It reads as follows:
**************************************************
EMMA DENNIS RETIRES FROM ELITE GYMNASTICS
22nd December 2010
Emma Dennis has announced her retirement from elite gymnastics competition. After a long and illustrious career, she has decided it is time to scale back training to give full attention to her VCE studies in 2011.
Emma’s coaches John Hart and Shaoyi Jiang are very sad to see Emma retire from elite competition but are also excited for her taking the next step in her life. She intends to keep training with reduced hours and may consider competing in the National stream from time to time for the enjoyment of the sport.
The 18 year old is a proud member of Waverley Gymnastics Centre and expressed how much she will miss her club, team mates and supporters. Emma particularly wanted to thank her coaches John Hart, Shaoyi Jiang , Club Director Tanya Johansen, ballet coach Grace Yang, physiotherapists Paul Haas and Jenni Allen from Bounce, Dr Dan Bates and Dr Don McIntosh all for their exceptional dedication and commitment through the years.
Emma’s involvement in elite gymnastics would not have been possible without the support of the Victorian Institute of Sport.
Emma’s incredible career spans 7 years of elite gymnastics. Some of Emma’s career highlights include:
Competed successfully at 5 International competitions as both a Junior and Senior in Sweden, Germany, Belgium and officially representing Australia in Japan, Ukraine and Britain.
Selection as non‐travelling reserve for the 2010 Worlds team
In the 2010 Victorian Championships Emma placed 5th AA, 4th Bars, 4th Beam, 4th Vault, and 5th Floor.
Selection as travelling reserve for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Team
Emma has been Victorian All Around Champion twice as well as won more than 15 State
Championship apparatus medals throughout her career.
At the 2010 National Championships Emma placed 4th AA and on vault, bars and floor. She is the current Australian Senior International title holder for beam.
Emma has won nine National titles at Australian Championships – 2010 Beam, 2007 AA, Beam, Floor and Bars, 2006 Bars, 2004 Floor and Bars and Bars in 2002.
Emma has represented Victoria at seven Australian Championships.
Selection to represent Australia at the 2007 Youth Olympics. Emma was the highest placing
Australian at 7th AA, she also made all four apparatus finals and she won 2nd on vault and 4th on Floor.
Awarded 2007 Junior Athlete of the year by Gymnastics Australia.
Emma was first selected into the National Squad in 2006 and was reselected onto the squad every year since.
We thank Emma for her wonderful commitment and contribution to Australian and Victorian Gymnastics and wish her the very best in this exciting new stage of her life.
****************************************************
Wishing Emma a healthy and happy future, starting (of course) with a very merry Christmas.
