Written by John Crumlish for International Gymnast Magazine
Canadian gymnast Jade Chrobok, who placed fourth all-around at last weekend’s World Cup of Birmingham, has big plans for other key competitions this year, starting with the Commonwealth Games that will begin April 4 in Australia.
Chrobok made her World Cup debut in Birmingham, where her score of 51.366 points ranked her fourth behind gold medalist Angelina Melnikova of Russia (54.465), silver medalist Margzetta Frazier of the U.S. (53.932) and bronze medalist Alice Kinsella of Great Britain (53.099).
As a first-year senior in 2017, Chrobok placed first all-around at the Elite Canada meet and third all-around at the Canadian Championships. Chrobok trains under 1980 Olympic all-around champion Yelena Davydova and Valery Yahchybekov at Gemini Gymnastics in Oshawa, Ont.
Chrobok assessed her World Cup results, and her hopes for upcoming meets, in this IG Online interview.
IG: How would you rate your overall performance in Birmingham, especially in terms of where you hope to be by the Canadian Championships in May and the World Championships in October?
JC: Overall, I am pleased with my performance. Competing in such a prestigious event was a new experience for me on the world stage, and I think that I handled the environment well. In terms of where I hope to be, I would like to improve both my D- and E-scores so that I can be more competitive alongside some of the top gymnasts.
IG: You have not had a lot of experience competing head-to-head with seniors such as Melnikova. How nervous or intimidated were you to be competing in a World Cup, and how did you manage the remain confident throughout the meet?
JC: Competing alongside such experienced seniors was an honor. A World Cup event alone is one of the largest competitions I have ever been a part of, and the atmosphere was definitely different, and a little bit more intimidating and distracting than a regular meet. My coaches and I have been focusing on each event and element, and when you get down to it, gymnastics is gymnastics, and you must tune out all of the distractions and stay calm and confident.
IG: Why didn’t you compete on vault at Elite Canada earlier this year?
JC: Prior to Elite Canada, I injured my hand in practice, which did not allow me to train well the week before. We weren’t sure if I would compete. I made it through three events, but vault was not my friend. As of now, the hand is better, and all is good.
IG: Canada has several solid all-arounders, so what do you think you will need to break into the top group at the Canadian Championships?
JC: All of the current Canadian gymnasts are very talented and all have a lot to give to the Canadian team. In order to break through, I must clean up my routines and continue to increase D-score to bump myself into the top group of athletes.
IG: Now that you have had 2017 and part of 2018 to get used to senior international competition, what changes and improvements do you plan to make between now and Worlds, so you can be competitive with all of the world’s best seniors?
JC: The biggest change I have had, and must work on, is mindset. Staying focused, calm and confident are all very important in performing the best that I can. Taking in and learning from every experience makes me better prepared for any other competition that comes my way. Sometimes I just go back to remembering that I have practiced my routines many times and my body knows what to do. I have been working on a couple of new skills that I hope to compete in the near future.
IG: What is your goal for the Commonwealth Games?
JC: My goal is to be able to put out clean routines, so that I can contribute and support the team, while wearing the maple leaf proudly.
Source: International Gymnast Magazine