Joura Suffers Ankle Injury in Competition

Published On: 11 August 2008

The Australian gymnastic team has reached the team all around final after finishing fifth in qualification over night. Joura: still hopeful of competing in team final

There was disappointment for WAIS athlete Dasha Joura however, with the medal hopeful injuring her ankle during her floor routine which prevented the 18 year-old from qualifying for the individual all around final.

Aside from Joura, fellow WAIS athletes Lauren Mitchell and Olivia Vivian also represented Australia, with Vivian producing a fine uneven bars routine in her specialty apparatus.

Australia Coach Peggy Liddick was impressed with Joura’s courage despite being in obvious pain.

“She jammed her ankle and it just got weaker and more unstable as the comp went on,” Liddick said.

“But we wouldn’t have made the team final without her strong bars, so she kept it together there.

“Then on the beam, where you need the most stability of course, a little bit of tape just wasn’t going to do it.”

  The beam proved to be Australia’s weakest apparatus with both Joura and Mitchell suffering falls.

With the team final on Wednesday, the Australian camp is hopeful Joura will be able to compete, but it is likely she would not feature in all four rotations due to the ankle injury.

There was better news for Shona Morgan and Georgia Bonora who finished 15th and 18th respectively and qualified for the 24 member individual all around final, which is scheduled for Friday August 15.