Maegan Chant, Kaitlyn Hofland impress at first world gymnastics championships ANTWERP, Belgium -- The Canadian women’s gymnastics team got off to a strong start at the 2013 world championships on Tuesday with strong performances from Maegan Chant of Waterdown, Ont., (World Class Gymnastics), and Kaitlyn Hofland of Georgetown, Ont., (East York Gymnastics). Both Hofland, 17, and Chant, 16, in their their first appearance at a world championship, both made the most of it on the first day of women’s qualification for more 150 competitors from over 50 countries. Hofland competed on beam and uneven bars and finished 6th and 14th respectively after the first two of five qualification groups while Chant placed fourth on vault and sixth on floor. “I felt really well out there, I wasn’t nervous and I just did my best,” said Chant. “I was just excited to come here and gave it all.” Hofland surprised herself by coming up with her best showing on the balance beam. “Uneven bars is normally my best event and stability has sometimes been an issue on beam, so it was just great to have such a good result on beam,” said Hofland. Hofland’s coach, Lawson Hamer of Toronto, said he was particularly impressed with the way she handled the pressure of competing at her first world championships. “She had to put everything else out of her mind and get her heart rate down and focus on two performances. Kaitlyn is known for her long artistic lines on bars and her artistry on beam but it was also her tremendous work ethic that got here.” Qualification continues for the women on Wednesday with the final three groups of competitors, including top-ranked Canadians Ellie Black of Halifax and Victoria Moors of Cambridge, Ont.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Oct 2013 21:22:42 +0000