Mitchell Ready for Japan Showdown
WAIS dual world championship silver medallist Lauren Mitchell will reignite her rivalry with Japan’s KokoTsurumi on home soil this weekend at the Australia versus Japan ‘friendly’ at the Australian Institute of Sport Arena on Friday, 27 and Saturday, 28 November.
Mitchell, who returned from the recent world championships in London with a silver medal on the beam and floor apparatus’, let a coveted all around medal slip through her fingers with a 0.1 out of bounds penalty on her final apparatus, handing the bronze position to Tsurumi.
Just 0.025 separated the pair and Mitchell is keen to get one back on the Japanese star.
“My aim this weekend is to hit my routines cleanly and without errors. It’s not quite the same as the world championships because I haven’t had the same preparation because of exams but I have a competition in Japan in December, so I will use it as a stepping stone to prepare for that event,” Mitchell said.
“It (being beaten by Tsurumi at the world championships) definitely gives me a bit of extra motivation to beat her in Canberra. I will definitely be looking to stay inside the floor this time.
“We are both at exactly the same level in our gymnastics, so whatever we bring on the day directly relates to the end results.”
But the rivalry between Japan and Australia doesn’t end with Mitchell and Tsurumi.
Young up-and-comer and uneven bar specialist Larrissa Miller (MBC) will also put the pressure on Tsurumi in her pet event. The 17-year old finished sixth overall in the apparatus final at the world championships in London in her first major international competition.Tsurumi took home the silver medal.
In the teams event, the two countries have also had some close encounters, the most recent at the 2008 Beijing Olympics where Japan outscored Australia by just 0.175 over the four apparatus to take fifth position ahead of Australia in sixth.
Mitchell and Miller will be joined in the Australian team by fellow 2009 world championship representative Georgia Bonora (Waverley/VIS), Victorian’s Fiona Coley (VIS) and Britt Greeley (VIS) and West Australian WAIS scholarship holder Emily Little, who herself is making significant strides in the national set up.
Tsurumi will be joined by MomokoOzawa, YuMinobe, RieTanaka and world championship teammates YukoShintake and KyokoOshima in the Japanese team.
The Australia versus Japan ‘friendly’ kicks off at 6.30pm on Friday 27th November at the AIS Arena with the team event and follows up with an all-around and apparatus final competition on Saturday (same time). Tickets are available at the door.
– Gymnastics Australia