Mighty Mitchell Ready for World Champ Tilt
Western Australian Institute of Sport gymnast Lauren Mitchell is in the final stages of preparation ahead of the biggest event in world gymnastics for the year – the 2009 FIG World Artistic Gymnastics Championships from the O2 Arena in London.
Mitchell will compete in the All-Around section of the women’s competition and will be looking to make a big impression after the Perth 18 year-old won a gold medal at the Madrid World Cup in the balance beam final late last year.
Women’s national coach Peggy Liddick has been happy with the team’s preparation and has composed her team to fit the competition.
“Three of the four girls have previously competed at a world championships and are experienced in this type of competition,” said Liddick.
“Because there’s no team event at these championships we are trying to get the girls to focus on perfecting their individual routines. A world championships winning performance is what we are going for.”
Each nation can name a maximum of two athletes to compete in the all-around competition, with Liddick nominating Mitchell and Georgia Bonora to fly the flag for Australia.
Mitchell has worked hard since the Olympic Games to improve her vault and bars and is now an all-around final contender.
“This is my first time competing at an individual world championships, but I am excited to be able to go out there and show all the hard work that I’ve been doing in the gym,” said the WAIS scholarship holder.
Mitchell is also looking to qualify for the beam final, a feat she accomplished at the 2007 world championships on debut.
Mitchell will compete in the qualification round on Wednesday 14 October, with the All-Around final on Friday 16 and the four apparatus final split over Saturday 17 and Sunday 18.
Mitchell’s two pet events, the beam and floor apparatus will be contested by some top class international gymnasts.
In the beam, the Ukrainian Yana Demyanchuk and the Dutch gymnast Sanne Wevers have the capacity to surprise. Demyanchuk won the European title in Milan this year, whilst Wevers took the gold in two consecutive Glasgow Grand Prix competitions.
European Silver medallist Ana Maria Tamarjan will do her utmost to keep the Romanian reputation on this apparatus. She performs a very difficult routine.
Other gymnasts to follow from day one through to the final are Xiao Sha (China), Ksenia Afanasieva (Russia) and Koko Tsurumi (Japan), who were both finalists in Beijing.
The floor routine is wide open, and will be the only women’s event without a Beijing medallist. Russian Anna Myzdrikova (winner of the Moscow World Stars competition and Silver medallist in Glasgow with an impressive programme including a triple twisting salto immediately followed by a tucked salto), and her teammate Ksenia Afanasieva will both be in contention.
Ana Maria Tamarjan (Romania), Sui Lu (China), Ana Maria Izurieta (Spain) and Alina Kozich (Ukraine) are also potential medallists.
– With Gymnastics Australia