Rosie MacLennan, Karen Cockburn in women's semifinal at trampoline worlds
Canadians place 4th, 23rd at Olympic qualifying event
A less intense training schedule didn't hurt reigning Olympic champion Rosie MacLennan on Day 1 of the 2015 world trampoline championships in Denmark on Thursday.
The Toronto athlete, who was forced to cut back her workouts after suffering a concussion in July, advanced to the women's semifinal with a fourth-place finish in Odense.
My optional routine was a rough one today, so I'll be looking to step that up a lot if I want to have a chance of getting into the final.- Canadian gymnast Karen Cockburn after Thursday's qualifications
MacLennan scored 101.905 points for her compulsory and optional routines while fellow Canadian Karen Cockburn finished 23rd in the field of 24 to qualify with 97.975 points.
"My optional routine was a rough one today," Cockburn said in a statement released by Gymnastics Canada, "so I'll be looking to step that up a lot if I want to have a chance of getting into the final."
This week's competition serves as an official 2016 Rio Olympics qualifying event.
Countries with two finishers in the top eight will automatically receive two qualifying positions for next year's Summer Games in Brazil. Those beyond the top eight but within the top 24 are eligible to compete for the remaining eight spots at an Olympic test event in Rio de Janeiro in late April.
Sixteen women gymnasts will compete in Rio, with a maximum of two per country.
Patience, MacLennan said, will be critical for her to reach the podium in Denmark.
"I had these plans of what I wanted to do for worlds and, each day that went by and I wasn't able to train to the extent that I wanted to, I had to adapt these plans and have a new way of getting to where I want to be," MacLennan told CBC Sports during a training session last week.
Canadians shine
Five other Canadians qualified for either a semifinal or final on Thursday.
Joining MacLennan and Cockburn in qualifying fifth for the women's team final is Samantha Sendel of Aurora, Ont., and Samantha Smith of Richmond Hill, Ont.
In women's tumbling, Jordan Sugrim grabbed the last spot in the women's final after placing 10th with 64.900 points. She was bumped to eighth place due to the rule of limiting finals to two athletes per country.
With her performance, Sugrim also clinched a spot for Canada at the 2017 World Games in Poland.
"I feel the most physically and mentally fit I've ever been," she said, "and I just have to keep it up."
Quebec's Raphaelle Villotte was 24th.
Burnett lone men's qualifier in trampoline
On the men's side, Toronto's Jason Burnett was the lone Canadian to qualify in individual trampoline, placing 16th out of 123 competitors with 105.010 points.
Burnett also finished 23rd in the team event with Keegan and Kyle Soehn of Red Deer, Alta., and Trevor Stirling of Kelowna, B.C.
In men's tumbling, Canada advanced to the final in the team event with a fifth-place showing.
Individually, Canadian champion Jon Schwaiger of Burlington, Ont., was 12th in a field of 40, followed by Michael Chaves of Mississauga, Ont., (15th), Nicholas Jackson of Cambridge, Ont. (23rd) and David Findlay of Hamilton (36th).
Friday's schedule includes qualifications in men's and women's double mini and synchronized trampoline.