Meet the Olympians: Lauren Mitchell

Meet the Olympians: Lauren Mitchell

Meet the Olympians: Lauren Mitchell

Jul 19, 2012 by Gina Mueller
Meet the Olympians: Lauren Mitchell
Lauren Mitchell, Team Australia 




Lauren Mitchell will be one to watch at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. She will represent Australia and compete on floor, beam and vault. Mitchell trains at the Western Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS) under Peggy Liddick. As a first-year senior in 2007, Mitchell qualified for the beam final at Worlds and finished fifth. In 2008, she helped Australia's team to a sixth place finish at the Olympics in Bejing. At the 2009 Worlds, Mitchell was edged out by Japan's Koko Tsurumi, settling for fourth in the all-around final. She fell to Tsurumi by only .025, however she came back to win silver on the beam and floor exercise. At Worlds in 2010, Mitchell won gold on floor, placed fourth on beam and sixth in the all-around. 

Recently, at the 2011 Worlds in Tokyo, Mitchell placed fifth on floor and helped her team to an eighth place finish in the competition. The Australian team will rely heavily on Mitchell in London for her leadership and high scoring routines. 








Interesting Facts
  • Mitchell is only the second Australian woman gymnast to win a medal at a World Championships.
  • She is the first Australian woman to win gold at a World Championship.
  • Mitchell stopped competing all-around after her sixth place finish at the 2010 Worlds due to a shoulder injury. 
  • Peggy Liddick is the Olympic head coach for Australia and also Mitchell's personal coach.
  • Liddick used to coach Shannon Miller.

Interview with Mitchell right after she won gold on floor at the 2010 World Championships.


Watch more video of Lauren Mitchell on gymnastike.org