2011 World Championships Preamble

Our thoughts and good wishes go with the Aussie teams departing for Tokyo today.

So here's where AGB starts cranking into overdrive. Caffeinated beverages and aviator hat at the ready! There are a number of ways to follow the team's progress, so I hope you have a pen handy...


1. Right here. Or at my Twitter account. I'll be updating as time and resources permit, and welcome your contributions in the comments. That said, I will be firmly moderating discussions, so be advised that your inappropriate comment may be deleted. I can't stress this enough: I'm all for open-mindedness, but if you wish to use colourful or discriminatory language, or have something not backed up by an official gymnastics source, please PLEASE take it elsewhere. Having to break up fights really brings down the tone of the site.

I hope to have the kind of as-it-happens excitement we had during the last two World Championships. It was fun, and it was great to see so many supporters of Aussie gym showing their spirit. Here's hoping we get the kind of results to cheer and type in capitals about!


2. Gymnastics Australia who will be working their hardest to outdo the likes of British Gymnastics with frequent social media updates (jussayin'. GB are a hard act to follow!) so check out
- Their homepage
- Their Twitter
- Their Facebook page


3. Officials and On-The-Scene
- OFFICIAL Tokyo 2011 Event Page
- OFFICIAL FIG Tokyo Event Page
- International Gymnast (usually updates live)
- FIG
- Gymnastike
- The All Around (usually updates live)
- VWHPC Facebook Page


4. Blogosphere
- The Couch Gymnast
- The Gymnastics Examiner (usually updates live)
- Full Twist
- Universal Sports


Got all that? Great! I hope you'll be having 200 tabs open at any one time, like me!

Now, with regard to livestreaming sources, we can consider any of the following sites dutifully suggested by other gymfans:

Sportv: http://www.zuumptv.com/2010/06/sportv.html
Sportv 2: http://www.zuumptv.com/2010/06/sportv2.html
CCTV5: http://english.cntv.cn/live/
or anywhere that can give us a non-geoblocked BBC or Universal Sports stream... but I'll keep you posted.


Just to get you that bit more excited, here's a thing.

Later Breaking News

1. This is a bit cool. Nice one, guys.

2. Congratulations to our own Janine Murray who, by virtue of her 75th ranking at the World Rhythmic Championships, will be the sole Oceania representative at London 2012.

Late Breaking News

Hi guys.

Check my latest tweet (Twitter link at right) for a link to a new radio interview with Lauren Mitchell from camp in Canberra.

Edit: Speaking of camp, this morning we have a brief training camp update from our MAG and WAG teams in Canberra, over at GA.

The girls are in good shape and not anything unexpected from the Physio reports. We will depart on Friday and are looking forward to arriving in Tokyo."

"The Men's team have been fine tuning their routines at training camp this week. The gymnasts are maintaining a good positive focus on the job at hand and are looking great as a team.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand we also have an additional brief word from Peggy on the team trial and Lauren's championship defense chances at IG here.

Japan Junior 2011

Hi all.

Just a quick one today.

Less than stellar results out of the Japan Junior event, but I am sure it was valuable experience for all who competed.

IG has the apparatus finals results here and AA results here.

NCAA Aussie Round-Up

In all the excitement of Worlds team announcements, we can't forget that another batch of Aussies have been making us proud across the pond, and will continue to do so in 2012.

Soon-to-be Oregon State senior (!) Olivia Vivian celebrated All-American honours for her bars work last season, and has had some pre-2012 season fun with her team on a rafting trip.

Shona Morgan was given All-American academic honours (!!) over at Stanford and had fun on Play Day.

And, after a long period of injury, Monique Blount has been made a captain(!!!) for the upcoming season over at George Washington University.
Onya girls. Australia is so proud of you.

2011 Worlds Team: MAG

Wrap up your weekend with news of the men's world championship team!

Best of luck to...

Josh Jefferis!
Sam Offord!
Tom Pichler!
Prashanth Sellathurai!
Luke Wadsworth!
Luke Wiwatowski!

Reserves: Simpson, Bull, Merceica

Echoing the women's team with two-team-members-sharing-initials!

2011 Worlds Team: WAG

Woohoo! A timely GA update allows us to heartily congratulate...

Ash Brennan!
Georgia Rose Brown!
Emily Little!
Larrissa Miller!
Lauren Mitchell!
Maryanne Monckton!
(res: Nikki Chung and Georgia Wheeler!)

Check scores and standings at GA.

Onya, girls! Good luck in camp, see you on the other side.

No Sir That Ain't Right.

Coverage of women’s sport makes up 9% of all sports coverage in Australian television news and current affairs, while male sport makes up 81%.

Horse racing alone receives more airtime that all women’s sport combined, making up the other 10% of all coverage.

Appalled?

Read the rest of Damien Johnson's worthwhile opinion piece [namechecking Lauren Mitchell] here.

Where There's a Milly...

Nice catch-up interview with PacRim medallist Amelia McGrath over at The Couch Gymnast.

Sounds like a lovely afternoon was had over at MLC!

Jayden Has His Day

As Worlds draw nearer and nearer, check out a short feature on Tokyo prospect Jayden Bull over at International Gymnast online.

"For us, the world championships are not about individual achievement, but rather putting a team into the top 16. So whether or not I fit into that team of six gymnasts is up to the selectors."

Strewth, Youth!

Sorry to have been conspicuously absent over the weekend, dear readers.

A driving test won't practise for itself, work shopping doesn't do itself (and it'll be cold day in hell before a roast lunch prepares itself).

Some great results coming out of the Commonwealth Youth Games, as Australia claims hardware in all three colours!

According to a GA update, we ended the competition with...

Individual All Around Placings: 12th (Declan Stacey), 14th (Kent Pieterse), 5th (Emma Nedov), 9th (Maddie Leydin)
Bronze - Australia WAG team, Australia MAG team
Silver - Rings (Tyson Bull)
GOOOLLLLDDDDD!!!! - Beam (Emma Nedov), Men's floor (Declan Stacey)

GA has some cracking photos up at Facebook.

For full results, head to the Isle of Man Commonwealth Youth Games website (link posted in my previous post).

Congrats to the Aussie delegation who battled a long trip and niggling injuries to do us proud on the international stage.

Isle Have What They're Having

Best wishes to our competitors in the Commonwealth Youth Games in The Isle of Man...


Emma Nedov
Alexandra Eade
Madeline Leydin

You can follow the event and catch up on some related media at the official website here.

Catching Some Air

Bit of an unfortunate finish to Jayden Bull's Ghent campaign with a slip in the high bar final that landed him in 5th. But errors aside, he has a real flair for the apparatus. That much is obvious. So chin up, sonny, and chalk it up to experience. I have to admit it's a bit weird seeing new faces represent Aussie MAG overseas! I'm so used to the usual suspects!



And speaking of people going places, best of luck to our Junior Commonwealth Games team who yesterday departed for the Isle of Man! I promise not to make any The Fast Show jokes*.



*ask your parents.

Good Morning!

Best of luck to Jayden Bull who has qualified 8th to the high bar final in Ghent!

Going, Going, Ghent

Very best wishes to the Aussie MAG delegation competing at the Challenger Cup in Ghent, Belgium this weekend, Jayden Bull, Elliott Cook and Luke Wadsworth!

Jayden and Luke have been making their mark on the Aussie lineup since their inclusion in the Pacific Rim Championships last year.

Good luck, fellas!