GYMNASTICS PREVIEW: Health and Home ground advantage spur on team

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Australia are looking at building on the four silver medals they took home from Glasgow, when the Gymnastics competition kicks off with the Men’s Artistic Gymnastics (MAG) Qualification and Team Final at Coomera Indoor Sports Centre on Thursday.

Australia’s MAG team was decimated with injuries before even getting on the plane to Glasgow in 2014, but with health and the home-ground advantage on their side in 2018 they are looking to walk away with a team medal.

The Aussie boys will be up against the might of England, Scotland and Canada, who swept the team medals in 2014, but a combination of youth and experience will put them in good stead to make the podium on the Gold Coast.

All eyes will be on South Australia’s Chris Remkes, particularly on his pet apparatus; Vault.  Just last week Remkes finished equal atop the International Gymnastics Federation’s (FIG) World Rankings on Vault, tied with Ukraine’s Igor Radivilov, and after a disappointing showing at the 2017 World Championships, will be looking to prove himself at his first Commonwealth Games.

Remkes’ training-mate at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), Queenslander Mitchell Morgans, will be another to watch on the most breathtaking of the Men’s events; the Horizontal Bar.  After also leading the FIG World Rankings on his pet apparatus for the majority of the 2016-2018 World Cup season, Morgans was just pipped at the post last at the final World Cup in Doha last weekend, finishing one point behind 2017 World Champion, Tin Srbic of Croatia.  His routine – jam-packed with releases – will be sure to thrill a delighted Gold Coast crowd at Coomera!

In the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics competition, beginning with the Qualifications and Team Final on Friday, Australia will be looking to go one better than Glasgow, and finish atop the podium in the team event.  Australia took the silver medal behind England in Glasgow, but with an English line-up that has been devastated by injury, combined with a new look Australian team headed by US supercoach, Mihai Brestyan, they are in with a chance to pinch the top spot.

All eyes will be on Georgia Godwin, who was the top performer at the 2017 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Montreal, finishing 13th in the All-Around competition, however she’ll have some stiff competition from Canadian veteran Ellie Black, who finished second All-Around in Montreal; the best performance ever by a Canadian.

After a hiatus from the national team, Victorian Alexandra Eade will be one to watch in the individual apparatus finals, particularly on Floor.  Her dynamic tumbling and expressive dance skills always a crowd favourite, and with Rio bronze medallist Amy Tinkler (ENG) and Montreal bronze medallist Claudia Fragapane (ENG) both having to withdraw from the Games with injuries, as well as Canadian Brooklyn Moors also not present on the Gold Coast, a clean routine should see Eade among the medals.

Following strong performances at the recent World Cup Gymnastics in Melbourne, Emily Whitehead and Georgia-Rose Brown will be looking to get amongst the medals on Vault and Uneven Bars respectively, whilst Brisbane youngster Rianna Mizzen, will be looking to make up for a mistake in the Uneven Bars Final in Melbourne, which saw her miss a certain medal.  Eighteen-year-old Mizzen has one of the highest Bars start values of the field, along with fellow teenager, England’s Georgia-Mae Fenton.

Australia’s Men will kick of their Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games campaign in subdivision 2 on Thursday 5 April, whilst the Women will compete alongside arch rivals England in subdivision 4 on Friday 6 April.

Australia are looking at building on the four silver medals they took home from Glasgow, when the Gymnastics competition kicks off with the Men’s Artistic Gymnastics (MAG) Qualification and Team Final at Coomera Indoor Sports Centre on Thursday.

Australia’s MAG team was decimated with injuries before even getting on the plane to Glasgow in 2014, but with health and the home-ground advantage on their side in 2018 they are looking to walk away with a team medal.

The Aussie boys will be up against the might of England, Scotland and Canada, who swept the team medals in 2014, but a combination of youth and experience will put them in good stead to make the podium on the Gold Coast.

All eyes will be on South Australia’s Chris Remkes, particularly on his pet apparatus; Vault.  Just last week Remkes finished equal atop the International Gymnastics Federation’s (FIG) World Rankings on Vault, tied with Ukraine’s Igor Radivilov, and after a disappointing showing at the 2017 World Championships, will be looking to prove himself at his first Commonwealth Games.

Remkes’ training-mate at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), Queenslander Mitchell Morgans, will be another to watch on the most breathtaking of the Men’s events; the Horizontal Bar.  After also leading the FIG World Rankings on his pet apparatus for the majority of the 2016-2018 World Cup season, Morgans was just pipped at the post last at the final World Cup in Doha last weekend, finishing one point behind 2017 World Champion, Tin Srbic of Croatia.  His routine – jam-packed with releases – will be sure to thrill a delighted Gold Coast crowd at Coomera!

In the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics competition, which begins with the Qualifications and Team Final on Friday, Australia will be looking to go one better than Glasgow, and finish atop the podium in the team event.  Australia took the silver medal behind England in Glasgow, but with an English line-up that has been devastated by injury, combined with a new look Australian team headed by US supercoah, Mihai Brestyan, they are in with a chance to pinch the top spot.

All eyes will be on Georgia Godwin, who was the top performer at the 2017 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Montreal, finishing 13th in the All-Around competition, however she’ll have some stiff competition from Canadian veteran Ellie Black, who finished second All-Around in Montreal; the best performance ever by a Canadian.

After a hiatus from the national team, Victorian Alexandra Eade will be one to watch in the individual apparatus finals, particularly on Floor.  Her dynamic tumbling and expressive dance skills always a crowd favourite, and with Rio bronze medallist Amy Tinkler (ENG) and Montreal bronze medallist Claudia Fragapane (ENG) both having to withdraw from the Games with injuries, as well as Canadian Brooklyn Moors also not present on the Gold Coast, a clean routine should see Eade among the medals.

Following strong performances at the recent World Cup Gymnastics in Melbourne, Emily Whitehead and Georgia-Rose Brown will be looking to get amongst the medals on Vault and Uneven Bars respectively, whilst Brisbane youngster Rianna Mizzen, will be looking to make up for a mistake in the Uneven Bars Final in Melbourne, which saw her miss a certain medal.  Eighteen-year-old Mizzen has one of the highest Bars start values of the field, along with fellow teenager, England’s Georgia-Mae Fenton.

Australia’s Men will kick of their Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games campaign in subdivision 2 on Thursday 5 April, whilst the Women will compete alongside arch rivals England in subdivision 4 on Friday 6 April.

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