Mitchell Posts Solid Routines to Lead Nationals

Published On: 13 July 2009

Lauren Mitchell leads after day one of the all-around competition

WAIS gymnast Lauren Mitchell has made a solid start to the 2009 Australian Gymnastics Championships at Challenge Stadium, leading the individual competition after the team section.

Mitchell, who is competing in front of her home crowd at the National Championships for the first time, scored a total of 55.625 in Sunday night’s team competition to lead the all-around at the conclusion of day one. Victorians Shona Morgan and Britt Greeley occupy the other two podium positions with scores of 54.300 and 52.325 respectively.

The 17-year old Beijing Olympian took to the competition floor for the first time since winning a gold medal on beam at the World Cup final in Madrid late last year and showed her class despite a couple of hiccups.

The hot favourite opened her evening on the uneven bars scoring a respectable 13.825 before unveiling her new routine on the beam. Mitchell fell once during the highly difficult combination and posted an unspectacular score of  13.775.

Her class shown through though on the next two apparatus, posting scores of 13.575 on the floor and 14.450 on the vault.

Fellow WAIS gymnast Emily Little echoed the solid performances of her senior teammate to sit in second position after day one of the junior competition.

Little posted a combined score of 50.475 to sit just behind Victorian Emma Collister who leads with a score of 50.700.

Both Mitchell and Little will take to the main arena at Challenge Stadium again on Monday night with the aim of taking home gold in front of their home crowd. The action in the all-around final commences at 7pm, with tickets available at the door.