Michael Rodrigues (acrobatic gymnast)

Michael Rodrigues (born August 31, 1982[1]) is a retired elite acrobatic gymnast who now performs in the Cirque du Soleil show Viva ELVIS in Las Vegas, Nevada, along with his former mixed-pairs partner, retired elite acrobatic gymnast Kristin Allen.[2]

Michael Rodrigues
Country represented United States
Born (1982-08-31) August 31, 1982
HometownLivermore, California
DisciplineAcrobatic Gymnastics
LevelSenior International
GymWest Coast Training Center
Head coach(es)Youri Vorobyev
Marie Annonson
Retired2010

Allen and Rodrigues won the gold medal in the mixed-pair all-around at the 2010 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships in Wroclaw, Poland. They also won the all-around title at 2010 U.S. National Acrobatic Gymnastics Championships in Kissimmee, Florida, placing first in the all-around, dynamic and balance.[3]

They became the first U.S. athletes to win the mixed-pairs gold medal at the 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, which are considered the equivalent of the Olympic Games for acrobatic gymnastics.[4] At the 2009 Acro Cup in Albershausen, Germany, the pair placed first in dynamic and second in the all-around and in balance.[5]

The previous year, Rodrigues and Allen won the mixed-pair all-around silver medal at the 2008 World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. At the 2008 National Championships and Junior Olympics Nationals in Des Moines, Iowa, the pair won the all-around, dynamic and balance.[6])

Allen and Rodrigues trained together at West Coast Training Center in Livermore, California, with coach Marie Annonson.[7] The pair became partners in August 2007.[8]

Rodrigues was a member of the U.S. Senior National Team from 2002–11, and Allen was a member of the U.S. Senior National Team from 2006-11.[9]

Prior to competing with Allen, Rodrigues was the base of an elite mixed pair with now-retired acrobatic gymnast Clare Brunson, and they trained together at Empire AcroGymnastics in Riverside, California and Mission Hills Gymnastics, also in Riverside.[10] The pair were trained by Russian coach Youri Vorobyev,[11] who is now owner and head acrobatics coach of Realis Gymnastics Academy in Moreno Valley, California.[12]

In 2006, Michael Rodrigues and Clare Brunson won the mixed-pair all-around bronze medal at the 2006 World Championships in Coimbra, Portugal, and were designated World Class Gymnasts by the Federation of International Gymnastics (FIG).[13] They also won the all-around silver medal at the 2006 World Cup in Puurs, Belgium.[14]

In 2005, Rodrigues and Brunson placed fourth all-around at the 2005 World Games in Duisburg, Germany.[15]

References
  1. "Michael Rodriquez". Bio. USA Gymnastics. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
  2. Patricia, Koning (5 March 2011). "Livermore's world champions Allen and Rodrigues take their act to Vegas". Article. independentnews.com. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  3. "Michael Rodriques". Bio. USA Gymnastics. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
  4. "Golden at the World Games". Interview. USA Gymnastics. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
  5. "Michael Rodriques". Bio. USA Gymnastics. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
  6. "Michael Rodriques". Bio. USA Gymnastics. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
  7. "Contact". West Coast Training Center. Archived from the original on 21 August 2009. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
  8. "Golden at the World Games". Interview. USA Gymnastics. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
  9. "Past Senior National Teams". Factsheet. USA Gymnastics. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
  10. "Past Senior National Teams". Factsheet. USA Gymnastics. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
  11. Pazornik, Amanda (15 June 2006). "Gymnast ready to take on the world". Article. The Oakland Tribune.
  12. "Our Coaches". Bios. Realis Gymnastics Academy. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  13. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-02-29. Retrieved 2012-01-27.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. "Acrobatic Gymnastics World Champions". Factsheet. USA Gymnastics. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
  15. "Michael Rodriques". Bio. USA Gymnastics. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
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