Two Two Pretty

We've all loved the fashion shots Nastia Liukin has done in the past. Well, now two Aussies are having a crack at it!

Rhythmic gymnast Naazmi Johnston and gymnast-turned-diver Alex Croak appear in the most recent edition of Cleo magazine. Ta muchly to Brindabella for the scans (click for larger).

The Road to London

First stop: Qatar.

Congratulations to Prashanth Sellathurai who has qualified second to the pommel horse final in the Doha World Cup, and seventh to the rings final. Fantastic progress as London draws (eeek!) ever closer.

Event final results should be known later this evening.


Detour: Oregon!

Olivia Vivian and Melanie Jones feature in this wacky video about the OSU gym team's recent retreat. Yes, that's the "Survivor" theme playing.


Double-back: Qatar!

Everyone's favourite teeny tiny action figure missed medals in Doha. As GA puts it, a podium finished "alluded" Prashanth in the pommel and rings finals, though he did improve in the latter, finishing 7th after qualifying 8th.

Weird and Wonderful Webbery

Thanks everyone for your responses so far to yesterday's post. I'm very touched. G'day to Germany, Canada, the UK and the USA! I'd love it if you guys could do some fire engine photos too! Let's keep the good vibes going!

Now,

Did I hear somebody say "frippery"? Well then! Brace yourselves, shiny ones, because the vast and powerful internet has thrown some curious nuggets my way. Behold...


1. Yet more evidence of that brief time Philippe Rizzo listed both "accomplished gymnast" and "beardy weirdy" on his resume:

"Children! Leave that poor defenceless chimney sweep alo-- Oh. Sorry, Phil!"

2. A dog named Ashleigh Brennan. Yes, really.

3. It turns out that Oregon State team members recorded the AFL Grand Final for freshman Melanie Jones and sophomore Olivia Vivian to watch. Awww...

Show of Hands?

I somehow accidentally erased my blog traffic counter (and right before I hit 100,000 hits! Oh, the huge manitee!) but I hope to reinstate it in the new year, preferably with the first post on January 1 to get a more accurate yearly traffic description. The previous one had been installed 3/4 of the way through January. Y'know, as you do.


Anyway.

Just out of interest, I'd like to get a geographical cross-section of the blog readership. So, if you'd be so kind, leave a comment stating your suburb and/or state. And country, if you're one of my fair-weathered friends from across the globe!

You can, as always, post anonymously if you wish but, names aside, I'd love for you to leave a footprint here.

I'll get the ball rolling - (Name withheld) Eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria.

Boffo Numero Uno!

Those of you that caught Kerri-Anne Kennerly's morning program today will have seen teeny weeny Queensland star Brittany Boffo best her own world record - live in the studio!- at most number of 'body skips' in one minute. KAK tried interviewing her directly after but the poor thing was too puffed out to speak.

Not many gymnasts, particularly young up-and-comers, can boast a spot in the Guiness Book of World Records!

Here's a special dedication goin' out to the bendy Miss B...

Stuff What's Heaps Good 'n' That

1. Someone we all know very well pops up here.

OMG she's pointing at me! And at you! The Great One can see us and loves us! Looooooooooves us! *rolls around in the love, cackling insanely*

But seriously, though. Work that shiny new orthodontic work, girlfriend!


2. Copious apologies for not covering the Japan Junior International. I've been out and about as results have been coming in. GA has put up photos here.

Can these two please be national coaches for a bit? That'd be ace. Thanks.

Emma Collister finished 11th AA and Emily Little squeaked into the top 10, finishing 9th. As I commented in the previous post, Emma apparently had falls on beam and had trouble with her double front bars dismount. On the MAG side, Michael Merceica has qualified for the pommel horse final and is second reserve for the p-bar final. Mitchell Morgans is first reserve for p-bars and second reserve for high bar. They finished 10th and 12AA respectively.

Pssssst!

If you're watching the Emmys instead of the Brownlow Medal count tonight, Neil Patrick Harris would like to remind you...


...that the Japan Junior Invitational kicks off tomorrow so stay tuned for results! Australia has two MAGs and two WAGs competing, we wish them the best of luck!

Spotted

1. Allana Slater on the LifeStyle Food channel's program The Best in Australia as a guest taste tester/judge. The episode will re-air today on Foxtel/Austar (check your guides or information bars).


2. Olivia Vivian and Melanie Jones having a great time at the OSU gymnastics team's retreat.

It Really Is THAT Easy!

Danke, Frankston!

Now it's your turn. Keep those messages of support - photographed, drawn, mimed or written with love- coming in to ozgymblog@gmail.com.

You know you want to!

Aussie Two at OSU... 2!

Many many thanks to Richard for a brief report from Oregon State's training session on Friday.

New recruit Melanie Jones showed a Tsuk-full vault and worked releases on bars. On beam she showed a nice two-foot back layout. She didn't have music for her floor routine but did a dance through and showed a double arabian onto soft mats.

He just missed Olivia V's floor in the session but thinks it was like the others in that only a dance-through on the floor mat was completed, with tumbling performed on softer mats offside (as above). She also worked releases on bars but did not show a vault.

As he says, it looked like they were working hard and being worked hard!


Can't wait to see their routines in the new season...

Rhythmic Round-Up

Sorry for the lack of news. It's been a bit quiet on the western front.

A big congratulations to our Aussie rhythmic team who recently competed at their World Championships in Japan.



The team finished in 22nd place, ahead of Commonwealth rivals Great Britain (23rd), Malaysia (24th) and Canada (26th), which puts them in good stead for next year's Commonwealth Games. This is the best result for an Australian team since the 1997 World Championships team, that finished 18th overall.



Individually, Naazmi Johnston posted the best-ever finish for an Australian, finishing 38 all-around. Teammates Janine Murray and Chloe Hayes finished 82nd and 91st respectively. Danielle Prince, pictured above in what I think is a *lovely* leotard, competed two apparatus only.

Congratulations again, ladies, and good luck for future events. This is a fantastic stepping stone!

Aussie Two at OSU

Thanks to the Oregon State Gymnastics group at Facebook for providing a picture of the 2009-2010 lineup in a new season's training session.

In the front row, in the white singlet, is freshman and Aussie expat Melanie Jones! Behind her is uneven bars stalwart Olivia Vivian.

You can follow the team's progress at Twitter.

Good luck for the new year and keep smilin', ladies!

Food for Thought

Well, hi there.

Are you a gymnast, coach, gym parent or health expert working in conjunction with an Australian gymnastics program?

I'd love to hear from you!

There is an interesting discussion happening at the WWGym forum about nutrition programs and diets within gymnastics programs around the world. I know the AIS has great information available for athletes about the meals served in their dining hall, and that in most state programs there are dietitians and nutritionists that consult training centres.



What's emphasised within your gym's/state's program?
What do you think works? What do you think doesn't work?
What system do you have in place with the gymnast/s in your family?
What measures do you use to ensure moderation?
How do you marry food consumption with exercise plans?
How are sweets or favourite treats managed?
How (if at all) is alcohol managed for athletes 18 and over?
How do competition season meal plans differ from 'off season' meal plans?


Comment away, my foodie friends! Let's get some discussion cooking!

And don't forget to send your entries in for the 2009 Worlds team fan project! It's quite easy to do and is guaranteed to bring some smiles!

Happy Birthday To...

Victoria's own Fiona Coley who turns 20 today!

She has already medalled at the state championships and represented Australia in the Japan Cup. Best of luck to her with the rest of her competitive comeback.

In other news, the GA/AIS women's Olympic Squad was reviewed after the team's training camp and the new line-up has been announced as follows-

Georgia B
Britt
Emma D
Emily L
Zoe
Larissa
Lauren
Mary-Anne
Shona
Georgia W

Note the inclusion of G-Bo and Emma, clearly the girls are back in the thick of things! The squad will be reviewed again after National Clubs.

Good luck wishes also to our team at the 2009 Rhythmic World Championships in Japan. Hoop and rope qualification are today, ball and ribbon are on Wednesday.

Jumping Tru Hoops

Someone asked about Trudy McIntosh and Cirque... well, here she is!

A July article here talks to Trudy and to Brooke Webb, a fellow Aussie as well as Alegria's artistic director.

There are also some photos here, one of which I have previously posted here at the blog.

I tried to embed the video here but it didn't quite work so apologies if this post appears about four times over!

Thanks to special agent J for the heads-up. It's great to see Trudy's been enjoying herself with the troupe.

Progress in Pictures

The Victorian Women's High Performance Centre website has put up some cracking photo galleries from recent events - Japan Cup and Worlds team trial to name but two. Some great behind-the-scenes moments are captured...

Lauren: "Dasha wasn't kidding when she said she takes the longest to get ready!"

...and look who put in an appearance at their VIS 'body blitz' day!

Happy (Belated) Birthday To...

My favourite foot-soldier of the shoeless ranga invasion, the ever-smiling Shona Morgan!

She turned 19 on September 1st and I apologise profusely for forgetting.

Keep on smiling, ShoMo, and good luck in London! Do it for gingers everywhere!

Gymnast Anagram of the Day: August 4

Emily Little = Ye, I'll Melt It!


If she wins a medal on the Team BEEEF European tour, hide it! She's packed a welding iron!

Cirque's Skinner Speaks

Thanks to showbizfriends.com for providing this recent interview, complete with photos and video, with former Aussie champ turned Cirque du Soleil ensemble member Lisa Skinner!

"I'm quite enjoying it right now and I love my job and my friends here. You also never get bored because every week there's a new place, people and environment to explore. However, I'm still struggling with the never ending packing/unpacking process. Living so far away from my home in Australia is also hard sometimes..."

Liddick in Lincoln

I was concerned when I'd heard word that Peggy Liddick was MIA, out of the country until the end of this first week of September.

Turns out she's been in Lincoln, Nebraska, saluting fellow former University of Nebraska NCAA gymnasts. She was in the gymnastics lineup in the late 70's and even had a coaching stint there.


She'll be back in her adopted home soon, working hard with the girls before they head to Japan/London.


Will she be sending us a Go You Big Red Fire Engine message? Maybe, but until then YOU CAN!