Dual world championships silver medallist Lauren Mitchell will not defend her national title next week, an adductor strain forcing her out of the upcoming Australian Championships and Commonwealth Games selection trials in Perth...
Mitchell was the toast of Australian gymnastics last year when she became the first Australian woman to medal in an individual apparatus final at a world championship, winning silver on the beam and again on floor at London’s O2 Arena.
The latest injury is another minor setback for the 18-year-old, who despite recovering from a broken hand last December, suffered another injury in March when she sprained her ankle landing short on a tumbling pass at training.However Mitchell remains confident of being selected in the five member Australian team for the Commonwealth Games. “I’m very disappointed that I can’t defend my Australian title in Perth next week,” said Mitchell, “however I remain positive and I still have my sights set on the Commonwealth Games and World Championships later this year.”West Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS) Gymnastics Performance Manager Liz Chetkovich said that although the adductor injury is minor, it was important that Mitchell rests it now in order to be at full strength for the two biggest competitions on the 2010 gymnastics calendar. “Lauren has had a niggling adductor recently and at the State Championships last weekend she stirred it up,” adding “It’s not a serious injury. We don’t want a minor injury to turn into a major injury, so we decided to withdraw her from next week’s National Championships.“She can jump and she can sprint, but she just can’t straddle or do a dynamic split.“We don’t want her to compete at nationals under prepared and low in confidence.“She’s now on a timeline to be back in shape for a full performance trial in September ahead of the Commonwealth Games and World Championships."Mitchell will join fellow West Australian Emily Little, who starred at the Pacific Rim Championships in Melbourne earlier this year, strained ligaments in her elbow last month after landing awkwardly during a dismount from bars. on the sidelines next week.WAIS have advised that they intend to submit an official injury petition to Gymnastics Australia, asking for the pair’s previous performances to be considered when selecting the five-member Commonwealth Games team.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Mitchell Out... Again
Breaking news via The West newspaper (thanks, Brindabella) and GA.
Get well soon, Loz and Em!
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46 comments:
Sucks. But exciting to see who will be the national champion. Maybe GBo can get her first national title!
A shame not to have any WA representation in the Senior International Competition - they have been so strong for the last decade, Although the National Level 10 competition should be great (first time WA has had a team for a LONG time apparently) and I'm also looking forward to seeing Nikki Chung (Int 10 champion 2009) at Junior international. Good luck to the remaining competitors. You would think Georgia or Shona would be favourites for the title. Or will we see a newcomer?
Did you read the little bit at the bottom of the article. WAIS will petition for BOTH Lauren and Emily to be selected without trialing. I think that would be very risky for the team to select only 3 fit athletes 8 weeks before the Commonwealth Games particularly considering many of the others are also still returning from injury (Larissa, Mary-Anne, Shona and Georgia W). Does anyone know how many reserves are selected?
Great. One more reason for those of us who are shelling out big bucks to fly to Perth to complain. Why exactly is this competition held in Perth again?
Oh well. Hope both girls get well soon.
Anon 6:48 I was thinking the same thing about the injury petition. I assume Lauren will be selected as long as she can prove she is fit by Delhi but this may make it just that little bit harder for Emily to be selected. There is always one travelling reserve I think, well there is olympics and worlds anyway, not sure how many reserves there will be in total.
Anon 6:51 I understand that many people aren't happy about nationals being in Perth but no one could have predicted that there would be no WA seniors competing.
I KNEW people would complain about this. I knew it would just give you whiners who don't want to share nationals something more to complain about. It's like you think Lauren got injured on purpose
It is important for all who converse or read this blog to remember that children often write on this blog and to please keep that in mind, given the level of maturity dispayed in Anon 9:16 I would suggest this is the case here. So a negative response would be unsuitable.
Dear Anon 9:30pm, well said!
Lauren's announcement just highlights the fact that the majority of our gymnasts are to a greater or lesser degree, injured. I guess that is the nature of our sport and I don't think we need to be too worried as it is often the case with our competitor nations too.
Lauren's annoucement is a refreshing change as programms usually claim all their gymnasts are fit and training well until they unexpectedly fail to turn up to major competitions. Well done WAIS for making the call early. At least those who are going over know beforehand albeit too late to change bookings.
I agree that Peggy may be forced to choose between Lauren and Emily weighing up the severity of their injuries. It would be a major risk to select two injured gymnasts to Comm games. If she did take the risk and select both, wouldn't that rule out Larissa as she could not really fill an all-around spot if Lauren or Emily relapsed?
I suspect it all will make for an interesting Nationals.
I agree with what you are saying. It would be a huge risk to take two gymnasts who have recently been injured and an apparatus specialist. I do see one of Lauren and Emily being selected, more likely to be Lauren I think if she is fit. Yes If there are good performances from gymnasts working their way back eg Georgia B, Shona etc then I think it will be harder for GA to pick two injured gymnasts. Does anyone know approximately how long after nationals commonwealth games team is announced?
In my opinion there is absolutely no way that Lauren will not be picked if it comes down to her and Emily. She is better than Emily on every event except maybe vault.
Still, it is really difficult for us to make concrete judgments about whether or not we should take this and that person without knowing the actual extent of their injuries.
There is still a possibility that both will be fine, after all, October is a long way away. At this stage I don't see their injury status affecting their chances of selection, and if they prove not to be fit, then they can be replaced when the time comes. It would be worse to not pick one of them but then they are in top shape by October and we can't use them.
Besides, they are hardly the only ones injured -Larrissa has had a lot of issues, Wheeler had the knee niggle, Britt has the back, Bonora and Morgan are coming off injuries - there is no such thing as a fitness guarantee in gymnastics.
With that said though, I don't see Emily as a guaranteed in even when fit, it really depends on whether or not Morgan/Wheeler can match her DTY, because if so I think Wheeler could be more useful on bars and Morgan is better all around and a likely vault medallist. I think Lauren and Larrissa are in and the other 3 spots will be between Brennan, Bonora, Morgan, Little, Wheeler and Britt if she is in competitive shape although we will have to wait and see with her.
Anon 12:07 you make some very good points. I think that Lauren and Larrissa are likely to be in the team.
I was wondering if anyone knows how many girls competing on each apparatus in Delhi. In Melbourne there were four in quals and finals. Also three could make AA finals. If this is still the case then we are probably looking at Lauren AA (pending fitness), Larrissa UB. Two others for AA and then a VT/BB/FX.
I was wondering if it has changed and it is now more like worlds with only three on each apparatus in finals because I do think the format could make a difference to who is selected.
Nade sorry not anon
I never understood why Emily was supposedly such a lock. She's got a very good DTY but her scores for a hit ub,fx,bb routine aren't up to the same standard of a healthy Shona, Georgia or Ashleigh. Does Emily have a second vault? Otherwise I can't see her being a gold medal threat individually. Lauren should go into Comm Games as the AA BB and FX favourite so i don't see how they could justify Emily going over Lauren.
I'ld say that if we have at least 2other gils with a DTY (Lauren, Shona, Georgia W) or Ash has her Tsuk 1.5 back it will be very difficult for an injured Emily to get on the team.
Larrissa would be a big medal chance on UB so I wouldn't be suprised by her going as an event specialist, however, it appears that she's making a concentrated effort in becoming an AAer or at least a three eventer(UB,BB,FX)
Emily does have a secongd vault, at Pac Rim it had a difficulty of 4.6. But i am not sure the fact that she has two vaults will have a huge bearing on whether or not she is selected. I know it would be nice to have a vault medallist but I am under the impression that the main aim in Delhi is to win the team title. Her DTY is very useful but like it has already been mentioned she is not performing to the same standard as others on UB/BB/FX. I also do not think Emily is a lock, she is a chance to make the team but like Nade said you would hardly think she is a certainty even if she was fit.
Good point about the fromat because if it is 5-4-3 (which I am assuming it is) then Emily's chances definitely improve because you couldn't take Georgia W for VT/UB as mentioned, it would have to be VT/BB/FX.
In which case I would take Emily instead because Emily has been much more consistent, especially on beam, and is probably equal to Wheeler on floor. But then there is also Ashleigh who could throw a spanner in the works and maybe take that VT/BB/FX spot since she does have a 6.0 beam which is a medal chance.
Since only 3 scores count we could probably get away with 2 DTYs and a weaker third vault from her like a tsuk full. Or maybe Georgia B can pull out a 1.5 again? She did the full quite easily at Vics.
This week Canada announced its system for picking their team - like Great Britain, they won't be sending their best girls to CWG, they will send 2 separate teams. Their girls will most likely come from:
Nansy Damianova
Catherine Dion
Jessica Dowling
Kristin Klarenbach
Cynthia Lemieux-Guillemette
Gabrielle May
Miranda Meyer
Laurie-Eve Pepin-Gagné
Sydney Sawa
Emma Willis
I doubt Damianova will be going for the team, as she's headed to NCAA this year. She hasn't really looked anywhere near competition ready recently anyway.
I don't think Canada is going to be much of a threat this time around. They barely have the depth for one competitive team for Worlds, let alone a B team. Plus, their national coach got fired a few weeks ago. Their program has fallen apart a bit the last few years. So this competition is going to be a bust, really.
I really wonder whether the selectors will double up on the team for Commonwealths and send the same 5 plus alternate to Worlds. The reality is, we could afford to stick to a 'core group' of 3 to do both (Lauren, Shona and Georgia maybe as the most experienced to handle two big competitions in a row), and shift around two groups of specialists, with the stronger group of specialists going to Worlds and the weaker group using Commonwealths to gain some much-needed experience. Plus, you'd then have a bit of an insurance policy for Worlds just in case of burnout, injury, Delhibelly etc.
I agree with Anon 4.10AM. We should stick to a core group of 3 girls and maybe alternate the others. I think Lauren, Shona and Georgia B could handle the two competitions and probably Larissa too if she is specialising. We need 5 for Comms and 6 for Worlds right? Georgia W, Ash, Emily and possibly Britt to pick for the remaining places. Also what about Maryanne and Emma Dennis?
Not to forget that we only need to be in the top 24 this worlds, which is acheivable on a bad day. Its worlds in 2011 where we really have to push it.
Larrissa is trying very hard NOT to specialise. Don't count her out for an AA position, folks - she might surprise you over the next few months.
I agree with the core group idea too. From what I have read it seems to me that Australia will send the best team to commonwealth games even though England and Canada are not. Like Nik said only top 24 is needed at worlds to progress.
It is great that Larrissa is working on being an AAer. But the only commonwealth games trial is nationals and I assume after nationals Peggy and the selectors will have an idea of who they want to compete on what apparatus so I think it will be hard for Larrissa to compete AA at commonwealth games. Worlds is a different story considering the trial is in September.
What an impressive information you have just shared with us.
mma
Even with our best team sent to Worlds we most likely won't be a medal contender. So from a publicity stand point winnning Commonwealth Games by a huge margin > coming 6th/7th/8th at Worlds. It's not like we need to have the best girls at full health at worlds to prevent us from falling out of the top 24.
The only issue that I see with sending the same gymnasts to both comps is that actually ef contenders like Lauren or Larrissa might be fatigued, especially factoring in the injuries they've had this year. I guess we'll have to wait until Nationals to see who is fit and what upgrades are evident. With the exception of Lauren and Larrissa it looks as if anyone could make the team.
On a sidenote. Do you think Shona doing NCAA could hurt her selection chances? Peggy might want to give experience to one of the girls who has never been to a big comp (Emily, Georgia, Britt) instead. Will doing NCAA restrict Shona from competing at Worlds next year? Olivia doesn't look like she'll ever represent Australia again.
I am not sure why everyone is saying that Larissa is a lock for the team. At Qld States she scored a 45 for her AA and only scored 13 on bars.
Bonora and morgan scored 46 and 45 respectively on both days of competition and Wheeler scored 54's.
Who in Australia has scored higher than those three at anytime this year? Lauren scored 54 at states and then did not compete all apparatus on day 2.
There's a desperate need for bar workers in Australia at the moment. We're struggling to have girls break 14. Larrissa could break 15 with a hit routine at full difficulty. she'll need to step it up at nationalsthough as she has been very inconsistent this year.
I assume you mean 55 and 56 not 45 and 46. The other gymnast who has scored over 55 is Emily Little. At Pac Rim. Larrissa is cosidered a good chance because of her potential - not based on what she has done recently.
I was thinking the same thing about bars. Overall it is the highest scoring apparatus internationally. At euros the eighth place getter in the final had a score of 14.00 and that with no China or US. Thats why Larrissa is so important to Australia. I know she doesn't want to be a specialist but I think it would be better for her to try and get her bars right instead of looking at becomer an AA at least this year. If she can fix her bars and do well on another apparatus then thats great but Australia has allrounders none of which have bars as their best apparatus and bars is where Australia needs Larrissa right now.
I really hope that Shona going NCAA does not affect her chances of making teams this year especially commonwealth games considering she has never been to one. Peggy seems to encourage the girls doing NCAA so I doubt she would hold that against Shona.
Yeah Georgia B has scored over 56 and Shona and Emily over 55 this year.
The reason Larrissa is considered a lock is because of her bars. Bars could easily be Australia's lowest scoring apparatus and although she is struggling a bit at the moment she did well at worlds last year and I assume that it is hoped that she will improve in the next few months.
Anon 5:04 Look at Olivia Vivian. We all knew well before Beijing she was headed to NCAA before the year was out. But she still got a team spot on the strength of her bar work and helped Australia earn its highest ever ranking.
I personally don't think it could hurt Shona's chances for selection (to either team) especially if she's looking strong- heck, it'll even be great preparation for the big noisy crowds she can expect to encounter at NCAA.
Nik June 30:
Mary Anne scored 102.9 combined at NSW States, and that was with 'watered down' routines. Over both days she had, I think, 6 falls. On floor she did layouts for two lines, and she did a layout dismount off beam. Also, only a Yurchenko Full, and fell.
I think Wheeler should also be focusing on bars and vault for worlds this year. Bars is her ticket in if she can get up her start score close to 6. On beam and floor she is not really needed so much since we have lots of good workers there.
maryanne competed exactly what she could. Her bars was not watered down, neither was her beam. She fell on a full twisting yurchenko, so I can't imagine her doing anything higher in the near future. Her floor was not as watered down as the previous blogger suggested.
Apart from Maryanne doing a G release on bars she really doesnt have anything special. Wheeler has much more than her and Wheelers bars is much more impressive.
Just off the topic, some great new videos have popped up on the VWHPC website, check them out!
1. Is it true Nikola Chung has a DTY now?
2. Does Emma Dennis have any chance?
I am so tired of hearing people say that so and so has a DTY. Many gymnasts train a DTY in the gym but until they stick it in a competition format it is really just innuendo and means nothing.
Wheeler does not have a knee niggle. She did at Pac Rim, after a bad landing on her double arabian pike off bars, however it is no longer an issue.
Well, I rephrase my question, is it true Nikola is planning to bust out a DTY at nationals?
Speaking of which, is anyone planning on competing a dty at nationals?
I think Mary Anne looked pretty great considering she just had surgery.
The one thing that continues to be a huge disappointment though is that all our athletes are progressively eliminating all meaningful choreography from their beam routines.
Mary-Anne was just stunning as a junior with her yang bo style overhead pose and little elegant touches. Now I wonder why I thought she was so much more special than the other 15 seniors who do the same skill set. Don't get me wrong, I think she is a fabulous gymnast, but she could really be setting herself apart in the choreography/flexibility department. I hate seeing such dance ability and talent going to waste like that.
Why not add a beautiful slow needle scale or ring kick to accentuate the mass of skills being performed? Or even just a lovely body wave?
It is the same with Mitchell, if you look at her 2007 routine it is full of great choreography and has so much more flow than it does now.
I just wish more effort would be put into the artistry because Australia has been so good at that in the past.
I don't think Shona will have any problem making teams this year, NCAA or not. If she decides to continue competing for Australia during NCAA, its doable, but tough. Marissa King (Florida/Great Britain) is planning to try it, and Daria Bijak (Utah/Germany) recently did it relatively successfully, although she had to deal with a lot of injuries in the process. The main thing is that the elite season gets going just after the college season winds down, so to combine the two means you'd be trying to remain in competition shape for about nine-ten months of the year non-stop, and the remaining time would be the last few months of the NCAA preseason, so you wouldn't get a break. It would be brutal just in terms of the gymnastics side of things, but then also studying at university as well? Insane.
Interestingly, there's a few current and former American NCAAers who are having a crack at elite. Vanessa Zamarrippa (UCLA) has qualified for the US Nationals this year, and is trying to do both elite and NCAA. That would be even harder with the USA's rigid elite system and virtually compulsory monthly camps.
Marissa King isn't planning to continue competing elite. She's just doing it this year because she'd like to compete for England at the Commonwealth Games. Past that, she doesn't (at this stage, anyway - stranger things have happened!!) have any plans to continue on for GB.
However, you're right - it's so much easier to combine NCAA and elite these days. A few gymnasts are doing it, so if Shona chose to do so, I'm sure it could be arranged somehow!
Doesn't NCAA have a maximum 10 hrs per week training restriction? That would make it tough to be really competitive for elite selection, surely?
Anon 6.08pm - I think I read that it's no more than 20 hours a week. Though couldn't gymnasts then go to a club in the US just to use their facilities and train skills that won't be competed in the NCAA?
Maybe Shona isn't planning to compete elite and NCAA just because she is planning to delay going to Standford by a few weeks this year doesm't mean she isn't going to focus on NCAA and her university studies. I assume Shona must have done very well academically to get into Stanford.
Actually it is a maximum of 20 hours that the college CAN MAKE YOU DO, but is a gymnast wishes to train more than that they are allowed to.
I got the vibe Shona was going to focus on NCAA after this year's worlds but it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if she made a run for London 2012 to become a dual Olympian. If you're in competitive shape and it doesn't interfere, then why not?
Is ther anybody that needs an extra adult to make a 20 group for the national ticket thu-sun elite that I could join??
Hey
Sorry alittle off topic but the australian diving commonwealth games trails are in perth next week so anyone going to the gym nats should consider going to watch!
Alex croak is competiting
10m
10m synchro with mel wu
and womens 1m
Matt mitcham is defently one to watch obviously with a new back armstand double with 2.5 twists(6245d)
Any reports or videos would be much appreciated.
Thanks guys diving is an amazing sport that im sure you ll be amazed by if you go
sorry forgot diving comm games trails schedule can be found at this link-
http://www.diving.asn.au/default.asp?Page=2328&MenuID=Events_@_Results/20003/1805
Under commonwealth games trials program
Thanks ;-)
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