Karen Cockburn Aims to Secure Another Olympic Berth

Canadian trampoline gymnast Karen Cockburn proves that age is just a number.

At the 2015 Pan American Games held at the Toronto Coliseum last July, the 34-year-old trampoline gymnast managed to finish in first place through the first two qualifying routine  of the women’s trampoline competition.

Cockburn, a three-time Olympic medallist, finished with a total score of 97.465 points after posting a score 51.870 in the first routine and 45.595 in her second.

26-year old reigning World Trampoline Champion, Olympic and Pan Am Games champion Rossanagh MacLennan, finished with 6^th place after getting a score of 47.555 in her 1^st routine and 22.710 for the second one, to post a total score of 70.265.

"It's awesome. I have my family and my daughter here watching. For the first time she's watching me compete at an event like this, so it's special, gives you that extra energy and support." She said.

21-year-old Brazilian gymnast Camilla Lopes Gomes finished second after garnering a score of 95.765.

Still recovering from a broken left ankle obtained during her training in preparation for the 2014 World Trampoline Championships in Daytona last November, Karen Cockburn attributed her success to the motivation she got from the crowd, which included her friends and her “immediate family” members – her spouse, former Olympic medallist Mathieu Turgeon, and also her one-year-old daughter, Emilie.

"It's awesome. I have my family and my daughter here watching,” Cockburn said after the competition’s first two qualifying routines “For the first time she's watching me compete at an event like this, so it's special, gives you that extra energy and support."

Additionally, Cockburn also pointed out that her quick recovery and training preparation for the Pan American Games has gone off pretty well.

Should the 34-year-old trampoline gymnast continue to perform very well at the upcoming World Championships in Odense on November, we cannot see any reason on why she won’t compete at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics next year.

Canada can earn two Olympic places in the 2016 Women’s trampoline Olympics should they get two top-eight places at the World Championships.

“I'm coming off injury so if I continue to feel better and my training goes well, hopefully we'll earn some Olympic spots at the World Championships this fall, and if so I'll move forward to next year and definitely try for that,” Cockburn said.

Cockburn also has some unfinished business to deal with after she was pulled out from the 2011 Pan Am Games prior to the final in Mexico because of an illness.

On the other hand, in the men’s trampoline event, Jason Burnett, a 28-year old gymnast from Nobleton finished with fourth place with a total score of 101.560.

Jason Burnett was .295 points behind Columbian gymnast Recalde Hernandez, who ended up in the third place and gaining a spot on the medal podium.

Canadian trampoline gymnast, Keegan Soehn, acquired the first place with his score of 103.870.

Recovering from an ACL injury, Jason Burnett stated he is gradually rounding into form that aided him to secure a gold medal at the 2007 Pan American Games and a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Taking that into consideration, Burnett stated that he plans gradually steer right back into action with a moderate level of difficulty

 “I’m only 10 months post ACL surgery, so I'm taking some time to come back from that. So I'm fairly strong, just not 100 per cent yet,” he said.

He also stated that he is looking forward to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics in order to represent Canada.

“We'll have our Olympic qualifier in November at the world championships over in Denmark. With any luck I can place within the top eight there to qualify Canada for the Olympic Games in Rio and then I'll compete for the spot internally back home."

The 2016 Summer Olympics will be held at Rio de Janerio, Brazil starting on August 5, 2015.

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