And The Gold Nuggets Keep Coming!

Epic thanks to two(!) media-savvy gymfans for bringing our attention to a fantastic piece on Lauren and Dasha that aired recently on Nine's Wide World of Sports. See them in training, meet their parents and coaches, follow their amazing gymnastics journey through video and photo.
Hopefully the piece will soon be YouTube'd for people who have trouble viewing it on the ninemsn site.

Insert "Awwww..." here.


ABC News have also put up an interview with P-Liddy, who talks about the team's selection process and Olympic medal chances (just try not to get distracted by the girls as they get their photo shoots done in the background!)

Savill and Simpson

Queensland's teenage trampolining sensation Lachie Savill is looking to our Beijing-bound MAG Sam Simpson, also a Queenslander, for inspiration in the lead-up to another shot at a national championship medal.

"I'm not in the same training squad as Sam but it's awesome having the chance to watch him train and I get some advice from him as well which is great," Savill said.

Australia's artistic national titles may be over but the trampolining national titles are still yet to be decided. Read more about Lachie and Sam's Excellent (and very bouncy) Adventure here.

Olympic Preparations

It's a fraction over a month away - a MONTH I tells ya! Can ya FEEL the excitement stirring in the heart of your cockles!?

Oh wait... no, that's the bad seafood basket from dinner at the RSL t'other night. Urrrrgghh....

Anyway. Read more about the team selection days, and the team's preparation in general (better they be sick now than in a month, eh!) in Dasha J's latest article. Good to see the AIS has forked out and stocked a bunch of Janssen-Fritsen (Hanssen Schmitzen Bennson Svendson Jorgen Shmorgan Borgen Hollen Tollen Yodel Bodel) equipment for the team to train on, not just a beam as I first thought. I've been waiting for them do to this, hurrah!

Eat, Drink and Be Mezzie

Why didn't anyone tell me!?

July 1 passed without me realising (with the exception of 'oh yeah, it's the new financial year') that this blog is now 6 MONTHS OLD!

Happy half-birthday, AGB!

Thanks to the people who've sent me, and continue to send me, feedback (particularly those from overseas), it has really meant a lot. I hope you all continue to be entertained and informed by this little page. I've enjoyed doing it and I hope you've all enjoyed reading it. I wouldn't be maintaining it if I didn't have such fun along the way. Since the New Year's Day launch, we've had a great run of events and results with international comps, Nationals and of course Olympic preparation. I hope to keep doing this well into the next competition season and beyond.

So now I have another milestone to celebrate today!

I See.

So THIS is what they meant by "Beijing-themed photo opportunities" at team selection. Nice shot (sorry it turned out small), though it's a shame they couldn't get them in front of silk curtains or something... regardlesss, find a larger version of the pic (click on the one shown at the following link) plus some choice P-Liddy quotes here.

Image courtey of secret media mole Nade, via ABC News

A Real Gym of a Dad

Just wanted to say... tomorrow is my Dad's 64th birthday.

Dad always came to watch my gym comps when I was younger, and of course was there to take photos for posterity (getting chastised more than once for forgetting to turn the flash off the camera). Hugs all 'round, no matter if I came first or last.

Dad in recent years has been very patient when I crack out my gym tapes on a rainy afternoon, and is always humouring me by enquiring about who's who in a competition (Worlds 2006: "Is that Svetlana girl still in it?", Euro's 2008: "Beth Tweddle.... now there's a British name if I ever heard one!") though if I tried to explain the blog, it'd probably do his head in.

So Happy Birthday, Dad! America celebrates when you do, so let's pretend all the red-white-and-blue fireworks are all for you too!

Livvy La Vida Loca

Ah, puns.
I've been waiting for ages to use that one!
Happy new financial year, everybody.

It seems all the talk this week is about WA's 'veteran' Olivia Vivian.

Some are in the "she needs a big fixer-upper and even then she's not worthy of a team spot" camp. Some are settled in the "she's more than deserving and is an asset to the team" camp. Some people, like me, are starting to uproot ourselves from the muddy marshland of It'saConspiracyAgainstWaverleyLand and pitch tents in the "well, Peggy decided it for reasons we won't know or understand unless we're INSIIIIIDE HER HEEEAAAD LIKE A TWILIGHT ZONE EPISODE OR 'BEING JOHN MALKOVICH' AND I LIKED THAT FILM EXCEPT FOR WHEN JOHN MALKOVICH WAS A LADY IN A DRESS BECAUSE THAT WAS JUST CREEPY so it's out of our hands and I'm still happy about the rest of the team and who knows, she might make a good job of it when her big moment comes" camp.

Liv herself discusses her performance at trials in her latest blog here, so draw your opinions about the girl as you will. P-Liddy must have seen something we didn't (or haven't) so let's see what this month's camp will bring.

Olympic Team: News Explosion!

So to speak.

I don't know if anything made the television news last night because I wasn't home. There was a short mention on the Fox Sports News scrolling bar but I didn't get to see before I left if there was a report.

Thank heavens for the newspapers!

Read about the Vic chicks here and Olivia Vivian's take on selection here. IG gave us a little mention too.

We need more of THIS, people! THIS! *points madly*