![Elite Canada brings gymnasts vying for national team status to Sask.](https://i.cbc.ca/1.6723238.1674500268!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/elite-canada.jpg)
Elite Canada brings gymnasts vying for national team status to Sask.
CBC
Making the national team is a dream for many athletes, including some young Canadian gymnasts who were competing in Saskatoon this past weekend.
Saskatchewan's Amy Jorgensen already knows what it feels like to represent Canada on the international stage. She has been on Team Canada since 2021.
The 16-year-old was also one of roughly 200 athletes from across the country performing at Elite Canada this past weekend at the Saskatoon Field House, hoping to keep or get a spot in Canada's national teams.
"It's something I really enjoy doing," said Jorgensen. "I always want to put out my best performances for Canada, so I think it's something that really pushes me to work harder and to get better."
Having the annual Elite Canada meet in Saskatoon is a rare opportunity for the 16-year-old and other Saskatchewan gymnasts to compete at such a high level in their home province.
Gymnastics Saskatchewan, Gymnastics Canada and Saskatoon's gymnastics clubs hosted the national meet, with competition spanning over three days.
It was a chance for younger and older gymnasts to kick off the 2023 season and vie for national team status, according to Gymnastics Saskatchewan.
The meet in Saskatoon was the first in-person Elite Canada competition since the COVID-19 pandemic began, with last year's event still running virtually.
"It's really great for us as a province," said Dana Brass, competitive head coach at Marian Gymnastics, who has been working with Jorgensen for about eight years.
Brass said points earned at the competition count toward national rankings.
"So obviously the goal would be to remain on the national team."
Jorgensen wasn't the only national team member from Saskatchewan at Saskatoon Field House last weekend.
Denelle Pedrick grew up in Wilcox, around 40 kilometres southwest of Regina.
In November, Pedrick and her teammates made history when they won bronze in the team event at the world gymnastics championships, securing a berth in that event at the 2024 Paris Olympics.