Lauren Mitchell
Encyclopedia
Lauren Mitchell is an Australia
n artistic gymnast. She is the 2010 World Champion
on floor
and the 2009 World Championships
silver medalist on balance beam and floor. Mitchell is only the second Australian woman gymnast to win medals at a World Championships, and the first to win gold. She currently (2010) trains at the Western Australian Institute of Sport
and is studying for a degree in biomedical science at The University of Notre Dame Australia's Fremantle
campus.
where the Australian team finished a disappointing 11th in the preliminary competition. However, Mitchell qualified for the Balance Beam event final, where she placed a very respectable 5th, equalling Monette Russo
as Australia's highest ever finisher in a Balance Beam World Final. Mitchell later stated that she was nervous prior to the final, but pretended she was in training to calm her nerves.
After her strong showing at her debut World Championships, Mitchell went on to compete in several international events. At the DTB Cup in Germany
, she won a Silver Medal on Beam and a Bronze medal on floor. She followed this up at the Good Luck Beijing event (a warm up for the venue for the 2008 Summer Olympics
), where she won the silver medal on the balance beam in what was a very competitive line up.
.
In December 2008 Mitchell became the first Australian gymnast to win a gold medal at a World Cup final when she won gold on the balance beam in Madrid. She would also, technically, hold the title indefinitely as the World Cup Final series has since been disbanded
convincingly. After two successful days of trial competition in Canberra, which included a new Yurchenko double vault
, Mitchell was included in the 2009 London World Championships team (with the opportunity to compete on all four apparatus).
In October at the 2009 London World Championships
, Mitchell finished fourth all-around by only 0.025, which was especially disappointing since she took a 0.1 deduction on floor for stepping out of bounds.
Mitchell rallied during the apparatus finals by winning two silver medals, the highest placing of any Australian female gymnast at a World championships at that time. She won the silver on balance beam with a score of 14.825, .125 behind Deng Linlin
, and won silver on floor with a score of 14.550, .100 behind Beth Tweddle
.
2010 Commonwealth Games
, Mitchell won gold with the Australian team. She then went on to win gold in the all-around, on the uneven bars, and balance beam, thereby giving her a total of 4 gold medals. She also won silver in the floor exercise. Mitchell's success in winning 4 gold medals is a record at the Commonwealth Games for a female gymnast which she holds jointly with Lori Strong of Canada
who accomplished the same feat at the Auckland
1990 Commonwealth Games
. Strong though has the slightly better overall record in that she also won 2 silvers to Mitchell's 1. Mitchell's achievement, however, was especially impressive in light of the fact that prior to the 2010 Commonwealth Games, she had been out injured for almost a year with hand, ankle, and groin injuries.
On missing out on beating Strong's Commonwealth record for medals won and missing out on Gold in the floor exercise, Mitchell said: "Even though it would have been nice to have five gold medals, I think for me it would have been too perfect...And now it gives me something extra to strive for because if I had got the gold in every single event I competed in, it would have been like 'what's next?'."
Mitchell next competed at the 2010 World Gymnastics Championships
in Rotterdam
which took place from the 16–24 October 2010. She finished 6th with the Australian team and finished 6th in the all-around. She then won gold in the floor exercise, which was the first world championship for a female Australian gymnast - Philippe Rizzo
being the only male Australian artistic gymnast to win a world championship, having won the high bar at the 2006 World Championships
in Aarhus
, Denmark
. She also finished fourth on the balance beam.
On winning Gold at the World Championships, Mitchell stated, "I had to look at the score again...I think I nearly started crying. It didn't feel like my routine was so good but obviously it was...
Coming from the beginning of the year and not competing at any events until the Commonwealth Games, it is a fantastic feeling". She added: "I wanted to prove on the floor that I belonged in the top three...I wanted to prove to the judges that Australia is up there with the world...I know I had a few landing errors...But my leaps and jumps were pretty good. I'd never done a triple pivot in a floor routine before, so that was a first...I thought I'd come fourth again...I had to look twice at the scoreboard. I thought it was a 14.6. Then when I realised it was a 14.8, and I knew that the Russian had got a 14.7, I had to think. Is an eight more than a seven? I was in shock". Western Australian Institute of Sport gymnastics program manager, Liz Chetkovich, believed failing to win Gold in the floor exercise at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
and to take Lori Strong's Commonwealth record in terms of medals won was the motivational force behind Mitchell's World Championships success, stating: "For her, not having the icing on the cake was a very good thing...It was a real motivator for her, and fortunately it helped her put her technique together when it really counted. In the end, it was a stunning victory".
At the DTB Pokal World Cup in Stuttgart, Germany, in November 2010, Mitchell won gold on the floor (14.275), beam (15.325), and uneven bars (14.150). In doing so, she became the first Australian gymnast to win three gold medals at a single World Cup event. Commenting on Mitchell's achievement, Australian women’s head coach, Peggy Liddick, stated: "When she won floor tonight, I thought that’s fantastic she’s backed up her world championships performance. That almost means as much as the world championships because it just proves that she’s not a one hit wonder, that she’s a consistent performer and she can go in three weeks later and back herself up. Her beam score of 15.375, which is a normal beam routine for her, would have been enough for a gold medal at the world championships. We were both so disappointed with the scoring at worlds, we thought Lauren did a great job but she just didn’t get that score. So that just proves she is also a medal contender on beam. And the bars are not her best event and there was no pressure on her because we weren’t expecting her to medal. She’s had a bit of a sore shoulder and hasn’t done much training on bars, and we were even thinking about pulling her out to give that shoulder a rest. But she opted to stay in and she did the best bars routine she’s done all year. Last night was a success, not only because she won the medals, but it was a statement that she’s a true professional, that she loves her gymnastics and when she goes out she can back herself up. Keep that history book open, just love the achievements that we’re making at the moment."
Mitchell next competed at the Glasgow grand prix world cup event in late November 2010 where she won 2 further gold medals on beam (14.675) and in the floor exercise (14.800). She also won bronze on the uneven bars (13.725). Mitchell said of all her achievements that: "It's been an amazing few months, not only for me but for the whole Australian Team. The Commonwealth Games was a great chance for us all to compete in a big event and get experience ahead of the World Championships, which were the big aim for the whole Team. To qualify for the next step of the Olympic Qualifications was key so we were really happy with that and then of course for me to win the Floor title was just the icing on the cake - the day just went perfectly for me and I was amazed to get the title! From there I've been really hectic traveling to lots of events, which have given me great experience. Here in Glasgow, I've been really happy with my performance and the two titles as the equipment wasn't what I was used too so it shows that I can adapt and work in a range of environments which is important and shows I'm developing. Traveling to all these events is great but what really keeps me going is knowing that I have some amazing support from back home in Australia, it makes me job much easier knowing people are supporting me."
In December 2010, Mitchell competed at the Toyota Cup in Japan where she won gold on the beam.
where she finished sixth in the all-around competition. She then competed at the Bercy World Cup (French International) from the 19–20 March 2011 where she finished fourth on the beam.
In an interview with Alexa Ainsworth from Universal Sports, Mitchell said of her preparations for the 2012 Olympics
that Australian head coach, Peggy Liddick "doesn't like us making too many changes the year of the Olympics, so most of the changes will be this year and if it's not stable than we won't do it. If we're going to put in upgrades it will be this year".
At the Japan Cup in Tokyo in early July 2011, Mitchell came fourth in the all-around with a combined score of 53.750, debuting her new floor routine in the process. She also finished fourth with the Australian team in the team competition.
Later in July 2011, Mitchell won gold on the all-around, the vault, the beam, and in the floor exercise at the Australian National Championships.
After selection trials during 17-18 September 2011, which took place at the Australian Institute of Sport
in Canberra
, Mitchell was selected for the Australian team to compete at the 2011 World Championships
which will be taking place in Tokyo
from the 8-16 October 2011. During the trials, Mitchell's standout performance was a score of 15.300 on the vault.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n artistic gymnast. She is the 2010 World Champion
2010 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 2010 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships was held at the Ahoy Rotterdam indoor sporting arena in the Netherlands from 16 to 24 October 2010. In this year's championships, there was a total of 73 participating federations with 615 gymnasts...
on floor
Floor (gymnastics)
In gymnastics, the floor refers to a specially prepared exercise surface, which is considered an apparatus. It is used by both male and female gymnasts. The event in gymnastics performed on floor is called floor exercise. The English abbreviation for the event in gymnastics scoring is FX.A spring...
and the 2009 World Championships
2009 World Championships
2009 World Championships may refer to:* Alpine skiing: Alpine World Ski Championships 2009* Aquatics: 2009 World Aquatics Championships* Athletics: 2009 World Championships in Athletics**Cross-country running: 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships...
silver medalist on balance beam and floor. Mitchell is only the second Australian woman gymnast to win medals at a World Championships, and the first to win gold. She currently (2010) trains at the Western Australian Institute of Sport
Western Australian Institute of Sport
The Western Australian Institute of Sport is an elite sports institute set up in 1983 by the Government of Western Australia to support athletes in Western Australia...
and is studying for a degree in biomedical science at The University of Notre Dame Australia's Fremantle
Fremantle
Freemantle is a suburb of Southampton in England.Fremantle or Freemantle may also refer to:- Places :* Fremantle, the port city to the capital Perth, Western Australia...
campus.
2007
In 2007, her first year as a Senior Gymnast, she was the Australian Balance Beam Champion. Mitchell competed at the 2007 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships2007 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 40th World Artistic Gymnastics Championships were held at the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle in Stuttgart, Germany, from 1 to 9 September 2007.Oldest and youngest competitors- Men :- Women :- Finals :- Qualifications :- Floor :...
where the Australian team finished a disappointing 11th in the preliminary competition. However, Mitchell qualified for the Balance Beam event final, where she placed a very respectable 5th, equalling Monette Russo
Monette Russo
Monette Simone Russo is an Australian Artistic Gymnast. She made Australian history by becoming the first Australian gymnast ever to win an individual World Championship medal at the 2005 Melbourne Artistic Gymnastics World Championships when she came third in the all-around competition...
as Australia's highest ever finisher in a Balance Beam World Final. Mitchell later stated that she was nervous prior to the final, but pretended she was in training to calm her nerves.
After her strong showing at her debut World Championships, Mitchell went on to compete in several international events. At the DTB Cup in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, she won a Silver Medal on Beam and a Bronze medal on floor. She followed this up at the Good Luck Beijing event (a warm up for the venue for the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
), where she won the silver medal on the balance beam in what was a very competitive line up.
2008
She competed for Australia in the women's artistic team all-around event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
.
In December 2008 Mitchell became the first Australian gymnast to win a gold medal at a World Cup final when she won gold on the balance beam in Madrid. She would also, technically, hold the title indefinitely as the World Cup Final series has since been disbanded
2009
In July 2009, Mitchell took first place in the all-around at the Australian National Championships in Perth with a score of 112.325 to claim her first national title. She also won titles on uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exerciseFloor (gymnastics)
In gymnastics, the floor refers to a specially prepared exercise surface, which is considered an apparatus. It is used by both male and female gymnasts. The event in gymnastics performed on floor is called floor exercise. The English abbreviation for the event in gymnastics scoring is FX.A spring...
convincingly. After two successful days of trial competition in Canberra, which included a new Yurchenko double vault
Yurchenko (vault)
Yurchenko is the name of both a specific vault and a vault family in artistic gymnastics. The Yurchenko was named after Soviet gymnast Natalia Yurchenko, who originated the vault in the early 1980s....
, Mitchell was included in the 2009 London World Championships team (with the opportunity to compete on all four apparatus).
In October at the 2009 London World Championships
2009 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 41st World Artistic Gymnastics Championships was held at The O2 arena in London, United Kingdom, on 12 October to 18 October 2009. Similar to the World Championships in 2005, there were no team competitions...
, Mitchell finished fourth all-around by only 0.025, which was especially disappointing since she took a 0.1 deduction on floor for stepping out of bounds.
Mitchell rallied during the apparatus finals by winning two silver medals, the highest placing of any Australian female gymnast at a World championships at that time. She won the silver on balance beam with a score of 14.825, .125 behind Deng Linlin
Deng Linlin
Deng Linlin is a Chinese gymnast. She was a member of the Chinese team that won the team gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, People's Republic of China, and is a three-time World Cup gold medalist...
, and won silver on floor with a score of 14.550, .100 behind Beth Tweddle
Beth Tweddle
Elizabeth "Beth" Kimberly Tweddle MBE is an English gymnast. Tweddle is a three time world champion having won the 2010 World Championships and 2006 World Championshipson the uneven bars and the 2009 World Championships on the floor...
.
2010
At the DelhiDelhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
2010 Commonwealth Games
2010 Commonwealth Games
The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
, Mitchell won gold with the Australian team. She then went on to win gold in the all-around, on the uneven bars, and balance beam, thereby giving her a total of 4 gold medals. She also won silver in the floor exercise. Mitchell's success in winning 4 gold medals is a record at the Commonwealth Games for a female gymnast which she holds jointly with Lori Strong of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
who accomplished the same feat at the Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
1990 Commonwealth Games
1990 Commonwealth Games
The 1990 Commonwealth Games were held in Auckland, New Zealand from 24 January-3 February 1990. It was the 14th Commonwealth Games, and part of New Zealand's 1990 sesquicentennial celebrations. Participants competed in ten sports: athletics, aquatics, badminton, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, judo,...
. Strong though has the slightly better overall record in that she also won 2 silvers to Mitchell's 1. Mitchell's achievement, however, was especially impressive in light of the fact that prior to the 2010 Commonwealth Games, she had been out injured for almost a year with hand, ankle, and groin injuries.
On missing out on beating Strong's Commonwealth record for medals won and missing out on Gold in the floor exercise, Mitchell said: "Even though it would have been nice to have five gold medals, I think for me it would have been too perfect...And now it gives me something extra to strive for because if I had got the gold in every single event I competed in, it would have been like 'what's next?'."
Mitchell next competed at the 2010 World Gymnastics Championships
2010 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 2010 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships was held at the Ahoy Rotterdam indoor sporting arena in the Netherlands from 16 to 24 October 2010. In this year's championships, there was a total of 73 participating federations with 615 gymnasts...
in Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
which took place from the 16–24 October 2010. She finished 6th with the Australian team and finished 6th in the all-around. She then won gold in the floor exercise, which was the first world championship for a female Australian gymnast - Philippe Rizzo
Philippe Rizzo
Philippe Rizzo Philippe Rizzo Philippe Rizzo (born 9 February 1981 in Sydney, is an Australian gymnast. He became the first Australian to win a medal at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships when he won silver on the horizontal bar in Ghent in 2001. He is also the first Australian to win a...
being the only male Australian artistic gymnast to win a world championship, having won the high bar at the 2006 World Championships
2006 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
39th World Artistic Gymnastics Championships were held in Aarhus, Denmark from October 13 to October 21, 2006 in NRGi Arena.It was the first time the World Gymnastics Championships was organized by a Danish city...
in Aarhus
Aarhus
Aarhus or Århus is the second-largest city in Denmark. The principal port of Denmark, Aarhus is on the east side of the peninsula of Jutland in the geographical center of Denmark...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. She also finished fourth on the balance beam.
On winning Gold at the World Championships, Mitchell stated, "I had to look at the score again...I think I nearly started crying. It didn't feel like my routine was so good but obviously it was...
Coming from the beginning of the year and not competing at any events until the Commonwealth Games, it is a fantastic feeling". She added: "I wanted to prove on the floor that I belonged in the top three...I wanted to prove to the judges that Australia is up there with the world...I know I had a few landing errors...But my leaps and jumps were pretty good. I'd never done a triple pivot in a floor routine before, so that was a first...I thought I'd come fourth again...I had to look twice at the scoreboard. I thought it was a 14.6. Then when I realised it was a 14.8, and I knew that the Russian had got a 14.7, I had to think. Is an eight more than a seven? I was in shock". Western Australian Institute of Sport gymnastics program manager, Liz Chetkovich, believed failing to win Gold in the floor exercise at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
2010 Commonwealth Games
The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
and to take Lori Strong's Commonwealth record in terms of medals won was the motivational force behind Mitchell's World Championships success, stating: "For her, not having the icing on the cake was a very good thing...It was a real motivator for her, and fortunately it helped her put her technique together when it really counted. In the end, it was a stunning victory".
At the DTB Pokal World Cup in Stuttgart, Germany, in November 2010, Mitchell won gold on the floor (14.275), beam (15.325), and uneven bars (14.150). In doing so, she became the first Australian gymnast to win three gold medals at a single World Cup event. Commenting on Mitchell's achievement, Australian women’s head coach, Peggy Liddick, stated: "When she won floor tonight, I thought that’s fantastic she’s backed up her world championships performance. That almost means as much as the world championships because it just proves that she’s not a one hit wonder, that she’s a consistent performer and she can go in three weeks later and back herself up. Her beam score of 15.375, which is a normal beam routine for her, would have been enough for a gold medal at the world championships. We were both so disappointed with the scoring at worlds, we thought Lauren did a great job but she just didn’t get that score. So that just proves she is also a medal contender on beam. And the bars are not her best event and there was no pressure on her because we weren’t expecting her to medal. She’s had a bit of a sore shoulder and hasn’t done much training on bars, and we were even thinking about pulling her out to give that shoulder a rest. But she opted to stay in and she did the best bars routine she’s done all year. Last night was a success, not only because she won the medals, but it was a statement that she’s a true professional, that she loves her gymnastics and when she goes out she can back herself up. Keep that history book open, just love the achievements that we’re making at the moment."
Mitchell next competed at the Glasgow grand prix world cup event in late November 2010 where she won 2 further gold medals on beam (14.675) and in the floor exercise (14.800). She also won bronze on the uneven bars (13.725). Mitchell said of all her achievements that: "It's been an amazing few months, not only for me but for the whole Australian Team. The Commonwealth Games was a great chance for us all to compete in a big event and get experience ahead of the World Championships, which were the big aim for the whole Team. To qualify for the next step of the Olympic Qualifications was key so we were really happy with that and then of course for me to win the Floor title was just the icing on the cake - the day just went perfectly for me and I was amazed to get the title! From there I've been really hectic traveling to lots of events, which have given me great experience. Here in Glasgow, I've been really happy with my performance and the two titles as the equipment wasn't what I was used too so it shows that I can adapt and work in a range of environments which is important and shows I'm developing. Traveling to all these events is great but what really keeps me going is knowing that I have some amazing support from back home in Australia, it makes me job much easier knowing people are supporting me."
In December 2010, Mitchell competed at the Toyota Cup in Japan where she won gold on the beam.
2011
On 5 March 2011, Mitchell competed in the AT&T American Cup at Jacksonville, FloridaJacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
where she finished sixth in the all-around competition. She then competed at the Bercy World Cup (French International) from the 19–20 March 2011 where she finished fourth on the beam.
In an interview with Alexa Ainsworth from Universal Sports, Mitchell said of her preparations for the 2012 Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
that Australian head coach, Peggy Liddick "doesn't like us making too many changes the year of the Olympics, so most of the changes will be this year and if it's not stable than we won't do it. If we're going to put in upgrades it will be this year".
At the Japan Cup in Tokyo in early July 2011, Mitchell came fourth in the all-around with a combined score of 53.750, debuting her new floor routine in the process. She also finished fourth with the Australian team in the team competition.
Later in July 2011, Mitchell won gold on the all-around, the vault, the beam, and in the floor exercise at the Australian National Championships.
After selection trials during 17-18 September 2011, which took place at the Australian Institute of Sport
Australian Institute of Sport
The Australian Institute of Sport is a sports training institution in Australia with world class facilities and support services. The Institute's headquarters is situated in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. The 66.0 hectare site campus is in the northern suburb of Bruce, but some of the...
in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, Mitchell was selected for the Australian team to compete at the 2011 World Championships
2011 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 2011 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships were held in Tokyo, Japan, from October 7–16, 2011 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.Due to uncertainty over the nuclear situation following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, the International Federation of Gymnastics revealed it was...
which will be taking place in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
from the 8-16 October 2011. During the trials, Mitchell's standout performance was a score of 15.300 on the vault.
External links
- Lauren Mitchell photos at ZimbioZimbioZimbio.com, a San Carlos, California, USA-based company is an online magazine publisher. It was founded by Tony Mamone and Danny Khatib. The management team consists of Tony Mamone as CEO, Danny Khatib as President, John Newlin as Editor-in-Chief, and Bruce Martin as Chief Technology Officer.Zimbio...