By Luan Peszek
The 1995 Rhythmic World Championships took place in Vienna, Austria, September 19-24. This event was the qualifying competition for the 1996 Olympic Games for individual competitors. The top 35 gymnasts from this competition (limit two per country) earned a berth for their country in the Olympic Games. USA's Jessica Davis, 17, from San Anselmo, Calif., took 24th (Competition 1) in the all -around and earned the U.S. a spot in the 1996 Olympic
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Games in Atlanta, Ga . Davis trains at Gymmarin Pacific with her coach Jan Exner. Davis summed up her experience at the World Championships by saying, "1was happy that I went out and did what I wanted to accomplish by earning a spot for the U.S. in the '96 Olympics. However, I was a little bit disappointed in my performance because I wanted to make all of my routines."
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Tina Tharp from Jacksonville, Fla ., took 55th in the all-around in her first World Championships. Tharp trains at International Rhythmic Gymnastics and is coached by Efrossina Anguelova and Mila Marinova. USA Gymnastics Rhythmic Program Director Nora Campbell said, "In 1992 there were 50 qualifiers to the individual competition at the Olympic Games. This year there are only 35 plus five wild card invitations. We feel very good to have qualified one athlete to the 1996 Olympic Games. The competition was very intense and difficult. The technical level
of all the
gymnasts was the highest it has ever been ." There were 97 competitors in the world Championships representing 43 countries. Only 15 countries qualified two athletes to the 1996 Olympic Games. The 1996 Rhythmic National Championships is tentatively set for June 1-3 . The 1996 Olympic Trials for Rhythmic Gymnastics is scheduled for June 25-26 in Boston, Mass. This event will determine the one athlete that will compete for the U.S. in the individual rhythmic competition at the 1996 Olympic Games. The U.S . Rhythmic Group w ill also participate in the 1996 Olympic Games . This Olympics will be the first time that the Rhythmic Group competition will be a part of the Games .
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER
1995
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