CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI (February 25, 2023) — Over the course of trampoline’s one-week run at the PEI 2023 Canada Winter Games in Charlottetown, eight of the nine provinces that competed in the Games’ TG competitions came away with a medal.
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The latter included Newfoundland & Labrador and British Columbia who claimed gold in the male and female individual trampoline competitions on Wednesday thanks to impressive performances from Gleb Evstigneev (Campia Gymnastics, NL) and Brooklyn Lee-McMeeken (Club Aviva, BC).
Having served as his province’s flag bearer for the Opening Ceremony, Evstigneev came into these Games with high expectations and delivered in a big way — giving Newfoundland and Labrador its first-ever Canada Games gold medal in a gymnastics discipline. Evstigneev completed the feat by scoring a 54.590 in the final, which was just enough to hold off Étienne Cloutier (École les Dynamix, QC) of Quebec (53.940) and Dexter Richard (Kingswood Gymnastics, NB) of New Brunswick (53.510).
Evstigneev’s gold medal also happened to be the first medal of these 2023 Canada Games for Newfoundland and Labrador. Plus, if that wasn’t enough, Evstigneev’s second routine of 56.020 in the preliminary round broke the previous scoring record which was set by Quebec’s Rémi Aubin in 2019 (55.630).
“I didn’t know that [Newfoundland & Labrador] didn’t have any medals in gymnastics before [at a Canada Games], or any for this Games. It was pretty cool finding that out when I was already holding the medal,” said Evstigneev, who holds the distinction of being the first from his province to ever make the Canadian national trampoline team. “The last Canada Games people didn’t even know we had a trampoline team. So, just knowing that and performing how I did, it was a great feeling. I was just really proud to represent us. Everybody from Newfoundland and Labrador was in the stands. I saw people from wheelchair basketball, curling, hockey, squash and from all the sports. They were there cheering for me, and I am really happy that I didn’t let them down.”
Meanwhile, Lee-McMeeken also made history for her province by topping the podium in Games’ female individual trampoline competition. Specifically, she became the first from British Columbia to win a gold medal in trampoline thanks to a final score of 48.115, placing ahead of Abigael Brownell (Truro, NS) of Nova Scotia (47.995) and Rielle Bonne (Just Bounce Trampoline Club, ON) of Ontario (47.735). At just 13 years of age, McMeeken is the youngest female trampolinist to both medal and finish on the top of a podium at a Canada Games.
“I am extremely happy to win such a tough competition with such a talented group of girls. All my hard work is paying off with this gold medal,” said 13-year-old Lee-McMeeken, who competed against competitors as many as eight years older than her. “I would like to thank my parents for always being there for me and my dad for driving me to training everyday. I’d also like to thank my coaches for helping me get to where I am today and always supporting me."
The trampoline events of the 2023 Games concluded with the mixed team event on Thursday, which was won for the third time in a row by Team Quebec. Quebec (101.930), who have never lost this event since trampoline was introduced to the Games in 2015, took home the gold medal by finishing ahead of Ontario (100.650) and Alberta (99.290). The four athletes helping comprising Quebec’s golden squad were Étienne Cloutier (École les Dynamix, QC), Nathan Levasseur (École les Dynamix, QC), Anne-Jolie Roy (Québec Performance, QC) and Amylia Leporé (Gymnastique Viagym, QC).
Full results from the past week’s competition can be found on the 2023 Canada Games Gems Pro website or via LiveMeet.
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