With over 900 gymnasts, local and international, set to compete in this year's version of the Atlantis Crown gymnastics event here in The Bahamas, it is set to be the biggest to date.
The 6th Annual Atlantis Crown Invitational, directed and coordinated by the husband and wife team of Al and Cindy Scharns, the owners of Branch Gymnastics & KidsSports USA in Battle Creek and Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA, is set for December 15-18, inside the Imperial Ballroom at the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island. The opening ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, December 15, starting at 7 p.m.
"We are excited to be returning to what we consider our second home; to host the 6th Annual Atlantis Crown," said Meet Director Cindy Scharns. "This year's event has continued to grow and will boast 910 athletes representing 63 gymnastics clubs and five countries. In addition, we will feature over 78 Bahamian athletes competing from Level 1 through Level 10, male and female."
Competition will get underway on Friday, starting at 8:30 a.m. and will run until 8 p.m. The sessions will continue on Saturday and Sunday, starting at 8:30 a.m. each day.
For the first time this year, there will be trampoline and tumbling competitions.
Athletes will represent the host nation The Bahamas, the United States, Canada and Panama, and for the first time, Trinidad & Tobago and Suriname.
During the classic, there will be a meet and greet session with three-time Olympic Champion Svetlana Boginskaya, formerly of the Soviet Union. Boginskaya is a three-time Olympian and has five Olympic medals in total.
The Region 5 Elite Ambassador Team of Aria Brusch, Gabby Perea, Shelese Jones and Shania Adams, will make an appearance at the opening ceremony, and also present will be Patty Conner of the USA Gymnastics Board of Directors. Also, the Sam Mikulak Men's Challenge will be a part of the meet, with 85 competitors taking part.
The Bahamas will be represented by gymnasts from three local clubs - Bahamas Star Gymnastics, Nassau 'Nastics and Grand Bahamas Gymnastics - ranging in ages from five to 18.
"A special thank you goes out to the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, the Gymnastics Federation of The Bahamas and the Atlantis Resort for their continued support," said Scharns. "We encourage Bahamians to join us for a weekend of fun and high level gymnastics competition."
For more information, the public is asked to visit the website www.atlantiscrown.com.

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