Athens calls Ottawa duo - 'Brilliant' Banville, Purnell earn tickets to Olympics

By Rob Brodie, Ottawa Sun, July 12, 2004

The Olympic quest is complete for Melanie Banville and Heather Purnell.

Next stop, the Athens Games.

The Ottawa Gymnastics Club duo nailed down two of six available spots on the women's team that will represent Canada in Greece next month during a pressure-packed weekend of final trials held at Seneca College in Toronto.

They'll march in the opening ceremony on Aug. 13, then begin competition two days later at the Olympic Indoor Hall in Athens.

"It's hard to believe that I've finally made the Olympic team," said Banville, 17, of Long Sault, who finished first overall on both days of the trials.

"It's a feeling of both relief and joy. I've wanted to go to the Olympics since I watched the gymnastics competition at the 1996 Olympics and now that I'm going, it's a great feeling. I'm just so glad to have the chance to represent Canada."

Banville certainly made it easy on the team selectors for Gymnastics Canada. She posted an overall score of 37.325 to top the field on Saturday, then turned in a 37.050 total yesterday -- also tops among the 10 entrants.

Included were the best scores on three of four apparatus Saturday, and one of four yesterday. She was second on the rest.

"Melanie was positively brilliant," said Tobie Gorman, who coaches both girls at OGC with Lori Ierullo. "She was amazing this weekend.

"There was just no holding her back. We've been waiting a long time to see that kind of competition from her."

Purnell, the No. 4 automatic selection for Athens after Kylie Stone of Calgary and Amelie Plante of Joliette, Que., almost matched Banville in Saturday's round of competition. Her 36.575-point total was second best, and included the top score for vault (9.275).

Though she slipped to fifth overall yesterday (36.30), Purnell, 18, of Metcalfe, had done enough to book her Athens ticket. The team selection was based 65% on the trials results and 35% on last month's Canadian championships in Mississauga, where Purnell placed second overall (Banville was fourth).

"Heather had a great day (Saturday)," said Gorman. "She struggled a bit on beam but after that, she just rocked.

"They were both very, very good ... we had a terrific weekend."

Gymnastics Canada was expected to choose the final three athletes for its Athens team -- one of them an alternate -- late last night. One was expected to be veteran Kate Richardson of Coquitlam, B.C., who wound up fifth overall following the weekend trials.

Canada qualified a full women's team for the Olympics by placing 11th overall at the 2003 world championships in Anaheim, Calif. Gorman thinks the team can soar higher in Athens.

"It's a strong team and the experience is there," she said. "We're going to be better than we were at worlds.

"We expect to (finish) even higher."

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