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54 SPORTS Paterson earns 2nd silver at Commonwealth Games G lenn H u n t P h o to g ra p h y Cory Paterson earned his second silver medal at the Commonwealth Games, finishing tied for second in the individual high competition. Four days earlier, the Oakville gymnast helped Canada take the silver in the team competition. t Oakville CO| gymnast adds r high bar medal | to team triumph = HERB GARBUTT | hgarbutt@metroland.com o Cory Paterson had al­ ready watched a couple of competitors fall on the same move he was about to attempt. The Tkatchev was a new release Paterson had in­ corporated into his high bar routine to increase his degree of difficulty. Named for Russian gymnast Alex­ ander Tkatchev, the gym­ nast swings forward on the high bar, releases the bar and uses his momentum to propel himself backward over the bar, then catches the bar on the way down. Paterson had three varia­ tions in his routine, the fi­ nal one including a half turn to catch the bar with a mixed (one forehand, one backhand) grip. "It's a little riskier. A couple of guys had already missed them, which shows there is such a small mar­ gin for error," he said. "It was really anyone's game. It was going to come down to who was hitting all their release moves." So when his fingers wrapped around the bar for that third time during his routine at the Com­ monwealth Games in Aus­ tralia, he felt a sense of re­ lief. Pushing the limits a lit­ tle was what had made the high bar a favourite event. "It lets you be a bit of a daredevil," Paterson said. "You're a high flyer. It keeps the adrenalin going." When Paterson stuck his landing, he clenched his fists and thrust one in the air. The judges award­ ed him a 14.000, the same score he earned to help Canada secure a silver medal in the team competi­ tion four days earlier. He sat in second place with just two competitors remaining. When the next competitor, England's James Hall finished his routine, Paterson saw his score and it took a second to register the two had fin­ ished tied, with the exact same difficulty and execu­ tion score. And when Scot­ land's Frank Baines couldn't match them, Pat­ erson had earned a second silver medal. "I couldn't have been happier," said Paterson, who earlier in the day fin­ ished sixth on the parallel bars. "Going into the Games we knew we had a strong group of guys with good routines. We knew England, with a few Olym­ pians were the favourite, but we knew we could win a medal. To get an individ­ ual medal, too, that was a bonus." It was also a bit of a ho­ mecoming. While it was New Zealand where Pater­ son got his start in the sport, jumping on the trampoline during his sis­ ter Nikki's gymnastics practice, he did live in Aus­ tralia for a little more than a year before his family moved to Canada. At the Oakville Gym­ nastics Club, he won his first of three national championships when he was 12 and went on to earn a scholarship at the Uni­ versity of Iowa. Paterson said his four years with the Hawkeyes helped prepare him for his role with Canada at the Commonwealth Games. "The NCAA it is all team-first. You go from be­ ing an all-around perform­ er to doing whatever the team needs to improve. You have a bunch of guys and everyone is pushing each other to get better," he said. "After competing in the NCAA, I had a little more confidence to hit my routines." That's exactly what Pat­ erson did on the opening day of the Commonwealth Games. He contributed to Canada's scores on the pommel horse and parallel bars and with Canada lead­ ing Scotland by 1.5 points going into the final rota­ tion, it would need a strong performance on the high bar. Medals were still very much up for grabs as Pater­ son, the final Canadian on the high bar, readied for his routine. "It was exciting to go up and be the last guy," Pater­ son said. "I just had to do my thing, do what I do ev­ ery day." He came through with Canada's best score, a 14.000 that was topped only by England's Hall and Nile Wilson, to secure the silver medal."To go out and stick my routine and see the guys going crazy," Pater­ son said, "it was a lot of fun. We all hit our routines and got the job done." Neate going the distance for spot on Canadian junior team HERB GARBUTT hgarbutt@metroland.com Jenna Neate looked like she just fin­ ished a marathon. In reality, the Grade 8 student had run one lap around the school track, 400 metres, and was the last of her classmates to finish. Yet she remained determined to go fast. Looking for a different avenue to achieve that goal, Neate attended the Bur- loak Canoe Club's open house. Encour­ aged by what she saw, she signed up for the club's elementary school program. She showed up on the first day, excited to get on the water and start paddling. And then they started running laps around the club. She soon found inspiration, not from Burloak's Olympic paddlers training at the club, but from a much simpler source. "The older kids didn't have to run laps," Neate said. "I just wanted to get to that point." Four years later, Neate has far exceed­ ed her initial goal. While 400 metres was s once a challenge on land, at last summer's 8 national championships, she won the won | the women's under-17 K-l (kayak singles) | 6,000m. | Even she sees the irony in competing in N ikk i W e s le y /M e tro la n d Jenna Neate will be looking to earn a spot on Canada's team for the world junior championships at the upcoming national team trials. The 17-year-old Burloak Canoe Club member turned in a pair of top-eight finishes at the Olympic Hopes regatta in the Czech Republic last summer. her sport's longest event when she once had trouble running a lap. "In a 6K, the person who leads after one kilometre likely isn't the person who is go­ ing to win. You know you're in for about half an hour of feel an accomplish­ ment in knowing how long you have to push yourself to win." Motivating Neate has never been a problem says Burloak's women's kayak coach Hunter George. "She's very sweet on the water, but get her in the weight room, watch out," he said. "She maximizes her time at practice. It's a weird dynamic here in that your best friends, the people you train with, are the people you're trying to beat every day. And she's very competitive." That's helped her progress in the sport. Last summer, along with Burloak team­ mate Anya Chuprys, she was named to Canada's team for the Olympic Hopes Re­ gatta in the Czech Republic where she earned top-eight finishes in the K-2 500 m and 1,000m. Neate is the first to admit her style may not be ripped from the pages of a paddling textbook, but it works for her. "I don't paddle pretty," she said, "but it's about whatever way you can move the boat." "You watch the senior worlds and there are lots of techniques," George said. "We might make little tweaks, but we'll work with her and the way she paddles because she's already figured out what moves water well." While still not sure if she wants to pur­ sue the sport to the Olympic level, Neate is willing to find out. When she graduates from T.A. Blakelock this spring, she'll take a year off and train full time. And when she does begin university, she's looking at the University of Ottawa or Dalhousie Uni­ versity, schools with strong clubs nearby. For now, her training is focused on the upcoming Canadian team trials. Neate is hoping to earn one of the four spots on Canada's world junior championship team. working at a high level and then you're going to have to bring it up for the finish," the 17-year- old said. "I like to push myself. You CLUB HOSTS OPEN HOUSE The Burloak Canoe Club will hold an open house Satur­ day, April 21 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The public is invited to tour the facility, talk to a coach and find out about the club's programs catering to all levels of ability from beginner to world champions. The club is located at 160 Water St. in Oakville. mailto:hgarbutt@metroland.com mailto:hgarbutt@metroland.com