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NEWS You require Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the file. If you do not have it, download it here. Newsletters (click on date to view) December 2000 April 2004 November 2004 April 2005 Articles (click on headline to view) Finns Celebrate Cultural History From Obscurity to Ontario Silver Medal Gymnastics Coach Lends a Helping Hand Gymnasts to Perform in Berlin In Rhythmics, the Play's the Thing Regeneration for the Sampo Gymnastics Club Rhythmic Gymnast is one Busy Athlete Rhythmic Gymnast Ready for Nationals Rhythmic Gymnastics Coach Honoured Rhythmic Gymnasts Travelling to Finland Rhythmic Gymnasts to Learn From the Best in Trip to Finland Sampo Girls Named to Ontario Squad Sampo Gymnastics Club Tops for Original Routines Sampo Gymnasts off to Sweden Sweden Bound This page was last updated on June 12, 2001. Questions or comments can be sent to samporgc@yahoo.com. © Sampo Rhythmic Gymnastics Club, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. 2000. This site was designed by Gil Pharand.

FINNS CELEBRATE CULTURAL HISTORY The Sudbury Star There was a large turnout of the Finnish community's annual Kalevala Day held in Sampo Hall Sunday. The varied program included music, dancing poetry , singing and gymnastics display. Shown are four of the Sampo Modern Rhythmic Gymnasts displaying their skill. From left to right, Maritta Mansikka, Laurie Sproule, Dora Peltola and Marlene Lynsecki. The name "Kalevala" refers to an ancient poem which relates the history and culture of the Finnish people. Back to Top

FROM OBSCURITY TO ONTARIO SILVER MEDAL By Denis St.Pierre – The Sudbury Star Rhythmic gymnastics may not be one of the most popular pastimes in Sudbury, but a small group of area girls have taken great strides in rescuing the sport from obscurity. Members of the Sampo rhythmic Sportive Gymnastics Club have just returned from capturing the silver medal in team competition at the Ontario Winter Games in London. "This is probably the climax of our season." Said Lori White, coach of the Sampo club. "It's a result we're very proud of." The silver medal was won by a group of six girls competing in the senior elite (15-16 years old) category. The medal winners are Alba Blanco, Siobhan Knight, Lana Kutchaw, Elaine Lam, Jessica McDougall and Christine Rask. As well, two other girls from the Sudbury club, Sandra Ferroni and Katie Laine, competed in individual competition during the games. "We had eight girls qualify for the Ontario team. For us that's fantastic," White said. The only rhythmic gymnastics team in northeastern Ontario, the Sudbury club was up against stiff competition from the south, including the winning team from Toronto, she said. The local gymnasts will face another major test in June when they compete in the national championships in Vancouver, she added. White said she hopes the success of the Sampo club will accelerate the growth in popularity of rhythmic gymnastics in Sudbury. The sport was relatively unknown throughout the country until Canadian Lori Fung won a gold medal I the discipline at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. "Its' growing in Sudbury and across the country since Lori Fung won the gold medal." Said White. Increasing local interest can also be credited to White, a former national team member from St. Catharines who took up coaching when she came to Sudbury last year to study sports administration at Laurentian University. White competed with the national squad for four years and was a teammate of Fung's for two years. Two years ago there was only one rhythmic gymnastics coach in Sudbury. With White's arrival, "we've developed a more centralized program, a more focused program" to allow girls to develop at various skill levels. White also said she hopes the Sampo club will increase public awareness of rhythmic gymnastics as a bonafide amateur sport. Often compared to synchronized swimmers, rhythmic gymnasts perform floor exercise routines while handling hoops, balls and ribbons as well as juggling clubs. "There are no flips." We only use the floor, we don't use the other apparatus like bars or the beam" as in traditional gymnastics, White said. She said the sport requires "a combination of the physical skills you need for artistic gymnastics and the skills you need for ballet." Displaying some of their winning poses are members of the Sampo Rhythmic Sportive Gymnastics Club, from left, in front: Christine Rask, and Jessica McDougall. In the second row are Lana Kutchaw and Alba Blanco, and in the third row are Elaine Lam, Katie Laine and Sandra Ferroni. Missing is Slobhan Knight. (PHOTO NOT AVAILABLE). Back to Top

GYMNASTICS COACH LENDS A HELPING HAND The Sudbury Star, Saturday, June 5, 1982 Bella Tverskoy, a well-know Russian rhythmics gymnastics coach now living in Toronto, was in Sudbury this past week working with gymnasts from Sampo Modern Rhythmic Gymnastics Club. She is shown middle during a training session with Elaine Rauhanen upper left and Gina Marcoritto lower left. Maija Ceming, executive director of the Sampo Club said they were fortunate to have been able to obtain such a high caliber of coaching for their gymnasts who are working at various competitive levels. Back to Top

GYMNASTS TO PERFORM IN BERLIN By Keith Lacey (Northern Life) The members of Sudbury's Sampo Rhythmic Gymnastics Club almost did cartwheels down the tarmac at Sudbury Airport yesterday morning. After all, it's not too often a group of teenagers gets the opportunity to travel overseas and compete in what is regarded as the most popular gymnastics spectacle outside of the Olympic Games. The 17 athletes and small entourage of managers, coaches and parents arrive in Berlin, Germany, today as part of the 270-strong Canadian team invited to participate in the 10th World Gymnaestrada. Held every four years, the gymnaestrada shows all forms of gymnastics, including artistic, rhythmic and dance, said Maija Ceming, executive director and co-manager for the team. This year's event will attract between 22,000 and 24,000 gymnasts from almost every country in the world, said Ceming. Another group from the Sampo club participated in the same event four years ago in Amsterdam, Holland, and it was an experience none of them will ever forget, said Ceming. "This is such a wonderful experience for everyone involved," she said. "Not only do you get to perform in front of massive crowds and feel all the excitement, but it offers all the athletes and coaches a chance to meet people from all over the world and that's probably the thing our girls are most excited about." Planning for the 10-day trip-the opening ceremonies involving 20,000-plus athletes takes place Sunday in Berlin's Olympic Stadium-started only months after returning from Amsterdam, said Ceming. As members of the Canadian Rhythmic Sportive Gymnastics Association, the club is invited to send members as long as they raise the necessary funds. The Federation of International Gymnastics (FIG) organizes the event and sends out invitations. The goals and objectives of the event are to promote the sport of gymnastics, co-operation among nations and goodwill, said Ceming. Through video exchange, all 270 members of the Canadian team have rehearsed a large set piece, which will celebrate Canadian music and culture during the opening ceremonies, said club publicist Polly Rutenburg. Another smaller piece called Canadian Breezes includes formation of a Canadian flag by the Canadian team while Canadian music is being played, she said. For Julie Ethier and Tanja Ceming, both 18, their first trip to the world event was unforgettable and they expect much more of the same over the next week or so. Back to Top

IN RHYTHMICS, THE PLAY'S THE THING Sampo club looking for excellence in mass team event By Tim Kelly – The Sudbury Star When you get right down to it, rhythmic gymnastics, Sampo club style is all about numbers. Check out the number of gymnasts in each mass routine. Look at the number of coaches who work hard to help mold these youngsters into a cohesive, tight unit. And, while you're at it, notice the number of volunteers who work behind the scenes to add the finishing touches to what it truly a team effort. Unlike other so-called team sports which pay lip service to teams but glorify individual stars on those teams, the Sampo club unit truly is a team. There are no competitions entered wherein different gymnasts try to outdo each other in a drive for number one. These girls, who range in age three on up, work together and it has taken them from halftime at the SkyDome to a trip on out to Calgary this weekend for a national gymnaestrada. A gymnaestrada is a collection of many different clubs which mass together to create one mass routine. The gymnaestrada has a long tradition in Europe. In some demonstrations, groups of gymnasts in the tens of thousands have been known to perform. "There is not competition involved. We're strictly in a demonstrative sport. Our standard is individual development within the group," says longtime Sampo Club member Maija Ceming. Ceming helped get rhythmic gymnastics going in Sudbury back in 1959. Now the club has a membership of 222 with 183 recreational gymnasts, 22 elite gymnasts and 17 coaches. The only difference between elite gymnasts and recreational gymnasts in the club are the number of hours each train per week. Elite gymnasts put in four hours of training while recreational gymnasts practice for an hour a week. The club also has other breakdowns for age categories and skill levels but these are not obtrusive. Teamwork is still the goal, and the best team is recognized for its togetherness. For a comparison, Ceming points to precision skating or synchronized swimming. At one time, the club also had a competitive segment but gave it up because coaches weren't prepared to coach full-time. At clubs like Sports Seneca, world-class rhythmic gymnasts like Mary Fusezi put in 25-30 hours of training per week in the search for Olympic glory. "It's like a full-time job and very, very serious at that level. These kinds of clubs go out and hire a full-time coach to be competitive. "In this kind of business we don't have the money to pay a full-time coach, so we've stuck with the recreational component. It encourages fun and camaraderie," adds Ceming. Rhythmic gymnasts work with balls, hoops, ribbons and tubes among other apparatus. These additional pieces of equipment help to give rhythmics a special grace. Demonstrations are upbeat. Among those who've enjoyed the Sudbury club's show have been SkyDome football fans who saw the club perform last year. We're also going to send 16 members of our club to the Dome for a performance at halftime again this year," said Ceming. Next year, the club hopes to send a delegation to Amsterdam for the world gymnaestrada. Back to Top

REGENERATION FOR THE SAMPO GYMNASTICS CLUB By Stephen Buic If somebody asked you who Lori Fung was, chances are you would draw a blank. You might think of politics, music or art, but undoubtedly you would not think of athletics. And that is where you're wrong. Fung is one of the top rhythmic gymnasts in Canada's history. In 1984, she won the gold medal for rhythmic gymnastics at the Los Angeles Olympics and remained among the world's elite until her retirement in 1988. Her expertise in the athletic discipline, which combines the artistry of dance with the sheer athletic power of gymnastics, gained her worldwide attention. Yet she is still a relative unknown in her own country. But this lack of exposure isn't saved for nationally ranked rhythmic gymnasts, there is a lot of it left to go around to all the local clubs. That includes the Sampo Rhythmic Gymnastics Club right here in Sudbury. In existence since the 1940's, Sampo was once a top notch competitive club. Their staff included experienced coaches and many talented athletes. But nobody wanted to make it full time and the competitive program dwindled in the early 1970's. This forced Sampo to take a step back and look at where the club was going. They could either attempt to secure another coach and keep the competitive program afloat or they could sink it and concentrate their efforts on becoming a purely performing rhythmic gymnastics club. They chose the latter. "It just seemed to make sense to become strictly a performing group," said Maija Ceming. Ceming is the Executive Director of the Sampo Rhythmic Gymnastics Club. She has witnessed the regeneration of the club as a place where physical movement and athletic participation can be offered to a wide age group of females without the pressures of an athletic competition. Sampo has over 150 members and they range in age from three-year-olds who take the organization's kinder-gym program to women in their 20's and 30's. "Rhythmic gymnastics builds the women's stamina and helps with their coordination," Ceming said, explaining why many women join the club. "It can be a physically demanding sport." While the competitive edge is almost non-existent in the ‘performing sport', there is still a home for it in Sampo's elite performers. "The elite performers are a group made up of women who have tried out for the squad and been selected to represent Sampo at the performances," Ceming said. "They train longer than the average Sampo member." There are 28 members in the elite group and they travel the country and the world taking part in rhythmic gymnastics' festivals. They are scheduled to go to Ottawa May 19 for a performance and they will also be travelling to Berlin, Germany, in June to take part in the world festival. Rhythmic gymnastics has a large following in Europe and many of the top gymnasts in the world are from former Eastern Bloc countries. "The sport is based in Scandinavia and that may explain why it is so popular in Europe," Ceming said. But there is no such popularity in North America and Ceming thinks it might have something to do with the fact that there are very few males involved. "Canadian men have not grown up with the sport and that is probably why they are not interested, she said. "Maybe they think it is too feminine." There are males taking part in the sport in Europe and Ceming admits the power that makes can add to a routine elevates the sport to another level. "Sampo used to have a men's program but it just dropped off years ago and it has never been revived." Sampo is not complaining about the lack of interest but the organization feels it has something to offer to a wide variety of women who just don't know about the opportunities. "It's a great show to watch and it's a great event to participate in," Ceming said. "People just have to give it a try." Julie Ethier (left) and Kim Lukkarila perform the 1995 World Gymnaestrada Fan Routine, part of the 25th annual Spring Spirit Show performed by members of the Sampo Rhythmic Gymnastics Club, in the Sheridan Auditorium of Sudbury Secondary School Wednesday night. (PHOTO NOT AVAILABLE). Back to Top

RHYTHMIC GYMNAST IS ONE BUSY ATHLETE By Laura Young- The Sudbury Star Kristin Luoma does not remember asking to join rhythmic gymnastics. Her father's heritage is Finnish and so she was put in the Sampo Club. That was that. But the 16-year-old athlete stuck with her sport because of the challenges and the incredible flexibility rhythmics demands. "I like how you put movement to music and how big a component it is moving your body to music. With rhythmic it's all about flowing and being one with the body and apparatus." A lifelong resident of Copper Cliff, Luoma has been a member of the Sampo Rhythmic Gymnastics Club for 11 years. She's one of six on the team that represents Sudbury at the provincials. Last year, Sampo finished second to a crew from Toronto, by a mere one-tenth of a point. This year, they will settle for nothing short if first at the provincials in June. "We have to incorporate more difficult moves," she explains. "It's pretty close. It's whoever has a better day." They are currently developing their program, having chosen a theme of dancing through the ages, incorporating waltz, swing and some disco elements. The apparatus includes hoops, scarves and lace umbrellas. It's a long way from the lithe images of rhythmics and the classical style of the Bulgarian and former Soviet champions. Rhythmic is so much more than clubs, ropes, hoops, ball and ribbons. In the team competition, the six athletes are judged over two routines. They perform a free routine comprised of elements and showing off their flexibility. In the creative routine, anything goes. Last year, their winning creative routine featured the athletes as maids with mops. Still, the main image of a rhythmic gymnast is of a highly bendable woman. Luoma loves this aspect of her sport. "It's cool because it can make you stand out." The secret to staying supple is to practice over and over, to sit and stretch it out in commercial breaks during an evening of television watching. Not that Luoma has much time for that. She's also busy with three other sports. A grade 11 science and technology student at Lockerby Composite School, Luoma maintains an A-average. She's a member of Lockerby's flag football, volleyball and badminton teams, and the athletic association. She has a part-time job at the concession stand during Sudbury Wolves games. Flexibility then, is more than cool. It's a necessity, a way of life. "It's weird because at school we have our agenda books but I don't use it," she laughs. "But at home I always make lists for everything I have to do and the times that I have to be there. It works for me." Luoma figures she should be using her time, not wasting it. "I have to like it if I were to do it because there are no sports I play that I don't like. I mainly do it because I like it." Back to Top

RHYTHMIC GYMNAST READY FOR NATIONALS By Ken Campbell – The Sudbury Star As the small white ball ascends into the air, Katie Ryan is busy performing a series of difficult acrobatics, rolling, moving, and performing the splits before the ball lands squarely in her hands. Needless to say, the 15 year old Katie Ryan of the Sampo Modern Rhythmic Gymnastics Club spends her Saturday mornings a little differently than most girls her age. And as far as the sport of rhythmic gymnastics goes, she has certainly been able to find the key to success. Ryan, a Grade 10 student at Marymount College, is gearing up for her second straight national championship, to be help in Halifax in June. This year in the rhythmic junior elite class, Ryan placed fifth overall in the provincial championships, including a gold medal in the ball routine. "I started with this club when I was eight years old," said Ryan. "You have to be determined and you have to love it and I do." Actually, Ryan may have missed out on the sport entirely had it not been for an accident she suffered while performing artistic gymnastics as a young child. For two years she had been working as a regular gymnast and after her injury she was wary to return to the sport. And it turned out, artistic gymnastics' loss proved to be rhythmic gymnastics' gain. " I was a little scared about it (artistic gymnastics) so I started rhythmic gymnastics," said Ryan. "I think this is a lot nicer to watch and I just like it a lot more." "She's been doing very well and Canada is looking for big things from her," said Ryan's coach Riita White. "I've been talking to international judges and they think she's very good." Ryan hopes to parlay that potential and combine it with hard work for a shot at the national team, possibly in time for the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea. But the road will not be an easy one, and a lack of recognition of the sport is one of the largest barriers. White said the fact that the sport was performed in the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, combines with Canada's Lori Fung's gold medal event has raised recognition of the sport but it still has a long way to go. "It now has reached the point where people know what it is," said White. "But there is a lack of facilities and some gymnasiums aren't suited for it. For example she has to throw the hoop 30 feet in the air and you need one with a high ceiling." In the junior elite class, Ryan competes in the ball routine, but also has to excel with the ribbon, rope, hoop and clubs. All of the routines require uncanny flexibility, coordination and timing. Often she has to perform various motions while the apparatus is in the air and must catch it without looking. "I think the world champions in this sport are even more flexible than regular gymnasts." Said Ryan. "It may not look very tough but it takes a lot of flexibility and strength." Katie Ryan of the Sampo Modern Rhythmic Gymnastics Club shows the form that has earned her a trip to the national championships. In the provincials she placed first in the ball routine and fifth overall. (PICTURE NOT AVAILABLE). Back to Top

RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS COACH HONOURED Sudbury's Maija Ceming is the recipient of a Special Achievement Award for Volunteers By Bruce Heidman- The Sudbury Star For nearly 40 years, Sudbury resident Maija Ceming has had an impact locally, provincially, nationally and internationally on the sport of rhythmic gymnastics. Recently she was recognized for her efforts as a recipient of a Special Achievement Award for Volunteers at the Ontario Sports Awards, held at Club Windows at Skydome in Toronto. "It was a big surprise," Ceming said of the award. "I was totally flattered, especially to nominated by the sport's governing body (Gymnastics Ontario). "The ceremony was beautiful," said Ceming, who originally got involved in gymnastics as a three-year-old in her native Finland. "They treated us like kings and queens." Ceming's impact on rhythmic gymnastics began in 1961 when she began coaching at the Sampo club in Sudbury. Since then, she's continued coaching at various levels, has served as the Sampo club president and executive director since 1975, has worked as a representative for the Canadian Rhythmic Sportive Gymnastic Federation, continues to serve as the rhythmic gymnastics chairperson on the Ontario Steering Development Committee, has served as a judge for the sport and served on the Ontario Judging Committee. Ceming has also helped write manuals and publications for the National Coaches Certification levels 1 and 2, contributed to the revision of the rhythmic gymnastics manuals committee and served as pre-team manager; on-site coach and chaperone at the last three World Gymnaestradas overseas. Ceming, 55, said volunteers should be recognized for the selfless work they do. "It's a much-appreciated bonus to be recognized like that," she said. "As a volunteer, you put in countless hours and sacrifice family time, so it's very nice. I've been recognized by my federation for my work as a judge and volunteer, and was honored to be nominated to the Kinsmen Sports Hall of Fame in Sudbury. I thought those were pretty awesome, but this award is the icing on the cake." Ceming doesn't see an end to her volunteer work any time soon. "I love the movement discipline very much," she said. "I teach a ladies' class as well as coaching the elite team at Sampo and I still find it exciting. I'm really hooked." "I enjoy the young people and the energy, and I like the fact that it keeps me active," she said. "I find sports people to be an exciting group to hang out with. I've seen other people get burned out, but I haven't experienced it yet." While she's worked with some of the finest in her sport, it isn't major championship or big individual winners she recalls when asked of her favourite moment. "I really enjoyed judging at the Special Olympics," she said. "To see those athletes with the odds stacked against them come up shining". "I really liked that." With all her duties and work provincially and internationally, it's still the grassroots she enjoys the most. "Coaching still gives me the most pleasure," she said. "I get to be with so many different people and I work with ladies from eight to 80. Rhythmic is like that. With the music and lots of movement, it appeals to a lot of people. You can just lose yourself sometimes when it all comes together. "A big part of the reason I'm involved in the federation is to make a difference in the sport and keep up with the changes." Back to Top

RHYTHMIC GYMNASTS TRAVELLING TO FINLAND By John Kryk, Star Sports Editor When Canadian rhythmic sportive gymnasts want to become qualified instructors, they go to the birthplace of their sport- Finland. Maija Ceming, executive director of Sudbury's Sampo Rhythmic Gymnastics Club, is taking seven club members to Kuortane, Finland, at the end of the month for this reason. "The sport originated in Finland and Sweden," Ceming says. "We've been planning this trip for a year. If you want quality instruction, you have to go to there. We just don't have it here in Canada." The Sampo gymnasts will arrive in Kuortane June 27. After the nine-day conductor's course, they'll travel to Kokkola (Sudbury's sister city in Finland) for a dual performance with a local club. Rhythmic gymnastics was an obscure sport until it was included in the Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1984. Canada's Lori Fung won the gold medal in the event. The sport incorporates elements of artistic gymnastics (the more popular form) and figure skating. It is held on tumbling mats, but gymnasts don't tumble. Instead, they perform a well choreographed routine to music – just as figure skaters do in their free-style program. A different ‘apparatus' is used in each event- ball, hoop, club, ribbon and free. All movements must correlate to the rhythm of the music. "Routines are very precise," Ceming says. "It's very similar to figure skating in that respect. You have to be precise, and match the crescendos of the music." But the scoring is the same as artistic gymnastics. Each gymnast receives a mark out of 10 and is deducted percentage points for each mistake made. There are no separate marks for artistic impression and technical merit, as in figure skating. "The emphasis is on speed, flexibility, strength and control. They key to a good routine is the interaction of the athlete and her apparatus." There are two streams in rhythmic gymnastics: competitive and recreational. This year, the Sampo club did not have a competitive stream. "That's the first time that's happened. We need someone who can devote a lot of time to coaching." The Sampo Hall in Sudbury has had a rhythmic gymnastics club for about 30 years. In 1961 the Finnish establishment opened up its club to the public. There are now about 160 members, from children to adults. Ceming, who moved to Canada from Finland as a teenager, is a national level judge. She attended the world championships last year in Bulgaria. "The sport is really full-fledged now. In 1969 Ontario got its own federation, and now there's a national organization." Back to Top

RHYTHMIC GYMNASTS TO LEARN FROM THE BEST IN TRIP TO FINLAND By Ken Campbell, Sports Editor Wednesday, June 15, 1988 For Maija Ceming, it will be somewhat of a homecoming. For the rest of the Sampo Modern Rhythmic Gymnastics Club, it will likely be a learning experience they'll never forget. Later this month, seven young athletes from the club will be traveling to Finland to perform and learn from some of the world's best at the Kuortane Sports Institute under the Finnish Women's Gymnastics Federation. To put Finland's power in the sport into perspective, going there to learn more about rhythmic gymnastics would be like going to the Orient to pick up a few pointers on martial arts. "Unfortunately, the courses in Canada aren't near as plentiful or diversified," said Ceming, a native of Finland and coach and executive director of the Sampo Club. "The sport has been around for hundreds of years in Scandinavia and we're looking to them to develop ourselves further. In Finland, rhythmic gymnastics is part of the school program and most of them are enrolled into a club very early." For Ceming, who has participated in the sport since the age of five and is currently a national judge in the sport, learning from some of the most advanced coaches in the world will give her a renewed interest in the sport. "My main purpose for going is to take a rhythmic gymnastics coaching course," said Ceming. "It does get frustrating at times because I can't develop myself any further in Canada and sometimes I feel very stifled." While in Finland the team will be making a stop in Sudbury's sister city. They'll also be conducting several performances with Finnish gymnasts while there. This year represents a transition for the club in that there is no competitive stream for the club. Ceming attributes that to a lack of coaches who will devote the time for the competitive program. Ceming is hoping that another strong showing by Canadian gymnasts at the Summer Olympics in Seoul will raise the profile of the sport even more. The sport requires a combination of dance and gymnastics with balls, ribbons, batons and ropes. "Sometimes we have trouble getting financial support because we don't fit into the arts or sports specifically but we do combine both," she said. "Canada has made tremendous gains in the last 30 years but things have especially picked up since Lori Fung won a gold medal for Canada at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984." Back to Top

SAMPO GIRLS NAMED TO ONTARIO SQUAD The Sudbury Star, Monday, March 23, 1981 Four members of the Sampo Modern Rhythmic Gymnastics Club have been named to the Junior Provincial team. Selected from left to right, are Genevieve Ribordy, 12. Elaine Ruhanen, 11. Gine Macoritto, 9. And Katie Ryan, 10. The gymnasts were placed on the Ontario squad after their performances at the provincial meet in Toronto recently. Macoritto and Ribordy tied for first in the individual rope routines while Rauhanen was third. Ribordy also placed first in the individual free routine and as over-all winner. The Sampo quartet won the group free routine and the group ball routine. (Click on image for larger view). Back to Top

SAMPO GYMNASTICS CLUB TOPS FOR ORIGINAL ROUTINES The Sudbury Star Toronto- Sudbury's Sampo Rhythmic Gymnastics Club took first place honors for the most original routines at the first-ever Ontario Group Competition held here over the weekend. The club finished second in the creative routine. This was choreographed by Ida Sauve's Jeff Wong and coached by Maija Ceming. The club also placed second in the free routine. This was choreographed and coached by Julie Ethier and Mardi Denniston. Members of Sudbury's Sampo Rhythmic Gymnastics Club that took part includes: Tanja Ceming, Jessica Crowe, Kathy Hutter, Kristin Luoma, Diana Matarazzo, Lisa Rainville, Heather Rautianien, Cristina Roque, Krista St.Amant and Krista Young. Back to Top

SAMPO GYMNASTS OFF TO SWEDEN May 1999 South Side Story Gymnasts from the Sampo Rhythmic Gymnastics Club will be travelling to Goteburg, Sweden on June 30th 1999 to participate in the 11th World Gymnaestrada. Held every four years, this will be the third time Sampo gymnasts have participated as members of the Canadian Team at the world's largest display of gymnastics. Over 20,000 athletes from around the world will gather together for a week of rehearsals and displays that will culminate in a gala performance showcasing each country's rich gymnastics heritage. In an effort to raise funds to pay for cost of travel and accommodation at this event, Sampo Rhythmic Gymnastics Club is offering Corporate Sponsorship to businesses in the Sudbury Region. Your support of Sampo's participation in this exciting world class event would be greatly appreciated. For information or a contribution please contact Maija Ceming at 671-2922. Back to Top

SWEDEN BOUND Local gymnasts to take part in international demonstration By Barb Blakely-Sudbury Star Whether they're using balls, scarves, hoops, clubs, ropes or ribbons, the girls from Sampo Rhythmic Gymnastics Club will have the opportunity to perform for an international audience this summer. Eight gymnasts, aged 12 to 17, are going to Goteburg, Sweden to take part in the 11th World Gymnaestrada. They will be among 2,500 other participants. Maija Ceming, the team's executive director and coach, says a group from her gymnastics club will be in Sweden for two weeks. "We're leaving June 30, and they'll be back on July 14," she says. Ceming explains that the event is a performance, not a competition. "It's all demonstrations", she says. And the girls have already demonstrated that they are ready to perform at an international level. Last weekend, the team came in first for the creative routine in the Red Ribbon '99 Competition in Mississauga. They also scored second for free routine and second overall. The event is held every four years in Europe. The last event was held in Berlin, Germany in 1995. Krista St.Amant was the only gymnast from the club who went to the last event. "I'm excited because I went four years ago, and I know what to expect," she said. The girls consider it a privilege to represent their club of 150 gymnasts. "It will be a great experience," says 15-year-old Kristin Luoma. "I'll feel nervous but excited at the same time." Cristina Roque, 15, says gymnastics are more popular in Europe than they are in Canada. "It's interesting because not very many people know about rhythmic gymnastics and don't know it's a sport, but everyone there will be interested in it," she says. The girls will fly from Toronto to Finland where they will catch a connecting flight to Sweden. After the competitions are over, the girls will spend two days touring Helsinki, Finland before returning home. Visiting Helsinki will be one of the highlights of the trip for 12-year-old Seija Cassidy-Escola. "I have a lot of relatives in Finland," she says. The club director says gymnastics are a "gift that parents give to their children." Ceming adds that gymnastics develops movement, discipline, coordination, balance, awareness, good posture, muscle tone and an overall feeling of well being. Back to Top