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Show The Summerbird • August 3, 1992 • Page 7 Russia's world chatnp sports acrobats slated JONES Gala event begins here Aug. 10 An evolving international sport described as the "missing link in gymnastics" is the subject of a month-long series of seminars, workshops and demonstrations at SUU. Activities will be capped by an evening exhibition featuring the sport's world champions from Russia. The 25-member team of athletes from Moscow will be in residence on the SUU campus from Aug. 10 through Sept. 5. The special exhibition for the sport, featuring some of the world's leading athletes, is scheduled Aug. 24. Sports acrohatics, the official name of the sport, is also referred to as acrogymnastics, acrobatics, or simply aero sports. "This intriguing sport, which has tremendous audience appeai involves individual athletes who display their skill and power in platform tumbling," SUU officials note. "Also, athletes in groups of two, three and four perform pair and group routines in harmony with the head, hands and feet of their partners." Sports acrobatics was officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 1987. It is expected that the sport will be performed in the 1996 or 2000 Olympic Games. The United States Sports Acrobatics Federation (USSAF), formed in 1977, is recognized as the national governing body of the sport in this country. The USSAF is a member of the International Federation of Sports Acrobatics (IFSA), headquartered in Sofia, Bulgaria, since 1975. International competition in sports acrobatics is 17 years old. The 1991 World Cup in Sports Acrobatics, held in Tokyo, featured athletes from Belgium, Britain, Bulgaria, China, Japan, Korea, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, U nited States and the USSR. In conjunction with the visit of the Russian athletes, a national seminar on sports acrobatics will be held in Cedar City Aug. 22-23 under the sponsorship of the USSAF, with its president, Joseph Schabaker, in charge. While there are distinct differences in the two sports, tumbling is common to both sports, acrobatics and gymnastics. In sports acrobatics, tumbling is part of the pair/group events as well as an event of its own for men and women. Platform tumbling is performed on a 130-foot spring track built specifically for the event Typically, the "spring" is supplied by coils or snow skis which are covered by mats. at the lower levels, tumblers perform a straight pass and a twisting pass. At the upper levels, athletes perform an additional pass that combines the two. Sports acrobatics also has five pair/group events: women's pair, men's pair, mixed pair, women's trio, and men's four. Athletes in these events perform three routines. The first is a balance routine demonstrating flexibility and strength, and the second is a tempo routine which is more active in its elements and includes tosses and flight. The third routine is a combination of the first two. All routines, except the men's four balance, are performed to music. Focus of the activities in C edar City will be on the sport's premier athletes, the world champion team from Moscow. While the team's training center is in Moscow, the team's athletes are drawn from all of the republics of the former USSR. The difficulty of the skills and the precision of the performances of the team's members have led many sports officials to claim that the sport's participants are the "ultimate athletes:' combining exceptional body skills with grace and beauty. The Russian delegation is headed by Shami! Vildanov, head of the Federation of Sports Acrobatics of the CIS. The delegation also includes sports experts who will conduct theoretical seminars and practical demonstrations. Included on the Russian squad is the world champion four-men team which also won the European championship and the World · Cup; the three-women team champions of Europe and the World Cup; the two-women team, world and European champions and winners of the World Cup; a two combined ream, champions of Europe; a two-men team, European champions and an acrobatic jumps team, world and European champions. PUBLISHED JOINTLY BY SUL"S SUMMER SCHOOi.. PUBUCA'TlONS DEPARTMENT & OfRCE Of STUDENT ACTlVITlES TM SummerbiTd is published four rimes during the 1992 Summer session: June 2Z, July 6 and 20, and August 3. For information regarding the calendar or advertising, please phone 586-7758 between the hours of 10 a.m. and noon, Tuesday through Thursday. TM Summerbird is edited by Larry Baker with assistance from Cheris Tucker, Lynn Dennett, Rich Engleman and Jim Robinson. Special thanks to Sterling R. Church, John Angell, C. David Nvman and Phillip C. Carter. PAINT AND GLASS 720 South 300 West • 586-3800 •1s•• Wlndshleld Chip Repair Bring in this ad for 10010 off Windshield Replacement Featuring our great home cooking & the finest service in town Airpon Ro~d - - - -'rnE- - - - - "Nl~Rl~T GRIT J 1 -=1...1 -1 2290 W. 400 N. 586-9325 Hours: Mon.-Sat., 6 a.m.-9 p.m. CEDAR CITY ST. GEORGE HURRICANE 150 North Main Cedar City, UT 84720 (801) 586-3346 190 North 500 West St. George, UT 84770 (801) 673-4656 39 South Main Hurricane, UT 84737 (801) 635-4477 We're proud to support SUU, the Utah Shakespearean. Festival and other summer attractions |