Greenbelt’s Fiona O’Brien is only 12, but at the end of June she competed in a 13-19 women’s trio, an elite level, in Acrobatic Gymnastics at USA Gymnastics’ National Championships in Minneapolis. Fiona, a rising 8th grader at Dora Kennedy French Immersion, along with Juliet Hanks, of Huntington in Calvert County, a rising junior at Huntington High School and Gabby Zsakany, of Odenton in Anne Arundel County, a rising senior at Severn School, formed a 13-19 Junior Elite Women’s Trio who won a medal in each of their competitions. They were named to the USA Gymnastics Acro National Team and named as alternates to the World Team.
What Is Acro?
USA gymnastics has multiple disciplines. Usually when you think of gymnastics, Artistic gymnastics is what comes to mind. It’s the gymnastics of Simone Biles, for example, and it involves beams, bars, floor and vault. Yet, there are three additional disciplines: Rhythmic, which often involves ribbons, balls or hoops; Trampoline and Tumbling (also known as T and T); and Acrobatic (or Acro), which is all on the floor and choreographed in partnership – typically involving a pair or trio and sometimes a quad.
Like most gymnasts, Fiona began with Artistic gymnastics but had to take a leave due to impact-induced injury. During her break she discovered the joys of Acrobatic. It involved a lot of core strength for balance and she found the choreography fun, says her mother, Jamie Krauk.
“They had a lot of ups and downs this season,” injuries, “but they pushed pretty hard” and skipped a level.
National Championships
The elite level Acro gymnasts performed three routines at the USA Gymnastics championships last month. The first is Balance, involving varied positions, climbing and of course balance. The second is Dynamic, which involves throwing and flips. Then there are Finals, which combine Balance and Dynamic. For the elite level Acro, there is also an All-Around score. In the Minneapolis Championships, Fiona’s trio earned Gold in Balance, Bronze in Dynamic, Bronze in Finals and Gold in All Around. It was a tight competition with the trio’s
cumulative All-Around score coming in just 0.04 above the next team’s and that team 0.04 above the next, which, as Krauk points out, means there was a 0.08 difference between Gold and Bronze.
In addition to being named to the USA Gymnastics Acro National Team, Fiona, Juliet and Gabby were selected as alternates to the World Team. They have been training together as a trio only since the end of last September.
“It made me happy seeing how our hard work this season paid off,” says Fiona. “Nationals was a fun experience as a new trio, and I’m excited to be named to the National Team with them.”
The World Team
“Acro Gymnasts highest honor is World Team,” explains Krauk.
The selections for the World Team were supposed to be made in January and the Championships were to be held in March in Israel. Due to the war, selections were moved to the National Competition and the 29th Acrobatic Gymnastics Championships will be held in Portugal in September.
Coincidentally, Fiona’s family was heading on their summer vacation – to Portugal – the week after the National competition, a trip they planned in October last year. Since Fiona is now an alternate for the World team, which can expect a Proof of Readiness test on August 10, the family was told to find a gym in Porto for her to practice at because, although she can travel, she can’t take two weeks off.
On August 10 the World Team gymnasts will meet via Zoom to compete and prove readiness. As an alternate, Fiona’s trio has to be ready.
The National Team
“When I first started Acro, I looked up to the girls at the level I am now competing. I still can’t believe what our trio accomplished this year. Our coach had a vision and our hard work paid off. I am beyond excited and honored to be representing the United States as well as our gym, International Elite, on the National Team,” said Juliet. Gabby concurred, saying, “Winning the National Championship with Juliet and Fiona was a moment I will never forget, as it validated all our hard work and sacrifices, turning our dreams into reality. I am so proud to be a part of this trio.”
In a non-Worlds year, the selection to Nationals would mean competing on Team USA internationally in the fall. This year the focus is Worlds, explains Krauk. Then the athletes will meet in Arizona in January for Winter Selection, where they’ll compete and get re-ranked. Fiona’s rank then will determine her assignments for international meets in the spring.
Then, next June, they’ll compete once again at the National Championships for a place on the National Team the following year.
“I’m so proud of the girls for making the National Team in their first year as a trio together. We pushed them hard, and this season had its ups and downs, but they never stopped working,” said their coach, Sarah Thomas.
