gymnastics programming. Visit www.gymcan.org for more information or follow us @gymcan1. From here, we soar.
ABOUT COMMONWEALTH SPORT CANADA
Commonwealth Sport Canada (CSC) is the franchise holder for the Commonwealth Games and the Commonwealth sport movement in Canada. CSC is an active, contributing member of the Canadian sport community and supports Canada’s athletes to achieve excellence at Olympic, Paralympic Games, and world championships. The mission of CSC is to enrich the lives of youth across the Commonwealth and host the Commonwealth Games. CSC is responsible for all aspects of Canada’s participation in the XXII Commonwealth Games and will be sending a team of almost 400 of Canada’s best athletes and coaches to compete for Canada. The upcoming Games will occur in Birmingham, England from July 28 through to August 8, 2022. For additional information go to: www.commonwealthsport.ca.
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For more information, please contact:
Taylor Matthews
Communications Coordinator
Gymnastics Canada
Email: comms@gymcan.org
506 650 9164
Laura Gray
Media Attaché – Gymnastics – Team Canada 2022
Email: laura@commonwealthsport.ca
613 263 7984
Patrick Kenny
Communications Team Leader – Team Canada 2022
Email: patrick@commonwealthsport.ca
613 724 7160