Kristina Vaculik (born July 9, 1992) is a Canadian artistic gymnast who represented Canada at the 2012 Summer Olympics. In 2011–2012, Vaculik took a year off from Stanford University, which she is attending on a gymnastics scholarship, in order to train full-time for the Olympics.
Junior career
2006
In April, Vaculik competed at the Pacific Rim Championships in Honolulu, United States. The Canadian team placed second and individually Vaculik placed fifth with an all around score of 57.450. In event finals, she placed third on uneven bars scoring 14.500, seventh on balance beam scoring 14.050, and sixth on floor scoring 14.550.
In May, Vaculik won the all around title at the Canadian Championships in Quebec City, Canada with a score of 57.95. In event finals, she placed third on vault scoring 13.55, first on uneven bars scoring 14.65, second on balance beam scoring 14.60, and first on floor scoring 14.65.
2007
In May, Vaculik won the all around title at the Canadian Championships in Regina, Canada with a score of 58.650. In event finals, she placed second on vault scoring 13.925 and sixth on uneven bars scoring 13.450.
In September, Vaculik competed at the 2007 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Stuttgart, Germany. She contributed a score of 56.000 towards the Canadian team's fourteenth-place finish.
Senior career
2008
In March, Vaculik competed at the Pacific Rim Championships in San Jose, United States. She led the Canadian team to a silver medal finish and individually she placed sixth with an all around score of 58.425. In event finals, Vaculik placed eighth on vault scoring 13.462, second on uneven bars scoring 15.225, and sixth on balance beam scoring 14.775.
In April, Vaculik competed at the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Maribor, Slovenia. She placed second on uneven bars scoring 14.850 and first on balance beam scoring 14.957.
In May, Vaculik competed at the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Tianjin, China. She placed eighth on uneven bars scoring 14.075, sixth on balance beam scoring 15.000, and seventh on floor scoring 13.900.
At the end of May, Vaculik competed at the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Moscow, Russia. She placed eighth on uneven bars scoring 14.025 and fourth on floor scoring 14.275.
In June, Vaculik won the silver medal in the all around competition at the Canadian Championships in Calgary, Canada with a score of 57.200. In event finals, she placed first on vault scoring 14.050, first on uneven bars scoring 15.600, second on balance beam scoring 15.500, and second on floor scoring 14.800. Vaculik said, "I just want to enjoy myself and have a good competition. It's been very tiring with all the traveling and different time zones and it's also been hard to work on new skills."
Canada qualified only two spots for the 2008 Summer Olympics and used a points system to decide which gymnasts would represent Canada. Vaculik placed third in the points system which meant that she was the reserve gymnast and not able to compete at the Olympics. Throughout the selection process Vaculik suffered from osteochondritis dissecans in her right elbow. After the Canadian Championships, she decided to take time off to allow it to heal. In December she had surgery on her elbow and took a year away from competition for rehabilitation.
2009
In December, Vaculik returned to competition at Elite Canada in Oakville, Canada. She placed second in the all around final with a score of 52.950. In event finals, she placed first on uneven bars scoring 14.150 and tied for first on floor scoring 13.900. "I didn't have any expectations going into my first major competition after a one year absence," she said, "I just wanted to experience competition again and feel through my routines in a competitive frame of mind. I wanted to prove to myself that I still have what it takes mentally and physically to compete and belong with the best gymnasts in Canada."
2010
In March, Vaculik competed at the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Cottbus, Germany. She placed second on vault scoring 13.787, first on uneven bars scoring 14.050, second on balance beam scoring 14.425, and first on floor scoring 13.950. This was the best showing for a Canadian gymnast ever at any World Cup event to that date.