IASF Virtual World Championship
When the Cheerleading Worlds was cancelled in early April 2020, as a result of the pandemic, it left many of our high level athletes devastated. So many of them were looking forward to travelling over to America to compete against the best teams in the world and showcase their talents – something many had been working towards for years. When Worlds 2021 did not seem possible either due to travel restrictions, the IASF presented a unique solution for the affected athletes and teams, the 2021 IASF Virtual Cheerleading World Championship.
On the 2nd & 3rd October this year we had three of our teams compete at this event, the first competition that our athletes had competed at for almost two years. Phoenix (IOSC7), Angels (IOSC5) & Valkyries (IO6NT) each had two chances to film their routines from the comfort of our MCA gym two weeks prior to this date for judging.
The practices leading up to this filming were challenging and presented many obstacles. We are so grateful that the government granted us an exemption to train as elite athletes during Melbourne’s strict Stage 4 lockdown. We had to work training around people needing to isolate, those awaiting covid test results, and also the 9pm curfew – with athletes who travel upwards of an hour to attend training! We are so proud of our athletes for powering through everything that was thrown at them. Competing at an international level while in the midst of a global pandemic is an incredible achievement and this whole experience will be remembered for a lifetime.
Our very own MCA Phoenix became WORLD CHAMPIONS in the International Open Small Coed Level 7 Division. For most of the team this was their first time performing at level 7 and they had zero deductions on all their routine runs for the competition. To debut MCA’s first ever Level 7 routine at worlds, and become one of the first Australian teams to ever win Worlds is incredible and we are so proud of them all!
MCA Valkyries is our brand new level 6 All – Girl non-tumbling team. They delivered outstanding routines and ended up coming 4th in the International Open Non-tumbling Level 6 division. For many of them this was their first World Championship AND first time competing Level 6. These ladies have been working extremely hard in their practices leading up to the competition and have created an amazing bond together. We can’t wait to see what they will achieve in the future.
So many of the MCA Angels have grown up through our program, many starting with us in Level 1, and to see them now competing at the Worlds level is incredible. Angels hit ZERO in finals and came 4th in the challenging International Open Small Coed Level 5 division. This group of athletes continue to amaze the whole community with their drive and dedication and we can not wait to see them continue to grow as a team.
Thank you to everyone who supported our three worlds teams and coaches. All your messages of support were felt by every single athlete and we are so privileged to have all of you follow us on our journey. We hope you enjoyed all the live streams from training to their competition days. A special thank you to Aussie Gold for giving us the opportunity to represent Australia. We are so grateful for all your support at the most successful World Championships ever for Australia!
Although Worlds looked very different this year, we are incredibly proud of our athletes and coaches’ hard work and dedication over what has been an incredibly challenging two years. They never gave up on their dream of representing Australia and our club, and we hope to celebrate these achievements with you all in person soon. Thank you to our community for cheering us all on at home.
Check out the final routines below!
