May 27, 2012
REGINA, Saskatchewan, Canada - Stanford gymnast Kristina Vaculik captured her third all-around title and won two individual events at the Canadian national championships this week.
The results strengthen Vaculik's case for inclusion on Canada's Olympic team, which will be determined at a final selection camp in late June in Gatineau, Ontario. Barring injury, Vaculik seems a lock to earn one of the team's five spots for the London Games. As it is, she is among eight to receive automatic qualification to that camp based on their performances at the national championships.
Vaculik competed for Stanford as a freshman in 2011 before taking this academic year off to concentrate on securing an Olympic berth. The 19-year-old from Whitby, Ontario, captured the all-around title on Thursday, before winning the uneven bars and balance beam championships on Saturday.
Overall, Vaculik now owns eight Canadian titles. She won four events, including the all-around, in 2010 and won the all-around in 2007.
Her international resume includes competing at the World Championships in 2007, 2010, and 2011, with a best individual all-around finish of 14th at the 2007 worlds. Vaculik also earned a bronze medal in the all-around at the Pan-Am Games last year.
Vaculik led the all-around qualifying Tuesday with a score of 56.350 and did not relinquish her lead in the finals, scoring 56.700 points. Vaculik had the highest scores on the uneven bars (14.700) and floor exercise (14.300) during the all-around finals. She also was fourth on the balance beam (13.450) and sixth on vault (14.250), while winning the all-around by 0.4.
On Saturday, Vaculik scored 14.400 to win the individual bars title by a huge margin over the runner-up, who scored 13.650. Vaculik also won the beam with 14.600, was second on floor (14.000) and fourth on vault (14.225).
Vaculik's floor routine during the Thursday all-around:
Click here for a link to a Toronto Globe and Mail video feature on Vaculik.