LAS VEGAS — When 11-year-old Yasmin Roberts flies through the air, she trusts 17-year-old Valentino Elbaz to bring her safely back down.
That trust has carried the Las Vegas acrobatic gymnastics pair from near-strangers to national champions. Now, they are preparing to represent Team USA at the 2026 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Youth Competition in Pesaro, Italy.
Roberts and Elbaz are the only athletes from Nevada selected to compete for the United States at the event, scheduled for Sept. 17-20.
Acrobatic gymnastics blends traditional gymnastics with dance, partner balances, throws and catches. Roberts offers a simpler explanation.
“A lot of flipping and just, like, handwork and partner trust,” she said.
Both athletes began in traditional gymnastics before transitioning to acro. They initially competed with other partners, but coach Ross Gibson believed their skills could complement each other.
“I just put them next to each other, and right away I could see that that was kind of a match made in heaven,” Gibson said. “And from that day, the goal was this competition — the World Championships.”
The partnership took time to develop. Gibson said Roberts was shy when she was paired with the older Elbaz, and the two barely spoke at first. Over the past two years, however, their relationship has grown into one resembling that of an older brother and younger sister.
That connection has translated into success.
Earlier this year, Roberts and Elbaz represented Team USA internationally for the first time at the Flanders International Acro Cup in Belgium. They entered without expecting to win but returned home with a gold medal.
Roberts credited “the connection and just the trust and just, like, confidence” for their unexpected victory.
The pair followed that performance by winning a national title at the 2026 USA Gymnastics Championships, securing their place on the U.S. roster for Italy.
They are now training four hours a day after school, repeatedly performing and refining three routines. Even the smallest details matter, Gibson said, down to the placement of a finger.
Roberts and Elbaz will compete in a field of 28 mixed pairs, with the top eight advancing to the final. Gibson said the primary goal is to deliver three clean routines they can be proud of.
A medal would be an added reward. So would the chance to enjoy Italy after the competition.
Roberts already knows what she wants to do first: “Eating gelato and pasta.”
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