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<strong>….in News</strong>
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From the FIG site – gymnastics story lines to watch at Commonwealth Games: “<strong style="color: #323131;">Record returns for Australia. </strong><span style="color: #323131;">2008 and 2012 Australian Olympian</span><strong style="color: #323131;"> Lauren Mitchell </strong><span style="color: #323131;">(AUS) returned to competition for the first time since the London Games earlier this year and quickly showed that she is still a force to be reckoned with on Balance Beam and Floor Exercise. Mitchell and 2008 Olympian </span><strong style="color: #323131;">Olivia Vivian</strong><span style="color: #323131;">, who at 25 is the oldest female gymnast ever to compete internationally for Australia are hoping to take the Commonwealths by storm[…]</span>” [<a href="https://www.fig-gymnastics.com/site/figNews/view?id=659%20">Link</a>]
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<strong>US top junior Bailie Key</strong> withdraws from Classics for what sounds like a minor health issue. [<a href="http://www.gymnastike.org/coverage/251427-2014-Secret-US-Classic/article/27391-Key-Withdraws-From-Classic#.U9KxJOMQd1g%20">Link</a>]
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<strong>Gabby Douglas</strong> may have left Chow’s but she is still committed to compete at Rio Olympics in 2016. [<a href="http://espn.go.com/espnw/news-commentary/article/11225072/gabby-douglas-leaving-coach-liang-chow-again-short-reunion">Link</a>]
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<strong>Comonwealth Games to drop gymnastics?</strong> “New sports and capping of numbers are on the agenda of the Commonwealth Games Federation as it seeks to keep the Commonwealth Games relevant in tune with <em>modern times.</em>
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With the programme for Gold Coast 2018 already locked and basketball set to replace gymnastics, the CGF general assembly, to be held next year in Auckland, will determine the new structure besides voting on the host city for the 2022 Games.” [<a href="http://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/changes-ahead-for-the-commonwealth-games/article6242588.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication%20">Link</a>]
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<strong>Profiles of the Australian gymnasts</strong> competing at the Commonwealth Games. [<a href="http://www.gymnastics.org.au/?Page=31747">Link</a>]
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<strong>…in Interview</strong>
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<strong>Becky Downie</strong>: “<span class="apple-converted-space">I </span>want to bring back a bars medal [from Glasgow] because it’s my favourite event. I made the bars final in Melbourne [in 2006] but I was very young then. Now I have a lot more experience.”
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She also spoke about finally achieving the shape and balance she had been struggling to get since 2011 “It’s been a hard slog,” she says. “I’ve had illness and injury. To have my major injury in 2011, when I ruptured my achilles, that obviously affected my preparation for London 2012 and I was then selected as a reserve which was really difficult for me.” [<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/jul/22/becky-downie-gymnastics-commonweath-games-2014">Link</a>]
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<strong>Laura Jurca,</strong> silver medalist in the all around at Junior Euros and Romania’s representative at Youth Olympic Games: [<a href="http://puzzlegym.ro/2014/07/road-to-rio-ix-laura-jurca/%20">Link</a>]
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<strong>Canadian Gymnasts Stefanie Merkle and Sydney Townsend</strong> are going to compete internationally this summer, each of them to face their biggest challenge yet: Commonwealth Games for Merkle and Youth Olympic Games for Towndsend. [<a href="http://www.waterloochronicle.ca/sports/gymnasts-prepare-to-compete-abroad/">Link</a>]
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<strong>Interview with Nick Rudock:</strong> The British Jr. WAG National Coach talks about his role in the European Union if Gymnastics (UEG) but also the increasing success of the British Jr. Program: “We won vault as a team at the 2013 Australian Youth Olympic Festival, 2014 European Youth Olympics and Junior Europeans. It’s a combination of a strategy and having the right gymnasts with the right qualities”. [<a href="http://www.british-gymnastics.org/news-and-events/news/latest-news/4174-nick-ruddock-preparing-the-next-generation">Link</a>]
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<strong>10 minutes with Isabela Onysko of Canada:</strong> “I am working on a couple of upgrades for the upcoming year. However, my coaches and I do not plan to include them until around February 2015. On vault, I am working on a yurchenko double, on floor a double-double, on beam a back handspring back handspring layout full, and on bars combining my Pak to my Maloney half.” [<a href="http://fulltwist.net/10-minutes-isabela-onyshko-can/%20">Link</a>]
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<strong>… in Video</strong>
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<strong>Romania</strong> have traveled to Sweden for a summer camp combining leisure and business… and more training 🙂
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<strong>Team Australia</strong> preparing for the Commonwealth Games:
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Trailer of Beyond the Routine with<strong> Mykayla Skinner:</strong>
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<a href="http://www.gymnastike.org/speaker/9574-Mykayla-Skinner">Watch more video of Mykayla Skinner on gymnastike.org</a>
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<strong>…in Fun</strong>
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The latest <strong>GymCastic</strong> episode. [<a href="http://gymcastic.com/104-gabby-douglas-missing-in-action-usa-championships/?utm_content=buffer60134&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer#.U9ARWoBdX-1%20">Link</a>]
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Did <strong>The Queen</strong> photo bomb some Australian athletes? Well…” Taylor was quoted in Australia’s <a style="color: #035a91;" title="Herald Sun" href="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/commonwealth-games/queen-grins-as-she-photobombs-selfie-taken-by-hockeyroos-in-commonwealth-games-village/story-fnntmmqt-1227000772484?nk=8ba5ffe0d4a877e4a325a743c1941171">Herald Sun</a> saying that the photobomb was not as spontaneous as it may have appeared.
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“Brooke [Peris] and I planned it so that when she came out the door she would be behind us. And then she came out and smiled at the camera. We were in the right spot at the right time.” [<a href="http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/Queen+Elizabeth+photobombs+athletes+Commonwealth+Games/10058754/story.html">Link</a>]
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<strong> Photos of gymnasts</strong> arriving or getting comfortable in the “village” at the Commonwealth Games. [<a href="http://thegymter.net/2014/07/23/getting-ready-for-glasgow/">Link</a>]
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<strong>Quiz time:</strong> which Olympic Champion are you (Nadia here) [<a href="http://www.playbuzz.com/emilym/which-olympic-champion-are-you">Link</a>]
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<strong>How to annoy a gymnast?</strong> Ask questions, lots of questions like these : [<a href="http://bit.ly/1mZw5F1%20">Link</a>]
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<strong>…in Photo</strong>
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Olivia Vivian of Australia at the Commonwealth Games Opening ceremony:
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<a href="images/2014/07/10552368_10152616556008277_2022514119377078164_n1.jpg"><img class="alignleft wp-image-18 size-full" src="images/2014/07/10552368_10152616556008277_2022514119377078164_n1.jpg" alt="10552368_10152616556008277_2022514119377078164_n" width="511" height="350" srcset="images/2014/07/10552368_10152616556008277_2022514119377078164_n1.jpg 511w, images/2014/07/10552368_10152616556008277_2022514119377078164_n1-300x205.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 511px) 100vw, 511px" /></a>
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Team Canada, left to right: Isabela Onysko, Victoria Moors, Stefanie Merkle, Maegan Chant, Ellie Black
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<a href="images/2014/07/10553412_10152238927812960_8522101088933311766_n.jpg"><img class="alignleft wp-image-16" src="images/2014/07/10553412_10152238927812960_8522101088933311766_n.jpg" alt="10553412_10152238927812960_8522101088933311766_n" width="500" height="375" srcset="images/2014/07/10553412_10152238927812960_8522101088933311766_n.jpg 720w, images/2014/07/10553412_10152238927812960_8522101088933311766_n-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /></a>
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<strong> </strong>
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<strong>Next week we can wish a very happy birthday to:</strong>
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Dina Kochetkova 27-Jul-77<br /> Courney Kupets 27-Jul-86<br /> Nelli Kim 29-Jul-57<br /> Esther Moya 31-Jul-84<br /> Marta Egervari 4-Aug-56<br /> Monette Russo 4-Aug-88<br /> WAEM Laura 5-Aug-97<br /> Yelena Davydova 7-Aug-61
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That would be all for now my friends, see you next week!
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<strong>Article by: Bea Gheorghisor</strong>
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<strong>Photo Cover: Nadia Boyce</strong>
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<strong>Follow us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheCouchGymnastNewsPage?ref=hl">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/TheCouchGymnast">Twitter</a></strong>
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