GYMNASTICS: Australia’s eight-member gymnastics team performed credibly across all disciplines in the London Games with Lauren Mitchell leading the way with her outstanding 5^th placing in the individual floor routine, just 0.067 off a medal.

The 2010 world floor champion was the highest placed Australian across 13 days of Olympic gymnastics competition in a hotly-contested field in the individual floor final.

Queenslander Josh Jefferis became Australia’s greatest male all round Olympic gymnast taking over the mantel held for the past 12 years by his idol and mentor Philippe Rizzo, who was 30^th in Sydney.

The 26-year-old physiotherapy student nailed all six of his routines, improving his qualifying round scores in all but one discipline (vault) to finish 19^th overall against the world’s best.

In the women’s all round final, Olympic debutant and the baby of the team Emily Little, 18, finished 15th, while dual Olympian Ashleigh Brennan, 21, was 20^th with performances they hope will inspire a whole new generation of young gymnasts in Australia.

Little was thrilled to improve her qualifying scores on all four apparatus (floor 13.3, vault 14.866, uneven bars 13.933, beam 13.666); while Brennan showed great character to put a stumble on her vault landing behind her and finish strongly on the beam (floor 14.166, vault 13.233, uneven bars 13.533, beam 14.4).

The women's artistic team - Emily Little, Ashleigh Brennan, Lauren Mitchell, Georgia Bonora, Larrissa Miller – were unlucky to miss the final, finishing 10^th. 

In the all round individual rhythmic gymnastics, Australia's wildcard entry Janine Murray finish 22^nd overall, boosted by a stellar ribbon routine on the last day of competition.

Olympic debutant trampolinist Blake Gaudry finished 13th overall in the qualification having set an Olympic record in his first of two routines. A fall on his second jump saw him miss the eight man final. 

Tracie Edmondson in London
Olympics.com.au