Quartet set bar high in gymnastics
QUEENSLANDERS are set to dominate the Commonwealth Games men’s gymnastics team after thriving in the pressure cauldron of the final selection event in Canberra.
Games medal hope Michael Mercieca won both days of the all-around competition with world-class scores of 79.4 and 79.95 respectively, boosted by top-two placings on high bar, parallel bars and rings.
Brisbane-based Michael Tone (pommel horse, parallel bars and rings), and AIS-based Mitchell Morgans (rings, parallel bars and high bar) are also in strong positions for Games selection while Mitchell Jones produced consistent allaround performances of 76.150 and 76.5 respectively.
State High Performance coach Sean Wilson was especially happy with Tone’s personal record score of 14.4 on pommel horse and with all the Queenslanders performing well on the first trial day.
He said the gymnasts overcame the mental hurdle of first-day nerves, which would bode well for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, starting on April 4.
“It was a real positive the gymnasts hit their routine on the first day because in the past their first day has been rough and then they stepped up on the second day,’’ Wilson said.
“In the Commonwealth Games gymnasts will have to deliver on the first day which is the team competition and qualification for individual finals,’’ he said.
Wilson said the trial results showed Australia had several medal contenders led by vault specialist Chris Remkes (15.1) and Mercieca (high bar and parallel bars).
The Games team will be announced this month.