Kyle Shewfelt
Encyclopedia
Kyle Keith Shewfelt is a Canadian
gymnast
. His gold medal
in the men's floor exercise competition at the 2004 Athens Olympics was the first medal ever by a Canadian in an artistic gymnastics event and was the first Canadian gold of the 2004 Olympics. He also has a vault named after him.
Shewfelt was considered a medal threat in advance of the Athens games. In the end, Shewfelt finished first on Floor and fourth on Vault.
hockey
team. While Shewfelt was a skilled hockey player he turned to gymnastics at an early age. He attended Calgary's National Sport School
in order to complete his high school education, while pursuing his Olympic plans with fellow athletes at the school http://schools.cbe.ab.ca/b830/. Kyle trained at Altadore Gymnastic Club under coach Kelly Manjak, from age 6 up until the 2004 Olympics. Manjak married in 2004 and moved following the Olympics to Ontario. Shewfelt stayed in Calgary, training with coach Tony Smith at the University of Calgary.
Shewfelt's long-held goal of Olympic gold was endangered when he severely bruised the talus bone in his ankle in March 2004, but he made a full recovery in time for Athens. Before the Olympics Shewfelt has speculated on moving to Cirque du Soleil
after his athletic career is over. A gold medal could easily open many other opportunities for him, however, as he has instantaneously became a household name in much of Canada.
In 2005 Shewfelt played Kyle Manjak in the Hungarian
made film White Palms
.
In 2006 Shewfelt made a comeback to the international scene, leading the Canadian team to a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Australia
, collecting bronze on Floor and gold on Vault for himself.
That same year, Shewfelt helped his team to a second place finish at the Pacific Alliance competition. In the individual events, Shewfelt placed first on vault and floor.
Next was World Championships in Denmark where Shewfelt led his team to a best ever team ranking (6th) and where he collected another World Championships medal (bronze on Floor Exercise).
In August 2007, Kyle fractured both of his tibias in a fluke landing training for floor exercise just prior to the World Championships in Germany. Withdrawing from the event, Kyle hoped to heal and get back into training in sufficient time to make a bid for the 2008 Summer Olympic team.
After 11 months of intense rehab and recovery, Kyle was named to his third Canadian Olympic team. He was selected to represent Canada in Beijing after proving that he was in top form at a test competition capping a week-long training camp in Calgary.
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Kyle competed in the preliminary artistic gymnastics round. Shewfelt was unable to reach the top eight in either of his specialties (the cut-off for admission to the Olympic finals), finishing ninth in vault and 11th in floor. He did, however, perform a new vault flawlessly on day one of the Olympic Games. The new move was ratified by the judges and subsequently named the Shewfelt vault. Overall Shewfelt also received the highest execution score (B score) for the two vaults performed (9.75). After his exit from the Olympics, Kyle became a guest commentator on artistic gymnastics for CBC Television
's Olympic coverage.
On May 21, 2009, Shewfelt announced on his blog he was retiring from competition.
"After much thought and consideration, I have come to the decision that it's time to hang up the grips, put away the stinky gym shoes, remove the singlet, take my hands out of the chalk bucket and start embarking on new journeys," Shewfelt wrote.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
gymnast
Gymnast
Gymnasts are people who participate in the sports of either artistic gymnastics, trampolining, or rhythmic gymnastics.See gymnasium for the origin of the word gymnast from gymnastikos.-Female artistic:Australia...
. His gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
in the men's floor exercise competition at the 2004 Athens Olympics was the first medal ever by a Canadian in an artistic gymnastics event and was the first Canadian gold of the 2004 Olympics. He also has a vault named after him.
Shewfelt was considered a medal threat in advance of the Athens games. In the end, Shewfelt finished first on Floor and fourth on Vault.
Biography
Born in Calgary, Shewfelt first began practicing gymnastics in 1988 influenced by a neighbour. His father was also an athlete playing for the Brandon Wheat KingsBrandon Wheat Kings
The Brandon Wheat Kings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Brandon, Manitoba. They compete in the Western Hockey League, and joined the league in the 1967–68 season. Prior to that they played in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and were known as the Brandon Elks for a short time in the...
hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team. While Shewfelt was a skilled hockey player he turned to gymnastics at an early age. He attended Calgary's National Sport School
National Sport School (Canada)
The National Sport School is a public high school in Calgary, Alberta; which teaches grades 9 through 12. The school is specially designed for Canadian Olympic calibre athletes to be able to train and travel internationally, while staying in school...
in order to complete his high school education, while pursuing his Olympic plans with fellow athletes at the school http://schools.cbe.ab.ca/b830/. Kyle trained at Altadore Gymnastic Club under coach Kelly Manjak, from age 6 up until the 2004 Olympics. Manjak married in 2004 and moved following the Olympics to Ontario. Shewfelt stayed in Calgary, training with coach Tony Smith at the University of Calgary.
Shewfelt's long-held goal of Olympic gold was endangered when he severely bruised the talus bone in his ankle in March 2004, but he made a full recovery in time for Athens. Before the Olympics Shewfelt has speculated on moving to Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
after his athletic career is over. A gold medal could easily open many other opportunities for him, however, as he has instantaneously became a household name in much of Canada.
In 2005 Shewfelt played Kyle Manjak in the Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
made film White Palms
White Palms (film)
White Palms is a 2006 Hungarian film directed by Szabolcs Hajdu. It was Hungary's submission to the 79th Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but was not accepted as a nominee.-See also:*Cinema of Hungary...
.
In 2006 Shewfelt made a comeback to the international scene, leading the Canadian team to a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Australia
2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
, collecting bronze on Floor and gold on Vault for himself.
That same year, Shewfelt helped his team to a second place finish at the Pacific Alliance competition. In the individual events, Shewfelt placed first on vault and floor.
Next was World Championships in Denmark where Shewfelt led his team to a best ever team ranking (6th) and where he collected another World Championships medal (bronze on Floor Exercise).
In August 2007, Kyle fractured both of his tibias in a fluke landing training for floor exercise just prior to the World Championships in Germany. Withdrawing from the event, Kyle hoped to heal and get back into training in sufficient time to make a bid for the 2008 Summer Olympic team.
After 11 months of intense rehab and recovery, Kyle was named to his third Canadian Olympic team. He was selected to represent Canada in Beijing after proving that he was in top form at a test competition capping a week-long training camp in Calgary.
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Kyle competed in the preliminary artistic gymnastics round. Shewfelt was unable to reach the top eight in either of his specialties (the cut-off for admission to the Olympic finals), finishing ninth in vault and 11th in floor. He did, however, perform a new vault flawlessly on day one of the Olympic Games. The new move was ratified by the judges and subsequently named the Shewfelt vault. Overall Shewfelt also received the highest execution score (B score) for the two vaults performed (9.75). After his exit from the Olympics, Kyle became a guest commentator on artistic gymnastics for CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
's Olympic coverage.
On May 21, 2009, Shewfelt announced on his blog he was retiring from competition.
"After much thought and consideration, I have come to the decision that it's time to hang up the grips, put away the stinky gym shoes, remove the singlet, take my hands out of the chalk bucket and start embarking on new journeys," Shewfelt wrote.
Routine Skills
- VaultVault (gymnastics)The vault is an artistic gymnastics apparatus, as well as the skill performed using that apparatus. Vaulting is also the action of performing a vault. Both male and female gymnasts perform the vault...
: 2½ Twisting Yurchenko; Double Twisting Tsukahara - FloorFloor (gymnastics)In gymnastics, the floor refers to a specially prepared exercise surface, which is considered an apparatus. It is used by both male and female gymnasts. The event in gymnastics performed on floor is called floor exercise. The English abbreviation for the event in gymnastics scoring is FX.A spring...
: (2004) 1½ Whip, Full Twist, Rudi; 2½ Twist, Front Layout, 1¾ Front; Full Twisting Back handspring; Layout Arabian with Full Twist; Double Twisting Double Back (2008) Arabian Double Piked Front; 1½ Twist to a Full Twist, Front Layout with 1¾ Front Dive; 2½ Twist to a 1.5 Twist, Layout Arabian with Full Twist, Double Twisting Double Back - Horizontal BarHorizontal barThe high bar, also known as the horizontal bar, is an apparatus used by male gymnasts in Artistic Gymnastics. It traditionally consists of a cylindrical metal bar that is rigidly held above and parallel to the floor by a system of cables and stiff vertical supports. Gymnasts typically wear leather...
: Deff, Tkatchev, piked stalder, Full pirouette, Double Twisting Double Layout
2008 season
| Year | Competition | Location | Event | Final-Rank | Final-Score | Qualifying Rank | Qualifying Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 2008 Summer Olympics 2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events... |
Beijing Beijing Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's... |
Team | DNQ | N/A | 9 | 358.975 |
| Floor Exercise | DNQ | N/A | 11 | 15.525 | |||
| Still Rings | DNQ | N/A | 62 | 13.925 | |||
| Vault | DNQ | N/A | 9 | 16.350 | |||
| Horizontal Bar | DNQ | N/A | 52 | 14.250 | |||
| Olympic Trials #3/4 | Calgary | Floor Exercise | 1 | 15.500 | 2 | 15.600 | |
| Still Rings | 5 | 13.900 | 6 | 13.700 | |||
| Vault | 1 | 16.400 | 1 | 16.300 | |||
| Horizontal Bar | 4 | 15.400 | 3 | 14.600 | |||
| Olympic Trials #1/2 | Edmonton | Floor Exercise | 2 | 15.600 | 2 | 15.500 | |
| Still Rings | 6 | 13.900 | 6 | 13.700 | |||
| Vault | 1 | 16.400 | 1 | 16.500 | |||
| Horizontal Bar | 2 | 14.700 | 3 | 14.600 | |||
2006 season
| Year | Competition | Location | Event | Final-Rank | Final-Score | Qualifying Rank | Qualifying Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | World Championships | Aarhus Aarhus Aarhus or Århus is the second-largest city in Denmark. The principal port of Denmark, Aarhus is on the east side of the peninsula of Jutland in the geographical center of Denmark... |
Team | 6 | 270.350 | 5 | 361.975 |
| Floor Exercise | 3 | 15.700 | 15.475 | ||||
| Still Rings | DNQ | N/A | 13.950 | ||||
| Vault | DNQ | N/A | 15.750 | ||||
| Horizontal Bar | DNQ | N/A | 14.800 | ||||
| Pacific Alliance Championships | Honolulu | Team | 2 | 268.600 | |||
| Floor Exercise | 1 | 15.600 | |||||
| Vault | 1 | 16.375 | |||||
| Horizontal Bar | 5 | 15.050 | |||||
| Commonwealth Games | Melbourne | Team | 1 | 269.750 | 1 | 269.750 | |
| Floor Exercise | 3 | 14.700 | 1 | 15.500 | |||
| Vault | 1 | 16.337 | 1 | 16.600 | |||
| Horizontal Bar | 7 | 14.525 | 2 | 14.700 | |||
2004 season
| Year | Competition | Location | Event | Final-Rank | Final-Score | Qualifying Rank | Qualifying Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 2004 Summer Olympics 2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team... |
Athens Athens Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state... |
Team | DNQ | N/A | 11 | 221.905 |
| Floor Exercise | 1 | 9.787 | 3 | 9.737 | |||
| Still Rings | DNQ | N/A | 76 | 8.112 | |||
| Vault | 4 | 9.599 | 5 | 9.687 | |||
| Horizontal Bar | DNQ | N/A | 57 | 9.212 | |||
| Olympic Trials | Calgary | Floor Exercise | 2 | 9.600 | 2 | 9.500 | |
| Pommel Horse | 8 | 7.800 | 7 | 8.450 | |||
| Vault | 1 | 9.700 | 1 | 9.800 | |||
| Horizontal Bar | 2 | 9.200 | 2 | 9.500 | |||