Cooney's Cool Runnings

You might recall reading recently about former WAIS gymnast Ashley Cooney's literal crash-landing into the winter sport of luge.

ABC News profiled Ashley and her new Olympic journey this week. All the best to Ash as she hurtles towards Sochi!

High Times

GIGANTIC shout-out to special ops agent Ange for attending and reporting on this weekend's Victorian High Performance Centre Invitational.

If you're a member of the WWGym.com forum, you can read her full report in the "Down Under" subforum. A brief selection of her observations on juniors and seniors are below.

Videos are going up here. Please help her ID the gymnasts if you can, she would really appreciate it. Cheers, Ange.

"George Rose Brown looked strong and consistent. She has added a Yurchenko 1.5 (got it round in comp but low and sat down, but looks beautiful with her height). On bars I am pretty sure that the shap is new... Beam looks more confident than Vics and Nationals last year, when I remember that she had been limited with injury. The double tuck dismount is back in..."


"Kiara Munteanu did a DTY (better in warm-ups than comp) plus a front tuck 1/2 on vault with good power and dynamics. I think she had five [bars] release moves including a Tkatchev-Gienger combo! ... A very balanced all-arounder!"


"Alex Eade... has that real "it" factor when she performs. On vault she is currently doing a Yurchenko 1/2-on front layout off (stuck in competition) and a DTY... Bars is a work in progress -- the new skill seems to be the toe-on Shap (I think maybe with a half)... looking forward to seeing where this routine is by Vics... She then went on and did a great beam, excellent series, good connections. Floor -- double layout, 2.5 twist (sat down), 1.5 twist to double tuck or pike (can't remember) and landed very short... This is one tough young lady. 


"Saw Maddi Leydin just on bars, but wow, what amazing potential that routine has. It just keeps going and going with difficult release after difficult release.... Mistake in the middle, but who cares at this stage of the year? So great to see her put all these skills into competition."



"Mary-Anne Monckton was there and doing a great job of coaching the younger gymnasts and encouraging and supporting her senior teammates. I hope we see her back in competition soon."

Eyes on the Prize

Ten News recently caught up with decorated Aussie Lauren Mitchell, who isn't completely ruling out a run for Rio in 2016.

Despite her shoulder injury sustained in 2012,  Lauren can still juggle recuperation, coaching and study!