Delhi 2010: Other Stuff

Watch out for Alex Croak in the women's 10m platform diving, about to kick off on Delhi2 on Foxtel!

Alex - for those of you playing at home - was a member of the 2000 Olympics and 2002 Commonwealth Games gymnastics teams (winning a gold and a silver in the latter). She won a silver with synchro partner Melissa Wu at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games and went on to compete at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

If she does get the gold tonight, she will be the first athlete in the history of the Commonwealth Games to win gold medals in two different sports!

ETA: AND SHE DID! Congatulations Alex and Melissa!

"My coach just told me, after the initial results came through, that I’m first person to medal in two different sports, to get the gold medal in both sports,’’ said Croak. ’’I’m extremely honoured and very proud of my achievement and I couldn’t have done without Melissa and without my coach."

Delhi 2010: Day 5 Wrap-Up

Phew, what a week!



Last night capped one of Australia's best ever Commonwealth Games campaigns, with our men's and women's artistic teams winning gold in the same Games for the first time ever. That was followed up by some superb individual performances that will surely boost confidence before next week's World Championships.

Here's some online press and pictures from last night's finals...











ABC Online


International Gymnast Online

Herald Sun

"I think I expected maybe one medal in the team and that was it,'" she said.

"I hoped to medal in the other ones but definitely not four gold.

"This is definitely, definitely up there with [2009] Worlds."

Sydney Morning Herald


Sydney Morning Herald (2)

Gymnastics Australia reminds us of the team's spectacular medal haul:

Gold (9):
Men's - Team
Women's - Team
Mitchell - All-around
Pichler - Floor
Sellathurai - Pommel Horse
Mitchell - Uneven bars
Offord - Rings
Jefferis - Parallel bars
MItchell - Beam

Silver (3):
Little - All-around
Bonora - Uneven bars
Mitchell - Floor

Bronze (4):
Jefferis - All-around
Bonora - All-around
Sellathurai - Pommel horse
Brennan - Floor

And a belated Happy Birthday shout out to gold-medal-winning team member Georgia Wheeler! She turned sweet 16 yesterday (and what better present than a Commonwealth Games gold medal and a trip to Rotterdam, hey?)

Delhi 2010: Day 5 LIVE!

Tonight marks the last day of artistic competition at the Commonwealth Games. Australia has competitors in every apparatus final being contested tonight.

We'll see Tom aim for another gold in the vault final, Lauren in the beam final, Josh and Prashanth duking it out on parallel bars, Lauren on floor alongside 2006 silver medallist Ashleigh, and Luke and Sam rounding out the competition on high bar.


PREPARE: Review the Day 1 and Day 2 posts to get up to speed on skills you can expect.

Check out some great photos from the previous competition rounds by searching 'gymnastics' at Daylife.com


The apparatus start lists are available here.

EXPLORE: The Age website, Herald Sun website or official Delhi 2010 website.


WATCH: Live on Foxtel's Delhi Gold from 10:25pm AEDST this evening with Liz Chetkovich and Garry Wilkinson commentating. You can also watch a delayed broadcast on Channel Ten, overseen by Stephanie Moorhouse and Dan Ryan.


Don't forget that a quite good live webstream is available at:

http://veetle.com/index.php/channel/view#4cab5ad8153a1


DISCUSS: Right here, with me, live, at your AGB. Just keep hittin' that refresh button. Alternatively, follow (my occasional) livetweets at twitter.com/ozgymblog.

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Foxtel gets us in the mood with a Josh Jefferis profile piece. "Gymnastics is fifty percent mental, fifty percent physical..."


10:25pm Let's get this party started!

Will we see more rugby headband action from Clinton Purnell tonight?

Tom and Aussie coaches spotted heartily applauding other competitors. Hooray humans. Hooray for sportsmanship.


VT Pichler: Competing 6th, right after crowd favourite Ashish Kumar.
VT1 Yurchenko double twist, stumbles sideways and falls right off the mat! Oh dear! 13.850
VT 2 Kasamatsu, small hop. 14.700
Chin up, Tom - you've got two golds already! Tom just gave a doleful "Sorry" to the camera!
Average 14.275, finishes in 8th place.


BB Mitchell: Competing second. Loz in the green, gold and black podium training leo. I am sooooo nervous for her! Chest roll mount. BHS flic layout two feet STUCK! Jumps great. Wolf turn a little messy but gets it around. Change leg half, back tuck. Front aerial, switch split front tuck. BHS flic double pike one hop backwards but very nice! Took out the ring jump? Peggy is happy, a job well done. 14.475, difficulty 6.3... her score is untouchable.

LAUREN MITCHELL IS OUR COMMONWEALTH BEAM CHAMPION! CONGRATULATIONS LAUREN!

This marks her 4th gold, tying her with the record for most golds won by an artistic gymnast at a Commonwealth Games.



PB Jefferis: Felga half, piked double back, Tippelt, Healy, double pike dismount with a small step forward. Bless Liz for naming the skills because I have no idea about p-bars! Big hugs from Sam, Prashanth and Reiss Beckford. Coaches very happy. 14.625, great score!


PB Sellathurai: Folwell pulled him in closer as they lined up before the judges, and applauded him as he was introduced. I am loving all this sportsmanship between the Aussies and the English, cricket rivalries be damned! 5.1 difficulty. Great form throughout, though nearly overarches on a handstand. Double pike dismount, slight step. 14.000 goes into third place. Joking with other competitors on the sidelines, biggest smiles we've seen him give all week.

Results are in... it's another Aussie gold!

JOSHUA JEFFERIS IS OUR COMMONWEALTH PARALLEL BARS CHAMPION!
CONGRATULATIONS JOSH!

AND PRASHANTH GETS THE BRONZE MEDAL!

Medal ceremony - Loz has a giggle as she gets her fourth gold medal. Spots someone in the crowd she knows. Oooh, a new coloured scarf - red and green! As the Canadian and Sinaporean gymnast stand beside on the top tier, they're actually standing in height order!

Josh totally chuffed as they call his name, gives a little chuckle. Prosh is genuinely happy for him, hearty handshakes all round. Milks the moment with some fist pumps. Waves to the Aussies in the crowd. Sings loud and proud. Luke Folwell has some matey words once photos are finished.


FX Mitchell: Fierce face in dance. Fumbles on the arabian to stag, struggles to stay in bounds (right on the mat edge). Piked full in a bit low but stays in. Wold turn, puts hand down. Change split. 2.5 to front lay, skids again. Ring jump, split full. Must be tired. Double pike, small hop. 13.925, the door opens for Ash.


FX Brennan: Also in the green and gold leo. Her first and only apparatus finals appearance. Will compete after Lauren, seemed to enjoy marching in beside her teammate and close friend. One hop back on the full in, might've been OOB. Double back, definitely goes OOB. Running front lay to front full, nice. Dramatic dance as always. Double pike with a small bounce. 13.425 into third place.

Peggy gets a happy snap of the girls. Gives a little "Well, you're done til next week!" sigh and smile.

LAUREN GETS THE SILVER, HER FIFTH MEDAL FOR THESE GAMES! ASHLEIGH BRENNAN THE BRONZE, HER SECOND CONSECUTIVE COMMONWEALTH FLOOR MEDAL!

Foxtel cut from the high bar kick-off to interview Lauren. She's fine with not managing that 5th gold; she was notified of drug testingwhile warming up floor so she was a bit frazzled. But she's happy with how her competition has gone.


HB: Wiwatowski: Weiler kip, elgrip giants. Stoop half to release. Kovacs. Falls on the pirouette sequence after it. Gets back up and finishes (skids back on layout doube double). Consolation from other competitors, he looks crushed. 12.725


HB Offord: Australia's last push for a gymnastics gold. Catches first release. Stoop to elgrip giants. Double layout full, just a small step back. Not super difficult (looking at the layout Kovacs by Beckford) but cleanly performed. Great sportsmanship on the sidelines, hugs his competitors. He's a proud Aussie - points out the coat of arms on his chest! 13.550

Sam just misses a medal, finished 4th. Luke an admirable 7th.

Foxtel interviews Sam and Luke. Luke acknowledges his error and looks forward to getting to rectify it in future. The team flies to Rotterdam in 8 hours time- 4:00 in the morning! Sam says the Games (especially the team win) were a positive experience they can build on for Worlds. Luke says "Thanks, Australia!" for all the support.

Medal ceremony - Ash a big smile. Lauren a gleeful hug for her. Woman giving Lauren her scarf gets it a bit tangled! Imogen Cairns a gracious victor. Lauren and Ash step up beside her for photos in perfect unison!


And so endeth the artistic competition in Delhi. Thanks for coming on the journey with me, our gymnasts did a spectacular job! Stay tuned for further updates from rhythmic competition as it unfolds.

Ash is sad the Games are coming to an end but is glad for the experience. Lauren had a few nerves going into competition having been out of action for 10 months. They've mostly been going on a cycle of "Sleep, train, compete!" Lauren is grateful for the arena and podium experience offered by Commonwealth Games. Ash hasn't ruled out London 2012, "we'll see what happens!"

Delhi 2010: Day 4 Wrap-Up

The Aussie gymnastics caravan of courage rolls on, with more medals added last night. Delhi is proving to be one of Australia's best ever gymnastics campaigns.



Here's some press about last night's apparatus finals gold rush:


ABC News

Sydney Morning Herald

"Wow, that's cool, it kind of hasn't sunk in yet," Mitchell said

Sydney Morning Herald (2)

Rising Perth star Lauren Mitchell will start as a red-hot favourite to create history in Delhi by becoming the first artistic gymnast to win five gold medals at a single Commonwealth Games.

The Australian

TheAustralian (2)

Herald Sun

Now, its interesting that some of the press is saying Lauren could go on to be the first Aussie gymnast to get three golds in one Commonwealth Games but... didn't Phil Rizzo do that in 2002?

FIVE golds, now wouldn't that be something!

Delhi 2010: Day 4 LIVE!

Yet another late night for gymnastics fans as we follow the goings-on in Delhi.

More individual golds are up for grabs tonight as apparatus finals kick off. We'll be seeing Georgia and Lauren in the women's uneven bars final, Tom and Luke in the floor final, Sam in the rings final and Prashanth in pommel and rings final.


PREPARE: Review the Day 1 and Day 2 live posts to check out routine notes, scores and predictions for finals.

EXPLORE: The Age website, Herald Sun website or official Delhi 2010 website.

WATCH: Live on Foxtel's Delhi Gold from 10:25pm AEDST this evening with Liz Chetkovich and Garry Wilkinson commentating.

A thus-far-well-reviewed live webstream is available here:

http://veetle.com/index.php/channel/view#4cab5ad8153a1


DISCUSS: Right here, with me, live, at your AGB. Just keep hittin' that refresh button. Alternatively, follow (my occasional) livetweets at twitter.com/ozgymblog.

I'd like to take this moment to quickly thank everyone for joining me in the live coverage and discussions, erratic though they might be, it's been fun. Even at 1am, knowing you are along for the ride with me boosts my spirits unbelievably. I feel like a medal-winning gymnast! Thanks for your helpful links, reminders, tweeted questions and, most significantly, for increasing AGB's traffic count by 73%! You rock.

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10:25 AEDST Broadcast kicks off. You know you're in for a good night when Liz says she can "smell the gold"!

MAG FX Wiwatowski: He's up first. Absolutely beams when introduced to the crowd in line-up. There's a big moth on the floor? Oy. Call that guy from the swimming with the huge net... or just call Luke, he'll swat it away! Go Luke. Huge cheer for his opening tumble... front 2.5 to front full, small hop. Falls on combination pass; sits down double arabian at the end. 12.875


MAG FX Pichler: Up third. Front 2.5 to tuck front and roll, stays in bounds. Arabian? Gah, it's going too fast for me! Nice spindles and press to handstand, great control. 2.5 to punch half, great. Closes with a tucked full-in, chest low and a slight stumble forward but gets through it. Two thumbs up to camera, wave to everyone at home. Camera does a very unsubtle pan from his toes to his head (we KNOW he's good-looking, guys, yeesh!). Vlad looks tense but cracks a nervous laugh for his charge. 14.675

With just Beckford left to go, Tom is in the gold medal position. He is guaranteed a medal, let's see if it will indeed be a gold one! YES IT WILL BE! 14.675 is enough for the win!

THOMAS PICHLER IS OUR COMMONWEALTH FLOOR CHAMPION! CONGRATULATIONS TOM!

The first Australian since Andrei Kravtsov in '98 to medal on floor.


Medal Ceremony - Tom grinning the second he marches out. Of course, much of the moment also belongs to Kumar of India, taking a maiden gymnastics medal. Kisses and fist pumps to the crowd. Smiles the entire time the anthem is playing, fwaaaaw. Houston, we have tears welling up!

Interviewed by Channel Ten. "I can't believe it!" Thanks everyone back at home for the messages of support, "I read every one!"


MAG PH Sellathurai: With English superstar Louis Smith absent, Prashanth looks a medal cert if he can avoid the mistakes from the team final. Goes through the motions on the sidelines, waiting a while for previous competitor's score. Super focussed. Nice scissors, holds handstand well. Swinging fast and smoothly, nice spindles, speeds up and gets through the dismount no problems! Touches the pommel in thanks (Liz says it's a regular ritual for him!), looks relieved. 15.500! He's untouchable!

PRASHANTH SELLATHURAI IS OUR COMMONWEALTH
POMMEL HORSE CHAMPION!
CONGRATULATIONS PROSHIE!

Poses for a thumbs-up happy snap with Whitlock of England. Australia goes two for two in apparatus finals so far! Exciting stuff.

Medal Ceremony - Fwwaaaaw, he's so tiny. Gets a warm reception from the crowd. Gathered Aussies shake their flags in the stands. He looks a little uncomfortable despite this not being his first time on a gold medal dais! Gives a wry smile as the anthem finishes. Beckons the other medallists up to his tier. Needs reminding to hold his medal up for a photo! I think he's rather overwhelmed!


WAG UB Bonora: Lauren and Georgia both in 2009 Worlds AA leos (black with pink and purple swirl), looking lovely. Emily is on the sidelines helping out. Jocelyn Hunt slipped off before her, let's hope she's not rattled. Jump to high bar, immediate Comaneci great. Hip circle, bail, back to high, giant, giant full, giant half, a little leg separation on Lgrip giant, double front with a small hop. Very close to the bar, thought she might whack herself! Big kiss from Peggy behind the barrier. Georgia looks positively balletic and gorgeous. 13.925


WAG UB Mitchell: Vault over low to high. Stalder, elgrip giant to straddle jaeger a leeetle messy. Hitting every HS perfectly. Once again a step forward on the double front but an excellent job. Georgia shown cheering her on. Big hugs from Emily and Georgia. 14.150 into first place!

Kristen Klarenbach scratched this final and there was no replacement. Lauren tops the other 7 girls.

LAUREN MITCHELL IS OUR COMMONWEALTH UNEVEN BARS CHAMPION! CONGRATULATIONS LOZ!
GEORGIA BONORA GETS THE SILVER!

It's 1am. Everyone in our house is asleep. I am watching a muted television and typing softly in the dark.

MAG SR Offord: He's up third. Horizontal planche bounce through to cross. Err.. maltese? Piked yamawaki, tucked yamawaki. Giant. Once again tucks down the second salto in what I assume was meant to be a double layout full twist? More waves to camera and even crosses fingers! 14.825, goes into first place.


MAG SR Sellathurai: Up 6th. Let's see if he can make a second gold tonight. Nice horizontal planche bounce through to cross. Piked yamawaki through to another horizontal. Pike sit. Lands double layout dismount to knees! It looked really nice in the air but he hung it out there for a bit too long. 13.750

Results are in... Sam stays at the top!

SAM OFFORD IS OUR COMMONWEALTH RINGS CHAMPION! CONGRATS SAM!

Prashanth a commendable 6th

Big thumbs up from Sam to the camera; gets a chummy embrace fom Luke Folwell.


Medal Ceremony - Georgia a big smile. Lauren gracious. Looks like she can't believe her luck! Starts to well up a little, this has been the meet of her life (Worlds 09 notwithstanding!). Was about to get Georgia to hop up on her dais but forgot she had to wave one more time first! Smile as big as it was in the AA.

Latey late late late. It's nearly 2am! Sam appears to be getting on famously with his British rivals. They're having a lovely chat during march-out. Sam spots family/friends and gives a big wave before they've even reached the dais! Fist pumps as they say his name, totally savours the moment before even standing on the step. Points to family. Just loving it. Family and friends sing along in the crowd. Big thumbs up to finish and fist pumps, he's so joyful! He holds up one finger, Luke holds up two (or is it Beckford? Or Whitlock? Damn, it's late...) and Georgallas holds up three. Most jubilant medal ceremony so far. Go boys.

Aaaaaaaand that's my cue. G'night.

Delhi 2010: Day 3 Wrap-Up

Winners are grinners!
(Would love to know what's going being said in that second one!)

Some news and coverage of our women's all-around sweep...

Sydney Morning Herald

National head coach Peggy Liddick praised Mitchell's professionalism in returning smoothly from her injuries.

"That's her gift," Liddick said. "I've never got any complaints about Lauren, my only complaint is that she's her own worst enemy sometimes.

"She pushes herself harder than anybody."

NDTV

Eltham Leader (Bonora profile)

"I don’t care what colour it (the medal) was, it was just fantastic she recovered enough to be able to compete!" said her mother, Karen Jeffress.

Herald Sun


You might like to know that the Lauren Mitchell fanpage at Facebook has surpassed 1000 fans!

Here is some coverage of Josh's admirable bronze win:

Sydney Morning Herald

[Jefferis] had a potential gold in his sights with two rotations left but was let down by a preparation mishap which had the parallel bars set at the wrong width.

ABC Online

Don't forget to keep your eye on Ten's evening news, who will often give more than just a 'highlights' recap of the previous night's events.

Delhi 2010: Day 3 (WAG) LIVE!

Join me live from 10:25 AEDST for the women's all-around final. Get ready to do all this craziness again!

Don't forget the great livestream available here:
http://veetle.com/index.php/channel/view#4cab5ad8153a1

and my livetweets at twitter.com/ozgymblog.

I'll do a full AA wrap-up post tomorrow. In the meantime: Awwwwwww!

Canberra-based Jefferis grew up in Brisbane training with and competing against Pichler, who arrived in Queensland from Australia as a five-year-old.

"I've been competing against this knucklehead since I was six years old," he said of Jefferis.

"Me and Josh, we're best of friends, and Sammy Offord, I spent my junior career with him and we're all great mates as well."

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Channel Ten did a TF wrap-up montage at 9:50, showing more routines in their highlight package then they showed in their actual entire broadcast! Lots of awesome looking super-slow-mo footage and soundbites from the commentators. Fierce faces!

Ten then interviewed Josh, who outright said he was disappointed but gave credit to England for their stiff competition. He acknowledged that a few things didn't go his way but he's philosophical about it, happy with the bronze. His elbow is heavily taped. "If you'd told me 6 months ago I'd get bronze, I wouldn't have thought so." He appreciates the support everyone has given him back home ("Hi mum, dad, Sam and grandparents!")

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10:27 Hosts have just told us there's a slight delay in the competition kicking off.

10:30 Gymnastics on Delhi Gold has been delayed "until 10:40".

10:43 Cameras rolling in the arena. HERE WE GO! Judges march in. Gary Wilkinson says there was accreditation and venue access problems with the judges?

Anyway. THE STARS OF THE SHOW ARE HERE!

Aussie leotards: Pink, purple and white (you can see it on Georgia, Em and Loz were in their trackies). It's an all new design!

All three Aussies starting on vault. My bad, it's dark BLUE. White chest and sleeves, dark blue body, pink swirls.

Emily warms up a gorgeous DTY, nearly stuck.

VT Emily: DTY, nice form throughout, great toes, just a hop back. Great effort. Peggy happy. 14.850!

VT Mitchell: DTY good distance, landed with slight leg separation (legs not together as she hit the mat). 14.650

VT Bonora: Yurchenko full. Ankles taped and footsocks on. Just a hop backward on landing. 13.800

After 1 rotation, Emily 1st, Lauren 2nd, Imogen Cairns 3rd. I've little doubt Cairns and Mitchell can (and will) feature on the medal podium with hit routines.

UB Little: Heaps of hair glitter! Jump over low to high. Toe on, toe on half, straddler jaeger. Bail, straddle up to high, Toe on full. Double layout dismount a little whippy but landed nicely.

UB Mitchell: rocking the pink eyeshadow! Jump over low to high. Stalder to giant half, catches straddle jaeger with bent back. Bail, low up to high. Toe on, tow on half. Brings the double front tuck a leeetle close to the bar (I always worry she's going to hit herself), hops forward a fair way but stands it up. Good job Loz!

UB Bonora: John and Nikolai chalk up for her. Jump to high. Comaneci lovely! Overarches slightly on a handstand, overshoot (nearly loses it again) giant full, giant half, Double front nice and tight but a hefty jump forward. Em and Loz happy for her.

To beam. Aussies currently sitting in 1, 2, 3! Hope they can overcome yesterday's problems (I'm thinking Beijing TF right about now!) Loz is up first.

BB Mitchell: Chest roll mount. BHS LOSO LO hit like crazy! Split jump, wolf jump. Wolf turn, just gets it around. Switch split half. Hesistates before front aerial, split leap, back tuck. Ring jump. BHS, FF double pike stuck but with a tiiiiiiny hop! Relief on her face, joy on Peggy's! It's a 15.000!

BB Little: lands the front tuck. Wolf turn rushed but stays on. Front aerial BHS LOSO nice. Change wolf (that thing is so weird), split leap, planted back tuck. Change side. Double tuck dismount, chest quite low, small hop to balance herself. Big hug from Nikolai.Big smiles as 13.750 is flashed, she is still in second!

BB Bonora: Jump on (boo). Change split leap, back tuck, front aerial low, shuffles and pauses. BHS LOSO nice. Split jump half, a little unsteady. Onodi gorgeous, side somi. Side aerial, a wobble. Ring jump. Full turn. Roundoff , great high double pike with a small hop. Hurray! Bung ankles bedamned!

Time for the final rotation! CAN Australia make it 1-2-3 and repeat what they did in Kuala Lumpr in 1998???

After 3 rotations...

1. Lauren Mitchell 43.550
2. Emily Little 42.350
3. Georgia Bonora 41.450
4. Imogen Cairns 40.400
5. Jocelyn Hunt 40.150
6. Laura Edwards 39.150

Woooohooo!

FX Bonora: Fierce face to start! High double tuck stuck! Double twist nice and high. Yang bo jump, change split full. Stumbled out of triple turn. 1.5 through to full, nice. Front aerial as part of dance. Leo looks good against the white floor! Gorgeous floated double pike, amazing! A tiny step back, soooooo good. John Hart very pleased. 13.500!

Camera zooms right in on Georgia, John and Kerryn having a chat. Thanks, camera guy.

FX Little: Getting a last pep talk from Peggy, Imogen Cairns' routine was quite an act to follow! Tcked full in to open. New music? Double tuck with a hop backward. She's really worked on her dance, nice work. Front aerial as part of dance. Double turn. 1.5 into double, slightly shuffled. Nice leaps. DOUBLE PIKE STUCK!!!! Dramatic finish! 13.500 into first place! Guaranteed a medal!

FX Mitchell: Intense preparation on the sidelines. Closes eyes, appears to be visualsing the moves. Big smile as she goes into her opening pose. Sweeps the first gestures bigger than normal. Arabian-stag perfect. Piked full-in one hop back. Really milking the spotlight, dragging out every move like Dasha! She is loving this. Saves the 2.5 to front layout. Double pike back with a hop, looked dangerously close to going OOB. 14.450

There is no disputing... Final score is 58.200

LAUREN MITCHELL IS OUR 2010 COMMONWEALTH GAMES WOMEN'S ALL AROUND CHAMPION!!!

and better yet...

SILVER TO AUSTRALIA'S EMILY LITTLE!

BRONZE TO AUSTRALIA'S GEORGIA BONORA!

IT'S AN AUSSIE TRIFECTA! JUST LIKE 1998!

Ten is interviewing the girls, they can't get the smiles off their faces. Loz is so humble, though I'm pretty sure I just heard her utter (re: Worlds) "Bring it on!"

Medal ceremony - Girls marching in synch, almost rivalling their military chaperones! Loz is giggling a bit, she's so chuffed.

They all have big hugs for eachother. Emily beaming from ear to ear when they call her name. Big cheers and whistles for Lauren. Gives a little "woah!" expression when her scarf is put on after her medal. Awww, three Aussie flags are raised, what a sight! Tears in Lauren's eyes, she is singing her heart out! Gosh I love that girl. She beckons for Georgia and Em to join her on the top dais. Huge pearly white smiles from all of them, what a moment, what a moment! Georgia says something that makes Loz laugh. Camera flashes all round on the sidelines, must be hectic for them.

Enjoy every minute, girls! You absolutely rocked!

Delhi 2010: Day 3 (MAG) LIVE!

The spotlight is on solo stars tonight, as the men's all-around kicks off the individual competition rounds. Josh Jefferis , Tom Pichler and Sam Offord are flying the flag for Australia in the men's event with Josh aiming to be the first Australian to win back-to-back Commonwealth all around titles. Lauren Mitchell, Georgia Bonora and Emily Little are representing our women's program and looking to back up last night's team win.


(I was thinking today... wouldn't it be ace, right, wouldn't it be ace... if either Josh won the all-around AND p-bars final... or Lauren won the all-around AND beam AND floor final... and they were named Aussie flagbearer at the closing ceremony? That'd be so cool. But I have a lot of cool daydreams like that, and they ending up being little more than just daydreams)


PREPARE: Search for Aussie routines at YouTube to get yourself well-versed. Simple as that.

Melbournians can check out a double-page spread on our gymnasts in today's MX newspaper!

Liz Chetkovich was briefly interviewed by Foxtel, she noted Georgia Wheeler as a highlight from last night.

EXPLORE: The Age website, Herald Sun website or official Delhi 2010 website.


WATCH: Live on Foxtel's Delhi Gold from 6:55 AEDST this evening with Liz Chetkovich and Garry Wilkinson commentating. You can also watch a delayed broadcast around 10:00pm (if the last few nights are anything to go by) on Channel Ten, overseen by Stephanie Moorhouse and Dan Ryan.


IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A LIVE WEBSTREAM, I AM TOLD THIS ONE WORKS IN OZ:

http://veetle.com/index.php/channel/view#4cab5ad8153a1

(Thanks, Toto!)


DISCUSS: Right here, with me, live, at your AGB. Just keep hittin' that refresh button. Alternatively, follow (my occasional) livetweets at twitter.com/ozgymblog.

" CAN'T YOU HEAR, CAN'T YOU HEAR THAT THUNDER!?!?"

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Sam and Josh are sporting their grey outfits again (green and gold trim) and starting on floor in the same group as those nipping-at-their-toes Englishmen, Beckford and Whitlock)

Some of these quickhits are coming courtesy of Never2Old2Swing, many thanks for your efforts! Your technical expertise far outstrips mine!

Please be aware that anything without notes next to it indicates that a score was flashed/announced for a routine that was not shown.

Once again - if you don't have Foxtel and would like to forgo Network Ten, check http://veetle.com/index.php/channel/view#4cab5ad8153a1


FX Pichler: FHS-2/1-punch 1 and 3/4; stretched thomas; RO-1.5-rudi (very piked); federchenko; wide arm press; high step to corner; RO-2.5-punch barani; low long full twisting double back, very short landing.

PH Offord: Swings nicely to start but gets messy legs early on. Struggles after scissors, not lifting high enough, JUST makes his d/m. 10.550

PH Jefferis: Makes it all the way through without major error. Scores 12.75. Takes a seat next to physio Kerryn who ices his elbow.

PH Pichler (not shown) 11.2


I have realised it is not Seth Rogen that Welsh gymnast Clinton Purnell reminds me of. It's comedian Charlie Pickering (pre-7pm Project)! Oy...

SR Jefferis: controls it well. STUCK double layout full dismount! Big thumbs up and wave afterward. Chatting to the Brits on the sidelines, so cute. 14.85, a great score!

Luke Folwell does a bang-on impression of our boys encouraging Pichler - A perfect, Ocker drawl of "Thommooooo!" Josh loves it.

SR Offord: Horizontal planche, something, Maltese (man, I am rubbish at men's!) pike Yamawaki, tuck Yamawaki (thanks N2O2S), slight balance check. Layout 1/2 in 1/2 out, but bends legs in second salto. 15.100

VT Jefferis: Handspring front 1.5, tiny hop (out of bounds?). 15.250!

VT Pichler: Baitova, low chest, small hop to the side. 15.300!

VT Offord (in replay): Baitova, leg separation on landing, just one large step back. 15.500!

Two rotations to go.

PB Jefferis: Peach HS, peach 1/2, giant, belle, 1/2 pirouette, straddle front 1.25 to upperarm, tipelt, healey, healey to upper arm, back uprise straddle cut swing HS, double pike.

PB Pichler: takes a big stumble back on double pike dismount. Luke W is on the sidelines.

PB Offord: peach handstand (struggled?), belle, giant, tipelt, front uprise straddle front 1.25 to upper arm, stutz to outside, straddle up, double pike

The LOUDEST clap of thunder I have EVER heard in my life just crashed around our house, eeeeeek!!!

After 5 rotations, Josh sits in 3rd, Sam 5th, Tom 6th.

HB Pichler: Catches full twisting jaeger but loses control of the swing after that, struggles on an uprise. Dismounts with a double layout full twist, looks quite disappointed. 12.700

HB Offord: Yamawaki piked, endo healey to double L grip, healey to double l grip, jam HS, russian giant, full twisting double layout. Stuck!

HB Jefferis: Folwell's routine a tough act to follow for the number-one qualifier, as was Beckford's stuck dismount. GREAT DLO double twist dismount, just a slight hop. He could crack into the medals (England looking to go 1-2-3!) but I dont think it'll be high enough for gold. He looks exhausted. 13.950, he gets the bronze!

CONGRATULATIONS JOSH! 84.750 AND THE ALL-AROUND BRONZE MEDAL!
HIS SECOND CONSECUTIVE COMMONWEALTH AA MEDAL!

Additional congrats to Sam who finished 5th and Tom in 7th. A smashing effort from Team Aus.

The women's all-around final will kick off at about 10:30.

Awwww, Josh looks a little deflated on the podium! Chin up, Mr Frodo, you have good reason to be up there!