MLC in TCG

MLC Gymnastics star in the making Amelia McGrath is featured in the latest edition of The Couch Gymnast magazine. Check it out! It's a hoot.

(If the above link doesn't work, go to the TCG blog link on the right hand side of this page and click on the image of the magazine)

Delhi Delights

Every day brings us a tiny bit closer to the Commonwealth Games.

Catch up with news articles featuring some of our team members here at GA. The most recent one (to date) features WAG Ashleigh Brennan. Those of you who get the Berwick Gazette will have seen another feature article on Ash in Wednesday's edition.

And, because I promised the lovely lad I would do it when I was back from holiday, check out MAG team member Thomas Pichler's cool website here . Read all about his training and promotional work as he prepares for the CommGames and Rotterdam World Championships.

Youth Olympic Games: Artistic Wrap-Up

Wow! What an exhilerating last couple of days. It's been a while since I did a stay-up-late-and-madly-liveblog session, it was fun! Can't wait for CommGames.

So it's the morning after the night before, so to speak (at 8:30 in the evening...). Read Waverley's take on their new gymnastics superstar here. Read an Australian Olympic Committee article here. Some ace photos in there. Apparently Angela got a mention on radio this morning, too!


A cute article from the Sydney Morning Herald is here.

"I can't believe it, it's weird but it's great."

Eagle-eyed Victorians might have spotted Angela's name in the sports listings in the Herald Sun today; unfortunately she was listed as a medallist on bars, not beam!

Our thoughts go out to Brody-Jai Hennessy who, despite a mistake that resulted in a last place finish on his signature event, showed great poise and sportsmanship by getting back up on the bar and finishing his routine. That's a determined athlete right there. And to demonstrate that at your very first overseas competition shows that you'll handle any knock that comes at you along your journey.

Trampolinist Madeleine Johnson finished a creditable 6th in the women's tramp final at the Games.

We await news of our rhythmic gymnastics team's performances. Best of luck to our remaining gymsporters!

Youth Olympic Games: EF Day 2 LIVE!

In half an hour, the final day of gymnastics competition at the Youth Olympic Games will kick off.

Check previous posts for links to the live webstream. Tonight we'll be seeing both Angela Donald and Brody-Jai Hennessy in action. Goooooooo Aussies!

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Angela will be up second after Tan Sixin! She's in lovely green and gold.



Oh, I am EXTREMELY pissed off. Moments before Tan Sixin mounted the beam, my computer decided to say "Hello! Windows is now shutting down!" with no provocation at all. I then couldn't get back on the internet. So I've missed most of this beam final, aaaargh! Why does my computer always pick the most inopportune moments to go kersplat!?
My apologies to EVERYONE for not being here to detail Angela's routine. She's currently sitting in 2nd (and texting!)

With one competitor to go, looks like she's guaranteed a medal! Just depends on which colour!

And... and... and... the results are in...

***CONGRATULATIONS ANGELA DONALD, YOUTH OLYMPIC BRONZE MEDALLIST ON BALANCE BEAM!!!***

VOTE 1 ANGELA DONALD!

Some small screencaps from the medal ceremony, made with love by yours truly...

It's time for the men's high bar final... Brody Hennessy's time to shine!

He'll be up second.

How YOU doin'...?

Does a very short warmup - a few giants then his release (a HUGE one, caught well, it'll make or break the routine... its name has slipped my mind! Um um um um... Voronin?) before hopping off. Cheers for him in the crowd can be heard.



Oh dear! A heartbreaking routine! Nice Geinger to start, but then completely misses the Voronin. Lands on his back. Gets back up, takes a while to get his momentum back in the swings, catches a tucked Kovacs. Big stumble forward on the double layout full dismount. Finishes with 11.7. Good try, Brody!

Youth Olympic Games: EF Day 1 LIVE!

It's 6pm Singapore time, so that means day 1 of apparatus finals has kicked off.

Go here and select channel 2 to watch the live stream. Watch out for Angela Donald in the uneven bars final.

Tomorrow, Angela will compete again in the beam final; her MAG counterpart Brody Hennessy will feature in the high bar final.

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Angela's wearing white leo with pink and purple flourish (think Dasha in Aarhus bars final).


She will be up 4th. Warmup looks great, swinging confidently, sticks a double tuck dismount.

C'mon Angela!

Swings the 'real' routine just as nicely. Great leg form throughout, smooth overshoot from high to low, then stalder transition from low to high, slightly bent leg on straddle tkatchev? Though maybe it's just me? Small shuffle on the full in back out dismount but otherwise a great effort. Gets a big hug from Ferlito of Italy as she gets off the podium. Then a bigger one from Shao Yi! Team doctor seems chuffed with her efforts, too, from behind the barriers. Scores 12.975, finishing in 4th, juuuust short of a medal!

(I couldn't NOT capture this moment!)

Please be advised that I may NOT be here to cover tomorrow's event finals. Though I will do my best!

Read a wrap-up with quotes from Angela here.

2010: Australia Decides

Polls closed one hour ago (in Melbourne at least!) on Australia's 2010 Federal Election.

Though this blog is least of all things a political soapbox, forgive this brief PSA that (you'll be glad to know) comes with no agenda or endorsement.

I just hope all you Aussies at home and abroad voted with your heads and your hearts. Whatever your reaction to the outcome, be glad that we are free to publicly air our views - favourable or unfavourable - on the government without persecution or threat; that we can speak to our state or national figureheads on national radio and television without censorship; that we can travel to and from polling venues without concern for our personal security; that we can put pencil to ballot paper without having to entertain the possibility that the process could be tampered with.

Or, to put it in the brilliant, succinct words of one Tweeter:

"Just voted. There were no militias or suicide bombings. There were sausages and a cake stand. Voting in Australia is awesome."

G-Bo On Ya Radio

Delhi-bound National Champion Georgia Bonora was interviewed by popular Melbourne radio station LightFM. Cracking stuff.




(via Gymnastics Australia/Waverley Gymnastics Centre)

Youth Olympic Games: WAG AA Final LIVE!

Gah! I didn't realise it was on already.

Go here and click on "Bishan Sports Hall" on the right to get women's gymnastics.

Angela's in a black and pink leo. Rotation 2 is about to start, she looks to be in the second group of girls to compete on bars.
BARS: My feed skipped! Pretty much missed the whole thing (jump mount onto high bar, giant full, there were some others giants in there somewhere, an overshoot to handstand, stalder on low bar immediately up to high bar, something something something something else!) save for the dismount, which was a full in back out with the tiiiiiniest of shuffles. Scores 13.100

BEAM: You are KIDDING ME. My feed stopped again! Caught the mount (split leap on), the the rulfova (very steady), front aerial, little choreo flourish, BHS LOSO with a step backward. Feed froze, didn't catch anything in the second half. Scores 13.800.



She's 8th going into the last rotation.

FLOOR: We didn't see it! They kept the cameras on Sasada, Sixin and Komova.

Shaoyi having a chat with the Chinese coach.

ANGELA FINISHES 7th OVERALL, WELL DONE ANGELA!!!

Singapore Sling: Youth Olympics LIVE!

Gah!

Home at last, but I'm so behind on everything! Quick - is there still that election thingummy on? Who's winning the cross country water polo? Are all the members of B*witched still alive? IS BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH STILL TRENDING ON TWITTER!?!?

Right. Yes. *adjusts Media fedora just-so*
I'm well behind on all the Youth Olympics goings-on and for the moment am stuck with a slow PC that doesn't open too many links or show video. All I can tell you thus far is that...

- Brody-Jai Hennessy has qualified through to the men's high bar final

- Gymnastics Australia has links to articles and live streaming of the Games although...

- If you have Foxtel Digital like me, you can check our their dedicated YOG channel (517) that I discovered this morning!

Cracking stuff. Best wishes to the rest of our competitors this week. I hope to give you more comprehensive coverage (and even watch some of that live stream) when my laptop coughs and splutters back to life.


Now, who out there wants a stodgy Langkawi keyring...?

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ETA: Got the stream working in time to see Angela TOTALLY NAIL BEAM! Stuck double twist dismount. The commentators and crowd just loved it. GO ANGELA! Scored a 14.400.

Moments later: These guys are rubbish and obviously totally new to watching gymnastics - I've taken my headphones out until Angela starts on floor.
Floor- had a big jump back on the opening double pike and closing double tuck but a great effort. Looks like the latter MIGHT have gone out of bounds. On the replay... ooh, it was very close! Scored 13.100, still sitting in second place AA before 3 rotations are completed.

Hm... they started showing Angela's vault and then cut to floor. Oh dear! It appears we have missed out. At the end of this second subdivision she has finished in 4th place! Congratulations Angela!

Some videos are going up at this YouTube channel.


A summary (written before all subdivisions were completed) is here. Apparently Angela finished equal 6th? She's through to the all-around final, the bars final and the beam final, wooohooo!

Ahoy There!

AGB is coming to you live from somewhere not anywhere near Australia.


Hello there! Can't tell you all how much I've missed you. Especially you there, with the hair.

Just wanted to pop by and say yes, I am still alive and kicking here in the middle of the ocean. My cruise is coming to an end but I wanted to update you on our final port of call.

Yesterday we hit Singapore after stops in Malaysia and Thailand, and I am extremely pleased, proud and privileged to say that our visit happened to coincide with Singapore's National Day celebrations! The city was nearly deserted as everybody was inside their homes preparing for festivities (including a street parade and a bunch of concerts) but you could definitely feel a buzz in the air. Every building sported numerous red and white national flags ou their windows, whole apartment blocks and courtyards were trussed up. I navigated the subway system with aplomb, and come 1:00 when celebrations were kicking off in the city centre, the underground was awash with red-and-white-clad partygoers heading into town for the big national bash.

Of course, I was also excited to be in Singapore to see the preparations for the Youth Olympic Games. Unfortunately my walking tour didn't have a lot of 'personal wandering time' after formalities so I didn't get the chance to stop in front of a banner to take a picture. But I can tell you that there were heaps of them around on poles and walls (almost rivalling the number of flags) and I even saw a double-decker purple bus with the Games mascot on it. I felt super excited even though I wasn't even going to be there for the actual event. I can tell our athletes will have a fantastic time in Singapore, it was a clean and organised place, with very friendly people willing to help visitors like myself.

The moment of the day for me came when our ship pulled away from port. It was 8pm and the whole city was lit up like a Christmas tree... even the cable cars above the city had flashing lights on them! It was a remarkable sight and I am disappointed my video footage doesn't quite do justice. As our ship finally sounded its horn and started pulling away, we could just glimpse fireworks over the building.

AGB IS HENCEFORTH DELCARING THAT IT FRIGGIN' LOVES SINGAPORE.

I wish I could have you all here with me, but the ship's already full (I should know - our request for a stateroom upgrade got rejected). I've been out of the loop on gym news but if my inbox is anything to go by, you've all been keeping yourselves fully entertained. I should be home in about 6 days.

Best wishes to all our gymsporters heading to Singapore, I hope you have as much fun there as I did in just one day.

GO YOU BIG RED FIRE ENGINE!

Salty seadog love,

~ M.