Read the statement from the Victorian High Performance Centre here.
Naomi was a hard-working gymnast with powerful vault and bars skills and a striking performance style. She won two medals for Australia at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, taking a bronze on vault and standing alongside her teammates on the winner's dais as Australia took team gold. She also etched her name alongside the exciting class of 2005-2006 with a strong international debut at the Shanghai World Cup and Australia vs Japan events. With Commonwealth all-around champ Chloe Sims and prima ballerina Hollie Dykes, she proved to be one of the best performers the Sunshine State has ever produced.
I was so looking forward to seeing Naomi make a run for another Commonwealth Games or maiden World Championships since her move to Melbourne. I hope she finds contentment in whatever she pursues, but, most of all, I wish her good health.
AGB STANDS BY ITS COMMITMENT TO FRIGGIN' LOVE NAOMI RUSSELL.
32 comments:
best of luck to naomi - she was a beautiful and gymnast and she always looked like she was enjoying her time out there and her sunny smile will be sorely missed
Good luck to Naomi! Good on her for giving it a real go to come back from injuries! Nice statement from the high performance center!
In regards to MM getting experience - yeah, sure you need to compete internationally to get experience.....but you can do this in comps smaller than the commonwealth games.
That conspiracy theory - lets hope that is not/was not the case!! It easily could have been though - name a team that had a gymnast from AIS and a range of other clubs.....all looks good for funding etc.....but then put Shona in because, really - she should be there over Ash & MM. No sport is more open to that kind of politics than gymnastics.....especially given all of that criteria than Peggy & co use to pick the team - basically they can pick just about anyone and justify it.
It would be nice to have a selction criteria that was a little less subjective, eg. give the first 3 all around places to the first three girls overall at Nationals and allow the selection committe to consider injury petitions and other girls for the two specialist positions! At least that motivates the girls to be ready for Nationals and is much fairer.
I thought this thread was about Naomi, and appreciation of her and her career. Well done Naomi on your fantastic career and wonderful display of gymnastic skill. Stop the selection bashing and move on .................
Yes this thread is supposed to be about Naomi and good luck to her in all her future endeavours.
Anon 9:05 if the first three at nationals got automatic qualification and others could only compete as apparatus specialiats then Lauren who was fourth AA in the world last year and missed nationals due to injury would not get an AA spot. That does not make sense.
Talent transfer program????? What sport is Naomi looking to transfer to? Diving? Aerial skiing?
I must say, I am quite saddened by this news. Naomi's comeback was the one I was looking forward to the most. I love her style and attack, and her ability to combine big tricks with clean and interesting gymnastics. She looked like a real team motivator, too.
Best of luck in the future, Naomi!
I will miss Naomi also. She was a fantastic, happy gymnast, and you could always tell she loved the sport so much. I have so much admiration for her with all her coming back from injuries and surgeries and moving to Victoria and everything. What a champion!
Good luck Naomi with your new sport - I know you'll be as awesome at it as you were gym :)
Happy 19th Birthday to Lauren Mitchell. Hope you had a great day on Friday!
Nomes you are the bomb!!!! no matter what you do everyone will always love you! you are so talented and im sure what ever the future brings it will be fantastic. love ya nomie xx
Not to draw attention away from Naomi (whom I love!), but I just wanted to draw everyone's attention to the Worlds draw.
Australian WAG in subdivision five, with Greece, Denmark and a mixed group.
Trying to find the men's draw now...
From what I can see, guys are also in subdivision five, along with USA, Belarus, Bulgaria, Portugal and a mixed group. Strong subdivision!
The good thing for the girls is that they will be later in the day when the scores inflate a little and they are also starting on vault.
does anyone think it's odd that MLC have not even mentioned Georgia Wheeler's reserve status for the CWG on their site? I mean, they might be upset she didn't make it after thinking she would, but it is still an achievement.
MLC probably haven't had the opportunity to update their site - like Waverley have yet to mention Shona's retirement. SOmetimes websites are manned by volunteers and circumstances might arise that means they can't update everything straight away. I was away once and couldn't update my site for a week. There is nothing to read into that as knowing MLC they are exceptionally proud of her and will update in due course.
Michelle was VERY quick to send an email to everyone at MLC celebrating Georgia's success and is clearly very proud.
Website update will follow
Glad to hear it. They are usually so quick with updates, I was just curious. I hope Georgia can really have a crack at upgrading her vault and bars and she might very well find herself on the worlds team, especially now that Shona is off.
Hope not. GW not an international class athlete at the moment.
MLC have updated some news and i was just curious - they list one of the juniors going to camp as Stella Stavvidou. Is this the Stella that started at Epping and then went to WAIS? Last names are slightly different but i'm tipping a mis spell.
Yes, its the same Stella. She is on a three month trial at MLC.
Anon 8.45 what are you saying exactly?
So she trialled WAIS but didn't like it? It is nice to see someone so dedicated to getting the right club for them that they are willing to go cross country. Probably a wise decision to get out of NSW elite system given Victoria has such a stronger high performance culture.
Victorian?
Thanks 2.56. and 4.32 - what do you mean by:
Victorian?
Im would like to know too. What does Victorian mean?
And what's wrong with the NSW programme? Maryanne Monckton, Naomi Lee etc seem to be doing just fine.
Naomi and Maryanne are both at the AIS - even though they were originally from NSW. The problem in NSW is that, as far as i know, there is no overarching elite program system - just clubs that run elite programs and haven't two of those clubs shut down their elite programs - or was it just one? That provides problems with gymnasts having to find another club
Victorian? was a question to the previous poster ( although not really a question as much as an eyebrow raising) in relation to a clearly Victorian point of view that a) Stella didn't like WAIS or at least thinks Victoria is a better place to be and b) there is something wrong with NSW (probably that it isn't Victoria) I was being funny ( at least I thought I was). Some of the Victorian posters on here are so parochial that it makes me laugh. I didn't mean to offend so please don't yell at me now. Sigh.
Epping hasn't closed though has it?
No. Epping is getting strong. IDP 6 & 8 girls are great. Kiana Elliott is back at training, looking good. and then there's Emma Nedov. They also have a really good mens programme under coach Max
The Epping girls are so lovely and polished. When I was looking through the nationals photos and saw Elisha Lai's switch ring, I was in awe. Just gorgeous!
5.23 - i wasn't offended i just didn't know what you meant - from 4.45
Epping are producing some nice gymnasts in IDP 8 but their program doesnt really exist. It is really just one group rather than a program. They have one competitive junior and 4 - 5 good IDP 8 girls but not too much under that. So I am not sure as to the longevity of the program.
They have some really good IDP 6 girls coming up
Post a Comment