Michael Rodrigues (acrobatic gymnast)
Encyclopedia
Michael Rodrigues (born August 31, 1982) 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
.
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.
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. At the 2009 Acro Cup in Albershausen
, Germany
, the pair placed first in dynamic and second in the all-around and in balance.
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.)
Allen and Rodrigues trained together at West Coast Training Center in Livermore, California
, with coach Marie Annonson
. The pair became partners in August 2007.
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.
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. The pair were trained by Russian coach Youri Vorobyev, who is now owner and head acrobatics coach of Realis Gymnastics Academy in Moreno Valley, California.
In 2006, Michael Rodrigues and Clare Brunson won the mixed-pair all-around bronze medal at the 2006 World Championships in Coimbra
, Portugal
. They also won the all-around silver medal at the 2006 World Cup in Puurs
, Belgium
.
In 2005, Rodrigues and Brunson placed fourth all-around at the 2005 World Games in Duisburg
, Germany
.
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
show Viva ELVIS in Las Vegas, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, along with his former mixed-pairs partner, retired elite acrobatic gymnast Kristin Allen
Kristin Allen
Kristin Allen born on July 10, 1992 is an American acrobatic gymnast. Kristin and her partner Michael Rodrigues made history by becoming the first American mixed pair to win a gold medal from the World Games and the second American pair to win the Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships...
.
Allen and Rodrigues won the gold medal in the mixed-pair all-around at the 2010 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships
Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships
The Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships are the World Championships for acrobatic gymnastics. Before 2006 they were known as the World Sports Acrobatics Championships...
in Wroclaw
Wroclaw
Wrocław , situated on the River Oder , is the main city of southwestern Poland.Wrocław was the historical capital of Silesia and is today the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. Over the centuries, the city has been part of either Poland, Bohemia, Austria, Prussia, or Germany, but since 1945...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. They also won the all-around title at 2010 U.S. National Acrobatic Gymnastics
Acrobatic gymnastics
Acrobatic gymnastics is a competitive partner sport combining the strength, flexibility and technical precision of gymnastics with the grace and musicality of dance as well as the trust and camaraderie of a dedicated partnership...
Championships in Kissimmee
Kissimmee
Kissimmee is the name of several things in the U.S. state of Florida:*Kissimmee, Florida *Kissimmee City Street Railway*Kissimmee Kreatures *Kissimmee Utility Authority...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, placing first in the all-around, dynamic and balance.
They became the first U.S. athletes to win the mixed-pairs gold medal at the 2009 World Games
World Games
The World Games, first held in 1981, are an international multi-sport event, meant for sports, or disciplines or events within a sport, that are not contested in the Olympic Games...
in Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, which are considered the equivalent of the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
for acrobatic gymnastics. At the 2009 Acro Cup in Albershausen
Albershausen
Albershausen is a municipality in the district of Göppingen in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the pair placed first in dynamic and second in the all-around and in balance.
The previous year, Rodrigues and Allen won the mixed-pair all-around silver medal at the 2008 World Championships in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. At the 2008 National Championships and Junior Olympics
Junior olympics
Junior Olympics and Jr. Olympics can refer to any one of many different sporting events and organizations around the world dedicated to youth sporting activities.*Junior Olympic Gold, American national youth singles bowling tournament...
Nationals in Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
, the pair won the all-around, dynamic and balance.)
Allen and Rodrigues trained together at West Coast Training Center in Livermore, California
Livermore, California
Livermore is a city in Alameda County. The population as of 2010 was 80,968. Livermore is located on the eastern edge of California's San Francisco Bay Area....
, with coach Marie Annonson
Marie Annonson
Marie Annonson is a retired elite acrobatic gymnast who is currently owner and head coach at the acrobatic gymnastics facility West Coast Training Center in Livermore, California. The current roster of WCTC athletes includes the 2011 U.S. mixed-pairs champions, Cassie Lim and Brian Kincher...
. The pair became partners in August 2007.
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.
Prior to competing with Allen, Rodrigues was the base of an elite mixed pair with now-retired acrobatic gymnast Clare Brunson
Clare Brunson
Clare Brunson is a retired elite acrobatic gymnast who competed as the top in a mixed-pair team with elite acrobatic gymnast Michael Rodrigues, also now retired.Brunson and Rodrigues were the second U.S...
, and they trained together at Empire AcroGymnastics in Riverside, California
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
and Mission Hills Gymnastics, also in Riverside. The pair were trained by Russian coach Youri Vorobyev, who is now owner and head acrobatics coach of Realis Gymnastics Academy in Moreno Valley, California.
In 2006, Michael Rodrigues and Clare Brunson won the mixed-pair all-around bronze medal at the 2006 World Championships in Coimbra
Coimbra
Coimbra is a city in the municipality of Coimbra in Portugal. Although it served as the nation's capital during the High Middle Ages, it is better-known for its university, the University of Coimbra, which is one of the oldest in Europe and the oldest academic institution in the...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. They also won the all-around silver medal at the 2006 World Cup in Puurs
Puurs
Puurs is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. It is located in the Flemish Region. The municipality comprises the towns of Breendonk, Liezele, Kalfort, Ruisbroek and Puurs proper. On January 1, 2006 Puurs had a total population of 16,029...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.
In 2005, Rodrigues and Brunson placed fourth all-around at the 2005 World Games in Duisburg
Duisburg
- History :A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus holds that Duisburg, was built by the eponymous Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.