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.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
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43 comments:
Can someone please clarify why Georgia W is publicly stating that she is going to India for the Commonwealth Games when under current WAG regulations the reserves do not travel to the event.
yes that was confusing for me as well. She is definitely not travelling to India, maybe she means travelling for Worlds? Who knows? She really should have clarified it better in the article. getting a bit ahead of herself i think
I was thinking either she meant to say that she was happy to be a reserve, thus considered for the team if something happended to one of the others or maybe she means she is happy that it is likely she is going to be travelling in the worlds team.
I agree with anon 6:11 that she should have clarified it better. I doubt she really meant anything by it maybe she just used the wrong words.
Seriously who takes some crappy Leader article seriously? Her comments were probably taken out of context.
Second anon says 'she really should have clarified it better in the article'? Are you serious? She didn't write the article herself, she had no control over it whatsoever!
There has been nothing to suggest GW is anything other than a humble and hard-working athlete so please refrain from making such ridiculous and offensive comments.
Hey Mez - why have you chosen to feature a set of GA medals as part of your masthead?
'GW is anything other than a humble and hard-working athlete' so obviously you know her? im not so sure thats true..
I LOVE GEORGIA WHEELER, I TRAIN BY HER AND SHE IS AWESOME AND HARD TRAINING...
I bet she didn't even say anything relating to travelling with the team to India.
GW I LOVE YA !
No, I never claimed to know her. Read my post.
What I am saying is that there is absolutely nothing in that particular article or anything else she has done media-wise that suggests she is full of herself, so it's only fair to refrain from making snide assumptions about a minor in a public forum.
There are always anonymous posters here just itching to drive in the knife where they can, and it's tiring.
It would be great if this could be a pleasant place for us to discuss gymnastics without people using this as an anonymous forum to voice their personal grievances with certain programs and athletes.
@Anon 8:49 - Basically because they're medals and have the words "gymnastics" and "Australia" on them! That's preeeeeeeetty much the extent of my reasoning.
"im not so sure thats true.."
Errrr? So Georgia DIDN'T work hard to get on the Pacific Rim or Paris International teams? And she wasn't the least bit grateful to be selected to either of them? Huh. To paraphrase everybody's favourite gymnastics film, "Oh yeah, that's right, I SUCKED my way there."
I think Georgia would be well aware she's the non-travelling reserve, if that's the position she's been given from the outset and it hasn't changed since Shona Morgan's departure. I have my doubts that she'd publicly say otherwise if she knew all team members were still healthy and training at the time of the article being written.
Maybe she meant just 'excited to be going to Canberra/the Rotterdam selection camp'? I think her words are getting (or were by the writer) misconstrued.
And as someone who has encountered Miss Wheeler on a number of occasions, I have found her to be a thoroughly hard-working, polite, bright, pleasant young lady who is extremely grateful for every opportunity she's been given, and furthermore very excited to learn she has fans that are following her progress eagerly. (So don't MAKE me get all momma duck on yo ass, anonymous hombres.)
She is great and very bright kid so don't implicate things about her unless you have some greater connection that we don't know about(eg Peggy's handbag etc). You should be thankful that there are a few like her around who want to train hard and have great talent. We need these kids so encourage them.
Check out the great photos on the VWHPC facebook page of the VIS/GV State Camp. Lots of cute up and comers featured
It is quite sad that this comment thread did start just because of one article. Anyway good luck to Georgia at camp, I am sure she has a good shot at making the worlds team. As Mez mentioned she has already had a pretty successful year going to PacRim and the Paris World Cup as well as winning three apparatus medals at nationals.
Stupid of the Leader group to interview the second reserve rather than a Melbourne gymnast actually going to the Games.
I agree with Anon. 1.21pm. I don't understand why they did not interview Georgia Bonora? GW seems like an odd choice to me? She's not actually going so the interview would have been better with a different gymnast.
I love GEORGIA WHEELER AS WELL! She works so hard and is a great kid.
Everyone, its the 'Bayside' leader. GBo lives does not live in the bayside area therefore was not interviewed by them. She was, however, interviewed in the diamond valley leader. Check your facts before mouthing off about George who is indeed a very hard working athelete.
You are like children fighting in the back seat. Don't make me pull over now.
Bottom line, not good form to be misleading in an interview. That has nothing to do with being a good or hard working athlete. Blaming journalists is also a cliche, as this one was a direct quote.
I live in the Bayside area. I normally collect my local rag from the letter box and immediately dump it in the blue recycle bin, cursing the number of trees we kill distributing printed matter than I for one definitely don't want.
However, my gymnastics guardian angel must have made me uncharacteristically open the edition with the small feature article on Georgia Wheeler. It pleased me. Nice to see an article on a hard-working local gal. Even nicer when it's a gymnast.
P.S. I don't expect accuracy from any media source.
Hi,
Just wanted to say that as an elite athlete (in a different gymsport to WAG) local newspapers usually do a really poor job of getting their facts correct. I personally have done interviews (as has my club) after state/national/international comps and provided the journalists with correct placing/comp info (usually a written copy too), only to find when the article comes out that much of it is incorrect or has incorrect infomation. Often the placing are wrong and sometimes even the events. I have also been quoted as saying things that I didn't say (I believe once I was quoted in an article when I never actually spoke to the journalist or the paper).
I think you will find that the local paper has extended the truth a little on the GW article. As an athlete you just accept that the local paper will often print stuff that isn't entirely correct. While this isn't great, the point is to promote gymnastics in the local area rather than to get every single little fact correct.
The question most likely was:
How do you feel about going to the Commonwealth Games?
Response:
"I am really looking forward to it"
OR given how devious and stupid journalists are, maybe the said scribe tried to trick her by asking "How do you feel about going to Southland for some clothes shopping this weekend"
Then deviously used her answer and misapplied it to the Commonwealth Games!!
I cant believe how bitchy this site gets, ALL the girls work hard, maybe some girls have more talent than the other, but they all work hard.
No one has suggested that Georgia doesn't work hard.
Either she used the wrong words in an article or her words were twisted a bit either way it isn't a big deal.
I think people suggesting that the media completely makes stuff up is a bit harsh too.
Anon 8:14 AM you are very naive to believe that this is definitively a direct quote. All newspaper articles come under the scrutiny of editors before they are published and this is where the errors usually creep in as they trim things and move things around to fulfill space and advertising requirements. Let's not attack a 15 year old girl who would not be silly enough to say she was going somewhere that she wasn't. How about supporting all the girls in the lead-up to two of the biggest competitions of their lives.
Oh I see, the evil subs edited the quote which originally said "I am happy to be going shopping at Southland/the shops, to a movie" to "I am happy to be going" and then wickedly positioned it so it looked like she said she was happy to be going to the Commonwealth Games.
Come on!
My guess is the the journo assumed she was going to the Games. and the gymnast was too shy or nervous to correct her.
This is not the first time there have been attacks on Georgia Wheeler. Sounds like some people are very very jealous of Gerogia's success. Maybe they feel they should be in her position but haven't quite made it.
Anon at 5.37 please don't follow one ridiculous argument by starting another - the girls are all very good friends and wish each other well all the time. Georgia is a lovely young lady and would never big note herself. Get over it people whatever she said in the interview it is done and dusted, for all we know GA might have decided to take the reserve with them, somone might still not be 100% and they might be covering grounds. Just because we have heard to date that the reserve is not travelling doesn't mean that will stay the same.
i think its time comments on here are moderated.
I agree, last Anon. Too often vindictive and ill-informed comments are made that go far beyond fair-comment or opinion.
Also, the same arguments and complaints keep repeating.
I don't mean to criticise Mez, though, who does a fantastic job and provides a wonderful and accessible forum for discussion. I understand she can't review every single comment before it is posted.
Guys, I do my best to moderate comments; everything pops up in my email inbox as it is posted here so nothing goes unnoticed.
I have in the past deleted comments that I found to be needlessly offensive or inflammatory. The difficult thing is that, on a number of occasions, I've been criticised for doing so (allegedly censoring valid discussion, not allowing equal airing of viewpoints, cherry-picking praise, etc). So I've been damned if I do, damned if I don't!
Maybe people should try and make things easier for Mez and be a bit more conscious of the comments we post.
But in all fairness I know there have been some people criticising Georgia W in this discussion but there has also been a lot of support for her which is great.
Whilst some people are too critical of certain gymnasts many of the critical comments is actually commentors attacking each other.
Hey, I never asked for people to make my job easy. ;)
I am just surprised how easily some people decide to bandy about unsubstantiated gossip and unkind comments about committed, pleasant young women they've probably never ACTUALLY encountered just because they don't have to attach their name to their message. I don't get what the apparent thrill is. It doesn't help anything or make any progress.
To anons @ 6.54PM & 10.57PM
Freedom of speech is something that we in Australia are lucky to have. I would hate to see that change on here. We might not support or agree with some of the comments that appear from time to time on this blog but having it moderated is not the answer.
A mature approach with common sense needs to prevail.
I usually choose not to reply to those whom make comments l don't agree with, as from past experiences, it will only by adding fuel to their fire. l also choose not to contribute to any nasty or catty posts particularly when it involves young ones.
Freedom of speech does not extend to defamation, slander, or verbal abuse.
Nor does freedom of speech give a person a free pass for being an arsehole.
I have some personal experience of leader newspapers... which did an article on my daughter when she was 5! It was so embarrassing that they changed so many of the facts, and quoting me as saying things I most certainly did not!
I now ALWAYS read the articles with a grain of salt!
Local papers are often incorrect I have been misquoted, had gymnasts named incorrectly and places at national events stated incorrectly- even when the 'journalist' was given a typed piece of paper with all the information. And I'm not talking once- I'm meaning that EVERY single article I have been involved in with the local paper has contained at least one inaccuracy- often more.
I have also been involved with articles in bigger newspapers including the Daily Telegraph (which is a hack, sensationalist piece of garbage) for non-gymnastics articles and been misquoted and totally taken out of context- it happens ALL the time!
As for moderation and freedom of speech- freedom of speech is an American constitutional right but in Australia there is no legislation providing for freedom of speech- actually in most states /territories there are laws that 'prevent' it including the racial vilification laws and defamation laws. Not that I think anyone is breaking those here but I get annoyed when people cry Freedom of Speech in Australia- people should have knowledge about their own country's laws, not gather their information from American movies...
To Anonymous August 31, 2010 9:54 AM, thank you for providing a sensible response to the garbage in this thread.
I think all has been said, let's give Georgia the benefit of the doubt (i believe she was misquoted) and move on
AMEN
'This is not the first time there have been attacks on Georgia Wheeler. Sounds like some people are very very jealous of Gerogia's success. Maybe they feel they should be in her position but haven't quite made it.'
That is ridiculous. You think other gymnasts are criticising Georgia?
With her recent track record at competitions I'm not sure anyone would be 'very very jealous' of Georgia. Seriously, get over yourself.
If it is not other gymnasts then who is it? Parents? Coaches?
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