Kamloops’ Gavin Dodd Makes History at Coimbra World Cup

Image Credit: Graham Dodd/Gymnastics Canada

Kamloops’ Gavin Dodd is returning home from Portugal with a silver medal and a place in trampoline gymnastics history.

Dodd was one of several Canadian athletes competing at the Coimbra World Cup & GymFest from July 3 to 5 in Coimbra, Portugal, helping Canada bring home seven medals across the two international events.

The Kamloops product led the way for Canada at the World Cup, capturing silver in the men’s double-mini trampoline competition with a score of 29.300.

While the podium finish was impressive on its own, Dodd also delivered a historic performance during the event. He broke his own Canadian difficulty record for both a single pass and the combined two-pass total in double-mini trampoline.

Dodd’s routine also included the successful landing of the world’s first triff to back full-full, a major milestone in the sport and another indication of the high level the Canadian athlete continues to reach on the international stage.

Canada earned three medals at the World Cup, with Brooklyn Lee McMeeken winning bronze in the senior women’s double-mini trampoline event and Sophiane Méthot and Sarah Milette claiming bronze in senior women’s synchronized trampoline.

The Canadian team added more hardware at the Coimbra GymFest, where Arianna Sluga captured gold in the junior women’s 15–16 trampoline competition. Canada’s men’s 17–21 double-mini trampoline team also won gold, while Brooklyn Olsen, Brody Bishop and Sara Moore each earned bronze medals.

For Dodd, the trip to Coimbra was more than another strong result. The silver medal and record-breaking routine put Kamloops on the international trampoline gymnastics stage as he continues to push the limits of what is possible in double-mini trampoline.