01. Februar 2016  
Montreal, CAN  
Artistic Gymnastics

A conversation with Bernard Petiot from Cirque du Soleil

Bernard Petiot (CAN)

In 2013, February the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) has extended its partnership with Cirque du Soleil in a new deal that runs for the course of the current Olympic cycle until 2016. As the Vice President of the worldwide wellknown "Cirque du Soleil" the Canadian Bernard PETIOT is responsible for casting and performance.
After discovering artistic gymnastics as a child, Bernard followed his passion all the way to the Canadian university circuit, where he won numerous titles including “Athlete of the Year" from Quebec City ’s Université Laval in 1975. Then, along with one of his professors, he founded Club Salto in the same city, where he created the women’s gymnastics program and coached for eight years.

Upon completing his Master’s degree, Bernard Petiot was recruited by Montreal ’s Club Gymnix to take the reins of the advanced gymnastics program while simultaneously teaching at Université de Montréal.
→ In 1997, he created an advanced training program for coaches at the National Multisport Centre in Montreal as part of the National Coaching Certification Program.
Bernard’s career as a coach was prolific: in addition to taking part in 13 World Championships, he trained four Olympic athletes, more than any other Quebec coach.
→ In 1998, Cirque du Soleil recruited Bernard to head up its training studio, directing training programs for acrobats and supervising coaches and medical staff.
As a Vice director of the Cirque du Soleil* in February 2013 Bernard Petiot and the President of the International Gymnastics Federation, Prof. Bruno Grandi, signed a cooperation agreement for the Olympic cycle to 2016.

⇒ Now, three three years later, at the beginning of the Olympic year 2016, the FIG published a special conversation with Bernard Petiot ...:

 
* source: fig channel
)* - The Cirque du Soleil is also a partner of GYMmedia INTERNATIONAL:

... the next Audition/Casting of the Cirque du Soleil will be in
→  Melbourne / AUS (February 2016)