Transcript
The qualification process
for gymnastics is quite complicated.
There's a lot of rules and a lot of
sort of selection policies
and all of that in place, so...
The way it worked out, that I was the
only male gymnast that we had there.
I had a great experience
at the Olympics. It was really good.
Obviously, it would have been
a lot better with my team around me.
But at the same time,
it was good to be there.
There was quite a few people
I knew from other sports
and through QAS and through AOC
that were there.
It's a big thing the first time
you step out and look out
and there's a crowded stadium
around you and you're realising
that you're competing
at world championships.
And it's an even bigger thing,
and I've had a chat to the guys
about Commonwealth...
sorry, about Olympics.
When you walk out and look around
the stand and when you...
..first time when you
get up on that apparatus
and you sort of
grab the bar and go,
"This is it. There's no turning back
now. I don't have one more warm-up.
"I don't have one more chance to sort
of check if anything feels right.
"I can't adjust anything.
I've just got to go with the routine.
"And this is the one
that's actually gonna count," so...
It is. It's a lot of pressure.
And it's a great experience.
The comps... I, personally,
can't remember a lot of the comp.
And it sounds quite funny, but
I remember starting the competition
and then, next thing you know,
it was all over.
So it was a very fast competition
and it just...it just flew by.
I was, obviously, concentrating on my
performance a lot of the time, so...
If there's something
I'd take from the last one
and sort of tell everyone
with the next one
is to enjoy the competition
a little bit more.
I think I was
sort of focused so much
on making sure I was doing
what I was there to be doing
that I didn't take in
a lot of the atmosphere
of the actual being
at the competition.
I think I've had a little bit
of time off last year with surgery.
I had surgery midway through the year
on my shoulder, so...
Missed out on Commonwealth Games
and also world championships
last year 'cause of that,
but the rest of the boys
went over to world championships
and qualified us
through that first round,
so now it's the second round
of qualifications,
so this year, in October...
Yeah, mid-October
is our world championships,
and it's gonna be top 16 there,
is what we're aiming for.
And that puts us through
to the next round of competition,
which will be January 2012 -
it will be a test event.
And it just depends on
how we go there
and whether we qualify
one, two, three, four
or a whole team of five there.
At the moment, my highest
start value, or my hardest routine,
it's probably floor.
And we're gonna put together
a fairly difficult floor
for the nationals this year
and then hopefully continue that on
for our world championships.
The importance of the 2011 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Tokyo, Japan for the Australian men cannot be understated. When they hit the competition floor in Tokyo, Japan they are out not only claim a place among the leading nations but to stake their claim on a possible Olympic berth.
The Team must follow the Australian women’s lead and place in the top 16 teams at the World Championships. In 2010 in Rotterdam, the Australian men finished in 18th place. In previous years the best Australia has done has been 14th in both 1999 and 2006. The top 8 teams at this World Championships will qualify directly into the 2012 Olympic Games while teams 9-16 will meet again in London in January to fight for the remaining 4 team positions.
The Australian team’s goal for the last 12 months has been to finish in the top 16 at these Championships. Under the leadership of National Coach, John Curtin, each member of the National squad has been closely monitored ensuring they are on track to increase difficulty, perform with consistency and to produce results under pressure and all has been going to plan. With a team selected largely on performance and results, what stands out with this team is experience.
The travelling reserve for this campaign is Sam Simpson who brings to the team a level of comfort and reassurance in the knowledge that if the team does suffer an injury prior to the event, Simpson is able to step up and compete on any apparatus. He has the experience of multiple World Championships and an Olympic Games.
Luke Wadsworth is a gritty gymnast that stood up when it mattered at last year’s World Championships. He has performed consistently throughout 2011 and with a World Championship campaign already under his belt he is set to be a long-term member of this team. Wadsworth is likely to compete on floor, pommel, vault and high bar.
Sam Offord is a multiple National Champion, two-time Commonwealth Games team member and medallist and seasoned campaigner. Offord’s contribution to the team will come predominately on rings were he is an outside chance to make the rings apparatus finals however in a field close to 300 this will be a mighty performance should it happen.
Thomas Pichler has a floor routine that nearly saw him in a World Championship final last year. He has increased his difficulty on floor since then and along with the team’s goal his personal goal is to make an apparatus final on floor. Pichler also needs to bring his ‘A’ game on vault, parallel bars and high bar.
Josh Jefferis has been dealing with injury most of the year and with limited preparation has proven his value to the team achieving solid scores in the selection trials and control tests. He is an all rounder who in top health has the potential to not only contribute significantly to the team but also find himself in the Individual All Around final. Over the last few weeks of training Jefferis looks to be on track to be in top form.
Luke Wiwatowski has really come of age over the past 18 months. While dealing with a change in coach and relocating from the AIS to Brisbane he has also managed to increase his gymnastics ability and contribution to the team. An all around performance free of any major errors could see Wiwatowski qualify for the Individual All Around as well as floor and high bar finals. This World Championships is Wiwatowski’s opportunity to make his name in the gymnastics world.
Prashanth Sellathurai probably has the most riding on this World Championships. Known for his pommel horse, Sellathurai also has a world class rings routine and a solid parallel bars routine, however if he should medal on pommel horse as he has done multiple times previously at world level he will be granted an Olympic position regardless of if the team finishes in the top 16 or not. The team will rely heavily on Sellathurai’s pommel and rings scores to increase the teams total and hopefully he can also fulfil his dream of a World Championships gold medal and an Olympic berth.
Australia is drawn in sub-division 7, competing at 6.30pm, Monday 10th October, starting on parallel bars. Australia is in the same sub-division as Canada and Russia. Canada will be fighting for a top 8 place, so the Australians will try to keep in touch with them. With China, Korea and Belarus in the final sub-division (8) and all finishing ahead of Australia in 2011, the men expect they need to be in at least 13th place at the conclusion of competition to achieve top 16.
Gymnastics Australia