Russo and Rizzo head Gymnastics team

Commonwealth Games - Melbourne 2006

World Championships bronze medallist Monette Russo and triple Commonwealth Games gold medallist Philippe Rizzo head a 13-member gymnastics team at Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Russo, 17, from Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, was the star of last year’s World Gymnastics Championships in Melbourne, winning the bronze medal in the women’s all-around competition, as well as making the finals on balance beam, floor and uneven bars – the first time an Australian gymnastics had made three individual apparatus finals.

Russo will be joined in the women’s artistic team by the rising stars of Australian gymnastics, all of whom will make their Commonwealth Games debut, including Queensland teenager Chloe Sims, who won four gold medals at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Bendigo in 2004.

The men’s team features the same group that represented Australia at the World Championships at Rod Laver Arena, including all-around finalist Josh Jefferis, high bar finalist Damian Istria and pommel horse finalist Prashanth Sellathurai.

Manchester triple gold medallist Philippe Rizzo will also line up with the men’s team that is a strong chance of winning its first team gold in Melbourne. Rizzo collected a bronze in the team competition in Manchester, along with gold medals in the pommel, parallel bars and high bar apparatus events.

The rhythmic team contains three members who competed in the 2005 World Championships and is lead by 2005 Australian champion Amy Khera.

Australian Commonwealth Games Association CEO, Perry Crosswhite said the gymnastic team has benefited from a number of specific development programs over the past four years.

“Our Target 2006 program, implemented in 2003, has played an important part in the development of this team. Particularly in the women’s artistic program, where the Commonwealth Youth Games has provided an opportunity for the likes of Chloe Sims to experience international competition.

“Hosting the world championships at Rod Laver Arena last year also provided a boost to our gymnasts as they demonstrated the huge advances they have made over the past four years. Of course at the world titles we also witnessed the strength of England’s Beth Tweddle and Canada’s Brandon O’Neill, who both captured medals, so the competition will be strong,” Crosswhite said.

Australia’s success in Commonwealth Games artistic gymnastics has grown with time. Whilst our men are still to taste gold in their teams competition, the women have dominated the last two Games.

Australians have won 18 individual discipline golds, led by Philippe Rizzo’s triple haul in Manchester. Russo will start favourite for the individual all-around title, an event we have captured only once – with Zeena McLaughlin winning the title in 1998.

Kasumi Takahashi has been Australia’s sole gold medallist in the rhythmic events, her sole Games appearance in 1994 netting a superb personal total of five gold and one silver medal.

England and Canada have been Australia’s greatest rivals in Games gymnastics competition although we held sway in Manchester with 6 gold and 15 medals in total. Canada finished second on the medal table with 12 medals (4 gold), ahead of England with 9 (3 gold).

Twenty gold medals will be up for grabs – 14 in the artistic disciplines (eight for men and six for women) and six in the rhythmic competitions, which are only for women.

All three sections have a team competition, which not only determines the team gold but also the qualification for the individual all around competitions and the apparatus finals. Five athletes make up each artistic team, with a maximum of three per country qualifying for the individual all around and a maximum of two per country going through to each apparatus final. Rhythmic teams comprise three athletes.

Gymnastics will feature on the first competition day of Melbourne 2006 with the men’s team event. The women’s teams will be the focus of competition on 17 March, with both individual finals the following day. After a day’s break, the apparatus finals will comprise the evening sessions on 20 and 21 March.

The rhythmic competitions will be held on the final three days of the Games, also at Rod Laver Arena.

2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games Gymnastics Team