Olivia Vivian was stunned.
“I don’t know how many eye lashes I have wished upon for this result,” Vivian wrote in her blog. “The feeling I have right now is indescribable! The feeling of living your dream, achieving your goal – although it’s not complete yet!”
Oregon State gymnastics recruit Vivian is one of six gymnasts nominated to form Australia’s women’s artistic gymnastics team for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Before she was selected, she had her doubts.
“It felt like someone had just told me I had a week left to live,” she wrote. “And I now know what kind of person I am with that kind of news. I’m the person who fears the day I’ll die instead of the person who lives their last days to the fullest.”
Vivian, who turns 19 just before the Games, is the oldest gymnast among the Australians, all of whom will make their Olympic debuts in Beijing.
The team was determined following two rounds of Olympic trials, the first in conjunction with the national championships in Melbourne in late May, and the final stage at the Australian Institute of Sport over this past weekend.
Three-time national champion Daria Joura was an automatic selection after scoring over 120 points in the all-around competition at the trials.
The remaining team members were chosen by head coach Peggy Liddick, who opted for gymnasts who had delivered top performances consistently and had the experience to handle the pressure of a major international competition.
“I feel that we have picked the strongest team,” Liddick said. “The bottom line was their potential to contribute to the team score, and if all else was equal there, we had to go with international experience.”
Australia has never won an artistic gymnastics medal at the Olympics, but Liddick believes her team has the talent and depth to create history in Beijing.
“On paper, USA and China have the numbers and will go in as favorites,” she said. “Russia and Romania are also very strong, but we’re right up there. If we can turn those stats that we have into reality on the day, we’re in contention for that bronze medal.”
Australia qualified a women’s team for Beijing at last year’s world championships in Stuttgart. Four gymnasts from last year’s team will compete in Beijing.
The women’s artistic gymnastics qualification round at the Olympic Games is scheduled for Sunday, August 10 at the National Indoor Stadium in Beijing.
Upon competition of the Olympic Games, Vivian is set to join the Oregon State gymnastics team.
Follow Olivia Vivian on her journey to the Olympics on her blog at http://www.wais.org.au/.
Portions of this article were contributed by Oregon State Sports Information.
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