When freshman gymnast Kristina Vaculik decided to take a year off from school to compete with the Canadian national team, she had one goal in mind — qualify for the Olympics. On Wednesday, she did just that, posting her team’s best score on the uneven bars as Canada was one of four teams to advance to the London Games at the Olympic Qualifying Test Event.

 

One of seven team members, Vaculik is a two-time Canadian all-around champion and won four titles at the 2010 national championships.

 

As a freshman on the Farm last year, she competed in all four events and scored at least 9.825 points (out of 10) in each. Her season-high score came at a crucial time for the Cardinal, when she placed third on the bars at the NCAA Ann Arbor Regional.

 

Assuming Vaculik stays healthy, she will likely be one of three Olympians on Stanford’s 2013 roster — sophomore Shona Morgan and freshman Rebecca Wing competed at the 2008 Beijing Games for Australia and Great Britain, respectively.

 

– Miles Bennett-Smith