Thirteen-year-old Tampere gymnast earns place at DMT event in China

Thirteen-year-old Aada Elo will represent Finland in double mini-trampoline at the World Age Group Competitions in Nanjing, China, in November, Yle reports. She is the youngest member of Finland’s team and its only competitor in the discipline.

Double mini-trampoline, or DMT, combines speed, explosive power and acrobatics. Competitors run up to a trampoline that is longer and wider than a mini-trampoline, perform one acrobatic move on it and another before landing.

Elo said she has gained considerable strength over the past year. Training includes sprinting and strength exercises, but she said confidence is also essential when performing difficult moves in the air.

She said a fall onto her neck during one move has left her still working through her fear of repeating it. At the same time, Elo describes herself as brave and stubborn, adding that she has little self-preservation instinct.

Her place on the team followed the season’s qualifying competitions and Finnish Gymnastics Federation criteria. Elo said she expected her score to be enough, but was still surprised when she learned of her selection in late summer.

She trains four times a week at Ikuri sports hall in Tampere. At last spring’s Finnish trampoline gymnastics championships, she placed fourth in the youth DMT category.

Coach Annika Savola said DMT requires explosive power, speed and courage. At competitions, judges assess the execution of each move, its difficulty based on flips and twists, and the landing.