Let's Hear It For The Boys

GA this week also announced our MAG squads and upcoming assignments. Congrats to the lads!

World Championship Squad:

Luke Wiwatowski - QAS

Sam Offord - SA

Prashanth Sellathurai - NSWIS

Luke Wadsworth - VHPC

Thomas Pichler - QAS

Josh Jefferis - QAS

Naoya Tsukahara - QAS

Sam Simpson - QAS

Michael Merceica - NSWIS

Sean O'Hara - SA

Philippe Rizzo - ACT

Jayden Bull - VHPC

Reserves:

Briece Newton - VHPC

Mitchell Morgans - NSWIS

Dion Pocklington - VIC

Junior Commonwealth Games Team:

Tyson Bull - VHPC

Kent Pieterse - VHPC

Declan Stacey - NSWIS

Coach: Leon Rachenko

Japan Junior Team:

Tyson Bull - VHPC

Coach: Leon Radchenko

Ghent Challenger Cup:

Luke Wadsworth - VHPC

Jayden Bull - VHPC

Sean O'Hara - SA

Elliott Cook - WA

Coaches: Greg Corsiglia

Coach/Judge: John Curtin

Open Levels Tour Team:

Level 7

Jack Norman - QLD

Matthew McKenna - SA

Joshua Meyer - QLD

Stephen Moulds - SA

Shoji Isomoto - Reserve - NSW

Level 8

Michael Tone - QLD

Dylan Sclumpf - QLD

Jordan Papandrea - NSW

Jay Pery - QLD

Zachariah Salameh - Reserve - NSW

Level 9

Michael Tonegato - NSW

Jack Doyle - NSW

Gerard Atzenl - QLD

Brendon Lee - QLD

Mark Rogers - Reserve - NSW

Officials

Niall O'Leary - QLD

Adrian Looney - QLD

Tricia O'Connell - NSW

Andrew Cordery - SA

Austrian Future Cup Team:

Scott Costin - QLD

Robert Thornton - QLD

Clay Stephens - SA

Lachlan Savill - QLD

Reserves:

Mitchell Jones - QLD

Zachary Perillo - VIC

William Sherwood - WA

Coach: Sean Wilson

Judge/Manager: Rohan Kennedy

Congratulations to all gymnasts, coaches and official for their selection to represent Australia.

Please see below the athletes who have been named on the National Squads for July 2011 - July 2012:

Senior National Squad:

Naoya Tsukahara QLD

Josh Jefferis QLD

Luke Wiwatowski QLD

Thomas Pichler QLD

Sam Offord SA

Luke Wadsworth VIC

Michael Mercieca NSW

Sean O'Hara SA

Jayden Bull VIC

Sam Simpson QLD

Briece Newton VIC

Prashanth Sellathurai NSW

Elliot Cook WA

Vincent Lam

Philippe Rizzo ACT

Kevin James VIC

Dion Pocklington

Mitchell Morgans

Junior National Squad:

Tyson Bull VIC

Declan Stacey NSW

Mitchell Jones QLD

Scott Costin QLD

Brody-Jai Hennessy QLD

Kent Pieterse VIC

Kristian Wan QLD

GA/Olympic Squad:

Prashanth Sellathura NSW

Naoya Tsukahara QLD

Josh Jefferis QLD

Luke Wiwatowski QLD

Thomas Pichler QLD

Sam Offord SA

Luke Wadsworth VIC

Michael Mercieca NSW

Sean O'Hara SA

Jayden Bull VIC

Sam Simpson QLD

Briece Newton VIC

Philippe Rizzo ACT

Tyson Bull VIC

Brody-Jai Hennessy QLD

Declan Stacey NSW

Kent Pieterse VIC

U16 National Squad:

Robert Thornton QLD

Lachlan Savill QLD

Zachary Perillo VIC

Corey Morton VIC

Christopher Remkes SA

Ben Congedi SA

Clay Stephens SA

James Bacueti ACT

Aden Messori QLD

Trenten Wan QLD

U14 National Squad:

Jackson Clarke QLD

Etienne Rousseau Forward QLD

William Sherwood WA

Justin Tan VIC

Joshua Di Nucci WA

Gabriel Swan NSW

Jack Riek QLD

Yari Marazzato WA

Rourke Jenkins QLD

Christopher Subasic QLD

Darren Fung NSW

Ethan Stethakis NSW

Matthew Richardson WA

Gabe O'Sullivan WA

Sean Forde WA

U12 National Squad:

Finaly Kroon NSW

Christopher Jenkinson QLD

Cassiel Rousseau Forward QLD

Jack Sweeney NSW

Max Mingay NSW

Andrew Sumner WA

Ben Leong NSW

Jack Miller QLD

Alec Traina NSW

Ryan Woodhouse WA

Maikolo Fekitoa NSW

Nathan Brophy WA

Elija Meegan WA

Harrison Jones WA

James Ciupac WA

Julien Horrocks NSW

Samuel Schukin QLD

Alex D'Cruz WA

Morgan Evans QLD

Brodie Chaffey QLD

Curtis Lindeman QLD

Travis Donaldson NSW

Oliver Dilnutt VIC

Whitiora Monaro NSW

Mitchell Repsevicius WA

Indigo Dragon QLD

Alexander Maratos VIC

Philip Koe-leong VIC

Kyle McCartney QLD

(Indigo Dragon!? AWESOME.)

Painting the Town Pink

The "P" in VWHPC stands for "Performance" but on March 5th, it could stand for a lot of things - preparation, presentation, precision, poise, perspiration, perfection, personality, planches, punches, pikes and pointed-toes, but mostly it'll stand for Pink!

The Victorian Women's High Performance Centre (in Prahran, how Perfectly aPProPriate!) is hosting an open day at training once again.

See the event's Facebook page here and find out more about the gym here.

All are welcome to attend from 8am onwards, they simply ask that you make a donation at the door which will go towards the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Yours truly will be there!

News For All Youse

Well, it seems a bit inappropriate at the moment to say "after a news drought comes a news flood!" so, err, after a lack of news comes a great abundance.

1. Gymnastics is one of a number of sports that will receive a significant funding boost in the lead-up to the London Olympics (next year! I can't believe it's only NEXT YEAR, people!). Read about it in The Australian here. Lauren Mitchell featured in an accompanying picture.

A $2.5 million war chest has been assembled to help Australian athletes
take medals from their British arch-rivals at next year's London Olympics...

Federal Sports Minister Mark Arbib has redirected the money from the Australian Sports Commission to launch the Green and Gold Project, which will provide extra funding to shore up Australia's position as one of the top five Olympic nations.

The 10 sports which will benefit from the funding are: swimming, cycling, rowing, sailing, canoeing, athletics, diving, gymnastics, triathlon and equestrian.

2. The Victorian Women's High Performance Centre has scheduled an Open Day at training for the 5th of March. Details to follow. Britt Greeley has bounced back, Ash Brennan is still going strong and Mez Monckton has been welcomed with open arms. And one among their ranks has been successfully working a Baitova to crashmats, so keep your eyes out for that on the day as well!


3. Blogger Courtney Fitzgerald forwarded me an interview she conducted with national women's coach Peggy Liddick. Onya, Courtney!

What was it like when you saw Lauren's score in the floor finals and saw she was in first place?
It was so exciting! I knew she had the potential to get the highest score and win the gold medal, but you never know what the judges are going to decide. It was so satisfying to know so much hard work had paid off.

What was it like seeing Lauren standing on the medal podium?
Very emotional. I was so proud of her. Listening to the Australian national anthem for the first time in Women's Artistic Gymnastics at a World Championships was one of the most memorable moments of my time in gymnastics.

Are you looking foward to the 2012 olympics?
London 2012 is going to be a very exciting time for gymnastics. This group of gymnasts that will be eligible for the Olympics this time, I have been working with since I arrived in Australia in 1997. I think they are going to do Australia very proud and it is going to be a very well run and exciting Games! I am very much looking forward to the Games and the process of leading up to them over the next 18 months.

Are there any rising talents that you think the Australian public should keep their eyes on?
We have a lot of talented Junior gymnasts at the moment with a large group of girls on the National Squad. It will be interesting to see over this year who can handle the big stage and compete when it counts. Angela Donald has had some great results over the last year and I am looking forward to seeing what she can do with her gymnastics this year and taking it to the next level.

Who has the funniest personality on the Australian team?
They are all lovely girls on the team. Georgia Bonora and Georgia Wheeler are always making all the girls laugh though.

Was Dehli magical?
Delhi was a great experience. We have such fantastic results which always makes the competition experience a lot more enjoyable. But being a part of a Australian team which involves other sports is such a great experience for the girls. Experiencing the culture of New Delhi was something I hadn’t experienced before so this was also a memorable trip for me.

After the team had a "meltdown" on beam in the Commonwealth Games, did it ever cross your mind that you may have to settle with silver?
Unfortunately, our start on the beam was not the best, but I never think of the results or medals throughout the competition because that is something I cannot control. I just got the girls to re-group and put beam behind them as we still had 3 apparatus left to go. The girls pulled back together as a team really well and I couldn’t be prouder of them.

Happy Birthday To...

Victoria's own Fiona Coley who turns 20 today!

She has already medalled at the state championships and represented Australia in the Japan Cup. Best of luck to her with the rest of her competitive comeback.

In other news, the GA/AIS women's Olympic Squad was reviewed after the team's training camp and the new line-up has been announced as follows-

Georgia B
Britt
Emma D
Emily L
Zoe
Larissa
Lauren
Mary-Anne
Shona
Georgia W

Note the inclusion of G-Bo and Emma, clearly the girls are back in the thick of things! The squad will be reviewed again after National Clubs.

Good luck wishes also to our team at the 2009 Rhythmic World Championships in Japan. Hoop and rope qualification are today, ball and ribbon are on Wednesday.

Heard on the Squad Grapevine

The AIS/Gymnastics Australia Olympic squad listed as per yesterday's post consists of the eight WAGs who will attend training camp at GA's expense (i.e. who will have all their necessary expenses covered). They have been deemed the only fit seniors and 'almost-seniors' GA currently have. However, as several here have suggested, there will be visiting athletes and they will be welcome to try out for the World Championship team.

It is believed that six other experienced members of the WAG program have been invited to attend camp on the proviso that they themselves or their clubs/training centres pay their way.


Speaking of squad members, Her Greeleyness appeared in the student newspaper S-Press this week. Not the best photo but *shrug* what can you do, eh...

2009-10 Squads

WAG squads announced, as per GA.

National Squad (full list):

Senior National Squad:

GEORGIA BONORA (VIC)

ASHLEIGH BRENNAN (VIC)

FIONA COLEY (VIC)

EMMA DENNIS (VIC)

AMBER FULLJAMES (QLD)

BRITT GREELEY (VIC)

DARIA JOURA (WA)

LARRISSA MILLER (QLD)

LAUREN MITCHELL (WA)

SHONA MORGAN (VIC)

Junior National Squad:

GEORGIA-ROSE BROWN (QLD)

SOPHIE BUDACK (NT)

EMMA COLLISTER (VIC)

RACHEL COLLISTER (VIC)

ASHLEY COONEY (WA)

ANGELA DONALD (VIC)

TIERRA EXUM (VIC)

NATALIA JOURA (WA)

AMAYA KING KOI (QLD)

EMILY LITTLE (WA)

ZOE LORENZIN (VIC)

MARY-ANNE MONCKTON (NSW)

SVETLANA SANDERS (VIC)

GEORGIA SIMPSON (WA)

GEORGIA WHEELER (VIC)


AIS/GA Olympic Squad:

BRITT GREELEY (VIC)

EMILY LITTLE (WA)

ZOE LORENZIN (VIC)

LARRISSA MILLER (QLD)

LAUREN MITCHELL (WA)

MARY-ANNE MONCKTON (NSW)

SHONA MORGAN (VIC)

GEORGIA WHEELER (VIC)


You can also see Britt-Britt and Lauren featured in IG's smashing Japan Cup photo gallery here.

Here We Go!

It's working at last.

I'm just going to look at bits and pieces. I agree that P-Liddy was vague and teasing about parts, but adamant about others. I'm just glad she's toned down the "[name] will have NO chance/is not on my radar/needs to shape up or ship out..." talk.

"Since there is no team event at the World Championships this year, we have really taken an individual approach to the seniors from the Beijing squad," said Liddick, referring to the gymnasts who helped the Australian team place sixth at last summer's Olympic Games."

Great. Let's hope some of the OTHER members of that Beijing team (particularly those that had a greater hand in our 6th place finish than others, and I don't mean that in an antagonistic way) get a shot at some more international exposure before Worlds. I'm gonna use the c-word again: Capitalise on the fact they're still brimming with confidence at what they did last August, capitalise on their ability to block out noise and focus to the extreme like they did at the Games. Use it now (or at least very soon!), let them try it in a new competition environment.

"I have taken the tack that these girls are adults now and they have been involved to a much greater extent in their next four-year plan. We are taking it slow. There is no hurry for them."

That's great to hear. We forget that these girls aren't 15 or 16 anymore; they're now very near to, or on the other side of, 18 years old. Their bodies and mentalities have changed and matured with their styles and repertoires, it's important to approach and work with these these in the appropriate way.

"Britt has been around an elite training environment since she was about 3 years old," Liddick said. "Her mother, Haedi, was an elite gymnast, and she has been on development squads that trained with Monette Russo, Stephanie Moorhouse and Karen Nguyen for the Athens Olympics, and with Ashleigh Brennan for the 2008 campaign, so she knows what it is all about and how to get there. It is nothing new for her."

I forget this sometimes. Britt, then, would know better than the rest of the new seniors what is expected of her and what she can expect as the big event draws nearer. She wasn't at her very best at AYOF or Massilia so with a few months of comprehensive training, and a week's camp experience, under her belt I hope she can pick herself up and do her abilities justice. I saw Britt working on some big skills in training, I'd wish for her to get those ready and consistent and do the best job she can do when selection time comes. She's really grown on me and if she doesn't make the Worlds team this year (I'd say it wouldn't be as an AA-er, maybe as floor specialist if Dasha's not ready???) she'd hang on for a 2010 Commonwealth Games team spot. She comes across as a real team player.

"The girls who are ready and want to, will compete in London," Liddick said. "My expectations would be to only send gymnasts who have their routines up to a World Championships standard and those who can perform at that standard."

Yeah. No more Yurchenko full vaults and single punch layouts as tumbling passes, dammit!

That said, I'm going to make a vague prediction now, and then a more decisive one after Nationals, just to see how it matches up (or how very, very wrong I might be. I'm no good at footy tipping y'know).


AA: Shona Morgan, especially if she's rocking that Baitova we've heard about.
Dasha is she's well enough, but if not then I'd say
Georgia B or Emma Dennis as the second.

Specialist/s: Lauren Mitchell for beam. Derr, Fred! Possibly floor as well if she can control her landings.
Dasha for floor/beam if she's well enough.
Britt for floor if she gets that double arabian.
Mel Jones for floor/vault.

Video Bonanza!

Almighty thanks and worship to Nade, for capturing the Dasha/Lauren pre-Beijing story off the Channel 9 website. Hurrah hurrah, I'd been hanging out for this!

Not only that... but she's captured the 'Channel 7 Beijing Fanatic' video of the Olympic girls visiting the Great Wall of China.

Learn!... Who takes the longest to get ready in the morning!
Cringe!... At the sight of their precious team final leotards getting wet!
Observe!... Olivia's humble beginnings in sports journalism!


Aaaaaand those WA boys are at it again.

You Might Like to Know...

...that Britt Greeley is working towards a Yurchenko double on vault and three consecutive releases on uneven bars.

You go, sister-girlfriend!

Team (B)Ambi Celebrates

GAAAAAH! Blackouts and heatwaves are not helpful for bloggers.


Happy belated 17th birthday to the most adorable and freckly member of the squad, Queensland's Amber Fulljames! I expect big things from her in the new year so I do hope she keeps at it. She showed so much potential in 2008.

The WAGs celebrated at camp, and 'Team (B)ambi' dutifully raises a glass from interstate.

Ironing one's hair: Results may vary.

In sad camp-related news, Tain Molendijk and Jade Martin are reportedly retired.

As far as I can fathom, Olivia Vivian's foot is still injured as she did not compete with the OSU team in their competition against Utah. In the meantime, her most recent diary entry has been posted.

I won't lie. It's hard being so far away from my family. But at the same time, I've gained a new one. I lost one brother, but gained 15 sisters. Not a bad deal on my part, considering my brother was a pain in the you-know-what...

Conflict of Interest Much?

Hm... this could yield some interesting results.

Great Britain's Kayleigh Cooke has joined the ranks of the WAIS, alongside Dasha Joura and Lauren Mitchell, as her family has left Britain for a big move to the West. But for the moment, she's stuck playing the waiting game...

Thanks to special agent Riss for the article heads-up:

WAIS has gained the services of another high calibre gymnast, with international Kayleigh Cooke migrating to Australia from Britain.

The 17 year old is waiting to hear how long it will take her to become eligible to represent Australia after travelling to Beijing as Olympic reserve of the British womens artistic team.

Cooke has competed for Britain in World Cup and European competition but has never represented her birth country at the Olympics and world championships, which would have held back her chances of representing Australia.

The Cooke family were granted Australian residence late last year but Kayleigh and her father remained in England to enable her to pursue her Olympic dream.

She spent some time with her mother in Perth in December, during which time she trained alongside Dasha Joura, Lauren Mitchell and Olivia Vivian at WAIS.

But with her Olympic campaign now out of the way the family have been reunited and she is ready to settle into a new routine training alongside her new WAIS teammates.

WAIS head of gymnastics Liz Chetkovich said Cooke ould be a great addition to the program.

"We beat Britain at the Olympics with our sixth place in the team competition, but they beat us at the last World Championships," Chetkovich said.

"Cooke's skills are on par with Joura on the floor and she is Australia's best on that apparatus, and is as strong as Mitchell with her vaulting."

Chetkovich said there was some chance Cooke might be available to represent Australia at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and the 2012 London Olympics, but that would depend on international eligibility rules and meeting citizenship criteria.

Australia's Olympic team of six included three West Australians- Joura, who was born in Russia, Mitchell and Vivian, an uneven bars specialist.

2010 Commonwealth Games will probably be really tough emotion-wise (not to mention Worlds next year, if she manages to get the ok to represent Australia, IN her former home country and competing AGAINST her former home country! And let's not forget the 2012 Olympics!) but I'm sure she has received a very enthusiastic welcome up in Perth regardless. Dasha, at the very least, can help her adjust to new surrounds because she knows what it's like!

Musical Chairs

The AIS/GA Olympic Squad has been 'reviewed' now that the Games proper are over. Er... seems odd to me, seeing as it's pretty much everyone that was already in the pre-Games squad:

Georgia, Ashleigh, Emma, Amber, Melanie, Dasha, Lauren, Shona

... minus Oliva who will be heading off for NCAA before the year is out, and of course we have the added bonus of 'visiting athlete' Emily Little. The team will be re-reviewed after National Clubs in November.

Various International Level 10 athletes have been selected for a Towards 2010 development camp in late September. These include the very decorated Natalia Joura, intriguing Waverley twin Emma Collister, and potential Commonwealth Games stars Amaya King-Koy, Angela Donald and Jessica Thompson, all of whom I had the fortune to see compete this year.


I personally predict big things from Amber Fulljames. In fact, FROM TODAY I hereby throw my full support behind the pocket rocket from Queensland, who made a name for herself at the National Apparatus Challenge earlier this year, in the face of recent retirements by the likes of Sims, Dykes and Webb. She has lovely toepoint and a lot of power. She is surely the shining future of Queensland gymnastics, who carries the torch for cute frecklies further than Li'l Orphan Annie ever could! Shine on, Amby! Go you good thing!

VOTE 1 (B)AMBI FOR NATIONAL CHAMPION!

From Berwick to Beijing and Back Again

It's D-Day, people. Or should I say B-Day, as the final trial for the Beijing women's team gets underway in Canberra today. Cross your fingers, eyes and all other humanoid digits that it goes smoothly and the girls all perform at their best.
Good luck, girls!

Now for the media, with which we will hopefully be bombarded over the next two days (they've been invited to the trials so keep one eye on the papers and another on the news bulletins!)

Ashleigh Brennan scored a feature in The Age as one of several hopefuls (and favourites) for the team. Her family are very supportive in their preparations to go and see her compete in the world's biggest sporting event. To give a bit more insight into the family's sacrifice (and those of similar sporting families), a family friend of ours has a son in the Australian Olympic hockey squad. He made it to their final trial but sadly he didn't up making the team. If he had, the other family members would have had to fork out upwards of $300 each(!) for tickets to go and see him compete.
I have a crazy theory that, provided she makes the team (which I believe she will), Ash's floor routine wouldn't be shown in the broadcast because it's the theme music to a program ("Cold Case") shown on a rival network to the Olympic broadcaster. Let's not forget, Allana Slater was nearly in trouble in 2000 for using floor music that was used in QANTAS ads, that airline NOT being the official sponsor of the Sydney Olympics.

Follow the Waverly girls' progress here. There is a short explanatory piece here, and Dasha gets a a say here and here.

Joura said she had a little trick that might catch the eye of the judges.

''Some gymnasts go in with a straight face but I have a little bit of flair and try to connect with the judges and the crowd,'' she said.

Articles, Articles, So Many Articles!

Some additions to what was originally posted on Saturday:

1. Former AIS gymnast and elegant floor champ Monique Blount had signed on to compete at George Washington University but little was known about her prospects. Read the coach's take on her here.

2. Ash Brennan is photographed in today's (Sunday 01/06) Herald Sun doing a gorgeous leap. Why Sun photographers insist on capturing gymnasts on film in near darkness, I'll never know. It happened with G-Bo and it happened here. I don't much care for it. I like to see lovely faces! "Oooh... excessive shadow and no background... that'll look good!"
(ETA the image from the Sun website)


3. Queenslander Karina Brooks, a national junior medallist, scored a mention in her local paper.

4. Now down to the business of what I originally posted last night, now that the above additional bits have been tacked on:


I'm grateful for any and all readers I get at this little corner of the interweb, but of course I'm just as grateful for any and all contributors.

Secret agent, freelance writer and friendly AGB reader Brindabella [not her real name] sent me the following piece she wrote on WA squad member Tain Molendijk who trains the shadows of decorated senior national team members at the WAIS. It's an interesting read, a great effort for a first-timer, and Agent B asks that you be kind in reading. B is a fellow gym fan who is lucky to live near enough to catch WAIS athletes in action (but not in a creepy-Rear-Window kind of way of course...)

Pursuing perfection: Perth gymnast on the rise
By Brindabella

An Olympic year is always crazy for those who have been labelled ‘hopefuls’ by the media and the general public. But in gymnastics, while the hopefuls are doing little but eating, sleeping, training and giving media interviews, the next crop of young stars are patiently waiting in the wings, waiting for their time to shine to come along at the next world championships, Commonwealth Games or Olympics. They are content to stand in the shadows of their more famous team mates for the time being, because they know that only determination and dedication will earn them equal attention.

While the world readies for Beijing and gets consumed by Olympic fever, one Perth gymnast is training for her big moment – a moment that, at the earliest, will not happen until next year. Fourteen year old Tain Molendijk is part of a bevy of gymnastics beauties the West Australian Institute of Sport has produced over the years and is one young athlete who is not at all deterred by the expectation placed upon her, nor by the attention her Beijing bound team mates Daria ‘Dasha’ Joura and Lauren Mitchell are getting in the lead up to the games.

No, this WAIS gymnast is driven, but not in an impossible dream kind of way. Demanding nothing less of herself than perfection, Molendijk still has the sense to set herself realistic, safe goals – not always easy in the race against time sport that gymnastics is - which can surely only help her to succeed. WAIS has a proud history of success in all of its programs. Founded in 1984, the institute began a fulltime program for promising gymnasts in 1988, with UWA graduate Liz Chetkovich, now head of gymnastics, at the helm. The program has produced some of Australia’s greatest gymnasts, and continues to do so to this day.

Eagerly waiting to follow in the footsteps of this country’s most decorated female gymnast, two time Olympian Allana Slater, WAIS senior elites Daria Joura, 18, and Lauren Mitchell, 16, practically already have their seats booked on the plane to China, destined to continue the institute’s fine tradition of Olympic calibre athletes. And while Joura and Mitchell, as well as eighteen year old team mate Olivia Vivian, have Beijing on the brain right now, pushing them through often twice daily training sessions six days a week, Molendijk is honing her skills to her own impeccable standards. Not age eligible for Beijing, the junior elite gymnast trains thirty four hours a week in the hope of making the 2010 Commonwealth Games team.

Molendijk began her career at six at the Star Mites Gym Sports club in Bayswater before moving to WAIS just two years later. “I love everything about gymnastics,” she says. “I just love it. I love everything about training.” Never giving a second thought to the 6:45am starts, Molendijk, who admits that nerves play a big part in competition for her, works on all four apparatus, as well as at conditioning, ballet and choreography under the eyes of coaches Martine George and Nikolai Lapchine. The work obviously paid off, because in 2007 Molendijk was selected to be part of the junior national squad, of which places are extremely limited.

Her refreshingly mellow but dedicated approach to gymnastics and life meant that the teenager didn’t know exactly what this selection entailed and had to ask her coaches what it meant for her. She is excited now at the prospects, even if 2008 hasn’t quite been the year she’d hoped it would be. Being on the junior national squad will give her more opportunity to travel and compete abroad she says, as well as opening more doors for her here at home.

The selection meant she travelled to California earlier this year to compete in the Golden State Classic, where she finished third all around behind team mates Emily Little and Britt Greeley, despite sustaining an ankle injury during the competition. Ever the perfectionist, she came away dissatisfied, describing the meet as disappointing by her own standards. But she remains positive, enthusiastically speaking about the wealth of experience she gained whilst in the US. The trip also included competition at the prestigious Pacific Rim Championships in San Jose, where Molendijk was forced to sit on the sidelines and cheer her team mates on due to the ankle injury.

With an unwavering eagerness, Molendijk looks to the future, demonstrating an athlete’s extraordinary understanding of the body. “If I make the 2009 world team I will be very happy,” she says. “But I don’t think I will have reached my full potential, skill wise, by 2009.” So instead her goal is to be in Delhi, India, with the Australian Commonwealth team come 2010.

She is modest enough to know her capabilities and limits, and not before their time. “I think by that time I will be of world class standards,” she explains. It is almost certain then that this young gymnast won’t come crashing down with unachievable dreams and walk away from the sport disheartened. It is a testament to the sport that even its youngest of prodigies understands what is required to reach the top. “I think that gymnastics disciplines and educates you,” Molendijk explains before going on to detail how nothing can come above gymnastics and school, not even a tempting late night at a party with friends. The sport, she says, has made her more mature, and able to make the right decision when elite sport clashes with teenage adventures.

Even when she is toughing it out with injury as she is right now, Molendijk continues to make the right decisions to drive her career forward. The ankle injury that occurred before the Pacific Rim Championships put her out of contention for the title at the junior national championships in Melbourne in May. The injury must be fully healed before she can get back on the competition floor she says, and in the meantime, she plans to work hard in other areas in the gym. There is no doubting gymnastics is one of the toughest sports out there, and even the strongest gymnast can struggle. After a thirteenth place finish at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival in January last year, Molendijk announced her retirement from the sport. Whilst she was away, the WAIS team won huge accolades at the Australian Championships, and this was motivation enough for Molendijk to return. Inspired by this win, Lance Armstrong’s biography, and Li Cunxin’s Mao’s Last Dancer, she walked back into the gym extremely motivated.

She admits a certain level of frustration often creeps into her training regime though, even after this return. “I get most frustrated when a skill I am executing isn’t up to the standards I expect of myself,” she explains. This must be what the 34 hours a week are for, but the young gymnast is always pleased with the results. “I love the satisfaction I get from training really well,” she says.That satisfaction must have gone through the roof when, in December last year, Molendijk won the junior title at the National Clubs Championships at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, confirming that she made the right decision to return to gymnastics.

Back at home in Perth, the Churchlands Senior High School student speaks highly of the great atmosphere at WAIS, her respect for her coaches and for her team mates. “Our whole group is very close,” she explains, adding that she loves ‘training with Loz and Dash’ in the gym everyday. It is these friendships with her WAIS ‘family’ that mean she doesn’t worry about being a normal teenager, or about missing out on normal teenager things. “I never really feel bad,” she says. “I do sacrifice a lot for gymnastics, but I still go out with my friends on the weekends. I think the sacrifices are necessary to succeed.” She concludes that, when her career is over, she will have all the time in the world to do whatever she has missed out on.

Come Beijing, you can bet that this young gymnast will be watching every moment of the gymnastics coverage on television, thinking towards the day when the rest of us will be watching her on the television as she twists and pirouettes her way to glory.


See? Smashing stuff.
(Brindy, I hope I divided the paragraphs correctly. When I copied and pasted the article here, it all went into one massive chunk so I did my best to remember where the breaks were.)

Making It Official

1. Tain Molendijk OFFICIALLY out of Nationals with ankle injury.

2. Chloe Sims OFFICIALLY retired. Wow, I can't believe it's now, at this moment, that La Liddick finally says something positive about her... though it's a shame none of the press release features quotes from the girl herself.

3. Squad camp is OFFICIALLY over for now, according to Olivia Vivian.


4. Emma Dennis OFFICIALLY got profiled in the newspaper.




5. The Courier Mail is OFFICIALLY explaining (and speculating about) various retirements in this article. It's quite sad, really, particularly when you read some of the gymnasts' comments.

Queensland's former Olympic squad members Sims, Alyce Arrowsmith, Kayla Winch, Jasmine Webb and Hollie Dykes, who moved to Canberra about eight years ago to train at the AIS, and AIS-based Hayley Wright are among the exodus.

"Something must be going wrong – everyone is getting injured, everyone is retiring," Arrowsmith said.
"All the people I trained with, all the people I competed against – it's like the lost generation, we were one of the best groups."

Winch said: "It's a hidden thing. We are in the spotlight and suddenly we all disappear. Where have we all gone?"

Waverley Girls Make Waves

Fresh off the back of their newspaper article, the three Olympic hopefuls from the Waverley Gymnastics Centre - Georgia Bonora, Emma Dennis and Shona Morgan (or as I like to call them, G-Bo, E.Dennis tha Menace and DJ Sho-Mo) were profiled on Channel 9 news tonight.

All the girls got a short soundbite about how excited they were, and coach John Hart said some nice things too. We saw them warming up/conditioning and doing some fairly standard skills.

Interesting to note was that Emma, in her little soundbite, could be seen wearing an "Aim for the Stars" (sporting grant from the Layne Beachley Foundation) jacket and not her Waverley or VIS one.

ETA: The report can now be viewed online as a link from Waverley's website. Get in quick and view it, before it disappears!

International Eksposure: They Has It

Hurrah! Some videos of the WOGA Classic are up! Many thanks to the yoochoob user for being so courteous. Actually, while we're on the topic, do check out Lynn Denblyden's floor routine from the recent Pittsburg v Florida meet. I love the sassy way she incorporates the obligatory 'Gator Chomp' before tumbling (and the way the team does it with her!), much better than Amanda Castillo's past effort (as much as I love the fiery lass) with three erratic chomps and a shoulder-shimmy.

Double hurrah! According to GA's news page, the Aussie squad is getting out and about over the next month with some exciting competition assignments!

Pacific Alliance Championships, San Jose, USA: 25 - 30 March

Gymnasts:

Dasha Joura (AIS/WAIS)

Lauren Mitchell (AIS/WAIS)

Ashleigh Brennan (AIS/VIS)

Britt Greeley (VIS)

Tain Molendijk (WAIS)

Emily Little (WAIS)

Coaches:

Peggy Liddick

Martine George

Mischa Barabach

Judges:

Jill Wright

Trisha Hade

Desiree Jones

Friendship Classic, Pottsville, USA: 15 - 16 March

Gymnasts:

Dasha Joura (AIS/WAIS)

Lauren Mitchell (AIS/WAIS)

Coach: Martine George

Golden Gate Classic, Sacramento, USA; 15 - 16 March

Gymnasts:

Ashleigh Brennan (AIS/VIS)

Shona Morgan (AIS/WGC/VIS)

Georgia Bonora (AIS/WGC/VIS)

Olivia Vivian (AIS/WAIS)

Britt Greeley (VIS)

Tain Molendijk (WAIS)

Emily Little (WAIS)

Coaches:

Peggy Liddick

Mischa Barabach

Nikolai Lapchine

Also, courtesy of GGMB, comes news that Aussies will be competing at Gymnix in Canada, March 1-2: Amber Fulljames, Melanie Jones and Victoria Williams.

Yes, you've probably noticed a big WA/VIC trend here. No doubt these are the strongest gymnasts routine-wise in the squad of late, but I suppose it's also a 'wake up call' to other girls (I'm thinking Chloe Sims [injury notwithstanding], Emma Dennis) who were looking at big assignments this year too: Show that you're competition-ready and you'll be given the chance to go. I think Peggy's re-thinking the past circumstances where comp places have gone to girls of questionable standing in the squad (see: Olivia Vivian's Shanghai World Cup appearance prior to Stuttgart where she didn't even go on to get selected for the team). I admit I'm surprised Fiona Coley and Victoria Williams have had competition exposure at larger events (WOGA, French International) over the last year instead of stronger Olympic contenders like Shona and Georgia...

The Rythmic team for PAC has been chosen also:

Naazmi Johnston (QLD) - our Olympic wildcard winner

Janine Murray (WA)

Kimberly Mason (NSW) - yaaaaaaaaaaay!

Chloe Hayes (WA)

Cody-Sue Turco (WA)

Jaelle Cohen (NSW)

Danielle Prince - Reserve (QLD)

Enid Sung - Reserve (NSW)

Krasimira Yurukova - Coach (WA)

Nicole Higham - Coach (NSW)

There is also a 'Towards 2010' training camp at the AIS for juniors this week, including Dasha's younger sister Natalia Joura and exciting bubs like QLD's Chantell Turnbull and one-half-of-the-cute-freckly-Waverley-twins-but-hopefully-she's-not-secretly-the-evil-one Emma Collister.

PS- on an unrelated note, go and see Run Fatboy Run. Don't go and see Jumper. That is all.

Turning it Up to Eleven

Sorry, sorry, sorry. Computer has been MIA for about a week, very frustrating (particularly in the lead-up to the new academic year).

Anyway.
Thanks to eagle-eyed fans, news of upgrades in the Aussie women's squad has filtered through from judges and they sound quite spectacular. As witnessed at a recent Olympic Squad training camp:

- Dasha Joura is attempting an Amanar (Yurchenko 2.5 twist) vault and a double layout on floor (as seen in her recent Fox Sports interview) which would propel her up the AA rankings. She is also going to compete at the upcoming Friendship Classic in the USA this March so it will be a chance to unveil one or both of these skills. Still no word on her whip-triple twist.
- Shona Morgan is going for a Baitova (Yurchenko double) while Kerby Purcell is refining hers (she competed it at the recent IGI Chicago Style invitational)
- Lauren Mitchell, also slated to compete at the Friendship Classic, is putting a piked(!) arabian double front in her floor routine...watch out, Beth Tweddle!

The next big challenge for the team is the selection trial for the Pacific Alliance Championships team. By the looks of things, nobody's going to the American Cup but the girls will be training in the USA for a bit. Only four will be chosen, and those four are looking to better the silver medal efforts of the 2006 team (the only remaining member of which is Dasha). I think Miss Joura and Mitchell are locks, Ash Brennan is looking strong for a spot but heaven knows who would get the last one. No word on Chloe Sims' progress so perhaps Shona might get it...?

It must be said that the girls are really rebounding after the Stuttgart disaster, this is looking to be quite an exciting team with a genuine medal chance. Multiple medal chances, in fact. Nationals will be an interesting event this year with some impressive skills on show (last year, to be honest, left a lot to be desired). Here's hoping they continue to improve and hit some great routines as we hurtle towards Beijing.

Happy Belated Valentine's Day everyone. It's good to be back!

*^_^*

Edited to amend the Amanar-Baitova confusion. My bad. Big thanks to readers for correcting me; I read enough at GGMB, you think I'd have picked it up. Derr, Fred!

Olympic Preparations Get Underway

Hello, dear readers.

Some news from the Aussie camp has filtered through from various sources. Many thanks to all the informants for garnering information (and, of course, gossip!) where they can.

1. National senior champ and Olympic hopeful Dasha Joura has been selected as one of several 2008 Olympic torch-bearers and will carry the flame as the torch relay goes through Canberra. Former WA alum Allana Slater carried the torch in the lead-up to the 2004 Athens Olympics.

2. Training camp for the junior squad is taking place in Canberra, with the likes of Natalia Joura (Dasha's little sis), Britt Greely and Tain Molendijk looking to make their mark like reigning national junior champ Emma Dennis did last year. The girls were also trialling to make the team for the Pacific Alliance Championship's junior division.

3. In lieu of an Australia vs China duel event this year, GA will bring the dainty Japanese team to compete against Australia's best during the National Championships. No matter who it is coming here, some bee-YOO-tiful gymnastics will surely be on display over that week.

Stuff gonna 'splode

Inspired by special agent Infrafrenata.

I don't mean to rock the boat, girls, but...

After yesterday's wibbly-wobbly rant (that I started sometime after lunch, left, re-thought and then finished at nearly 10pm last night), I came to the conclusion that: Enough's enough. I'd really like to write an open letter to Gymnastics Australia. I, and others whose comments I've read in online communiqué, would very much like to ask GA in no uncertain terms to treat the fans and athletes with more dignity, and establish useful incentives [or at least, some damn good reasons] for following the sport by considering any or all of the following strategies:

* Updating their online news page. It's two weeks into the new year, people. Get it together. Your office has been in operation since last week.

* Providing more in the Media Releases than just news we've already heard a week prior about competition results. See next point.


* Allowing the gymnasts to speak for themselves. Don't get me wrong, Jane Allen makes for a credible and good-natured interview subject from what I've read, but she and national coach Liddick are the only ones we ever hear from. It's dull. Let us hear it from the horse's mouth. I'd rather know what the athlete him/herself thinks about their performance.


* Doing something to liven up competitions (and I don't mean just bringing out a cheerleading team. I think more people snickered at them than clapped along at Nationals). I was quite shocked at being ushered away the minute the Australia v China competition ended last year. Nobody got to hang around to catch a glimpse of the athletes. The only people encouraged to cheer there during the event were the little pockets of gym club members who'd come from interstate training centres. See, people like NCAA gymnastics competitions because they embrace the fan. They encourage enthusiasm. Their gymnasts are out for autograph sessions and meet-and-greets and photoshoots after the meet. It's a real team atmosphere and breaks down the barrier between fan and hero. Even during the actual senior national championships (the shamelessly-titled VISA Championships which are televised). Fans sport posters and t-shirts and have a grand old time of it. It's quite touching for the athletes, too, because they know there are people out there who are gunning for them. My non-gymfan friend Michelle came with me to Nationals last year. She thought that the people who yelled and cheered were distracting and frustrating. No no, I corrected her. If anything we need MORE of those people around. It only sounded odd to her because it doesn't get heard often (if at all). Meets in the US always seem so much louder because the crowds there are encouraged to encourage the athletes! I really loved the vibrant Chinese fans at the AvC meet, with "jiaoyou!" echoing in the corners of Vodafone Arena. There were less of them than Aussie fans but with the noise they were making you'd have thought it was the other way around.

* Treating international guests with more respect. Nationals last year saw the visiting Chinese team wandering around during the competition, unguided, not knowing where to march to when the rotations ended or where to stand when stepping off the medal podium. And please, no patronising photo shoots with furry marsupials.


* Treating the national athletes with more respect. Celebrating them and, I suppose, showing how proud you are to be associated with them (rather than just highlighting how answerable to you they are). On the WAG squad page at the GA website, Tain Molendijk's profile page is blank, Kerby Purcell's picture is missing and the ones that are already on there (save for the WAIS girls) look terrible. Several of them are passport photos and it shows. It would look better if the girls all had AIS trackies on and got a photo day together. They deserve to look their best when they're on show to the public. They deserve, to be honest, to LOOK LIKE A TEAM.

"ZOMG WE'RE BFF!" Come on GA, more of this please.

* As Infy puts it: Not treating us like mushrooms(!) as we pay good money to see the athletes perform at Nationals/duel meets (and the like), and if someone is absent or under-performing, we have a right to know why. It's unfair that our star athletes are kept at such a distance from us (AIS location notwithstanding) because it leaves us in the dark and lets all manner of unsubstantiated, mixed-message rumours fly around which are no doubt detrimental to the athletes when they eventually catch word of them.

* Hopefully not considering glitter velour tracksuits. Ever. That would spell the death of Australian gymnastics for me personally. Heck, this ain't USAG.

* Just because they haven't won major Olympic medals (yet), doesn't mean we can't make the team feel like they have already... or deserve to.


In the apt words of comedian (and delightfully gangly stud-muffin) Frank Woodley: Get a bit of brainage!