Rio Olympics 2016: Nicole Kidman ‘luck’ for sailors, Opals named, shooter, gymnasts on song
HOLLYWOOD star Nicole Kidman a lucky charm, Blake Gaudry jumping for joy and Opals named. All in this week’s RACING TO RIO wrap.
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HOLLYWOOD star Nicole Kidman has repeatedly proved to be a lucky charm for some of our sailors at both world championships and Olympic Games.
Blake Gaudry is literally jumping for joy after he secured Australia a spot on the trampoline in Rio.
Players have been named to tour Japan with the Opals.
A shooter has made a real mark on the international stage.
And there was a real splash of colour when team uniforms were revealed this week,
All this and more in our RACING TO RIO wrap.
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GAUDRY FLYING HIGH
Blake Gaudry knew what he had to do in Rio this week — and did it.
Gaudry secured Australia a position in the Men’s Individual Trampoline in Rio thanks his high-flying feats at the Aquece Rio Test Event.
Gaudry scored 48.630 in his set routine followed by 55.915 in his voluntary, for a combined total of 104.545 at the end of the qualification round.
He then finished within the top five of countries who had not already secured a berth at the Games to secure the crucial spot.
The selection trial for this position in the Individual Trampoline event in Rio will be held at the 2016 Australian Gymnastics Championships in Melbourne in May.
BELCHER AND RYAN’S SECRET WEAPON
It’s our sailors secret weapon for success — Hollywood actor Nicole Kidman.
Olympic champion Mat Belcher has continued the tradition started by top former 470 sailors in naming their boats after Kidman movies.
The Hollywood connection has certainly worked with Belcher winning multiple world titles with his old crew Mal Page before their Olympic gold in London on Practical Magic.
Now Belcher and new crew Will Ryan, also multiple world champions, have named their latest boat Room to Move and had it christened by 470 great Theresa Zabell.
Zabell won gold at the 92 and 96 Olympics, is a former Vice-President of the euro Parliament and now as President of Fundacion Ecomar which educated children on environmental sustainability within the Worlds Oceans.
SHOOTER BRINGS WORLD CHAMP DOWN
Australian Double Trap shooter James Willett has beaten world number one Mosin Vasily of Russian to break through for his first ever World Cup gold in Rio.
In the lead-up to the event Willett was selected in the team to compete at the Games and named both Shooting Australia’s Male Shooter of the Year and Athlete of the Year.
Willett’s record in 2016 now includes gold at the Oceania Championships in Sydney, bronze at the Junior World Cup in Suhl and bronze at the World Cup in Cyprus.
“Yes, it looks like I’m peaking at the right moment,” Willett said. “I only started shooting Double Trap in 2014 and it feels great to win some medals and be on top of the podium.”
BRONZE AND SILVER LINING FOR GYMNASTS
Australia’s Women’s Artistic (WAG) gymnasts finished the Aquece Rio Olympic Test Event with two medals.
At the same event just a day earlier the team failed to qualify Australia a spot at the Rio Olympics.
After finishing fifth in the team event, Emily Little picked up the bronze medal on the vault with a combined score of 14.383.
Larrissa Miller scored 13.700 on floor to take home the silver medal.
Miller also contested the uneven bars final, where she scored 14.333 to finish fifth, missing out on another medal by just 0.1.
Australia has qualified one individual WAG athlete to compete in Rio. This athlete will be named at the 2016 Australian Gymnastics Championships in Melbourne from May 23.
OPALS HEADING TO JAPAN FOR WARM-UP
The are a few big names missing but coach Brendan Joyce will send a strong team to tackle Japan in a series of matches to prepare the Opals for the Rio Olympics.
The Opals will face the Japanese national team in Nagaoka on May 7 and then play two games in Tokyo on May 9 and 10.
“The tour will add to our preparation for Brazil but also give the coaching staff a chance to trial the players and give the players themselves some international experience,” said Australian Opals head coach Brendan Joyce.
“We feel that the 12 selected players are certainly in contention for the final team but we are unable to select Erin Phillips and Penny Taylor due to WNBA commitments while Marianna Tolo and Abby Bishop are still injured.”
ROWERS CHASING SELECTION.
Best of luck to Australia’s Legs, Trunk and Arms Mixed Coxed Four who are in Italy attempting to qualify into one of the two final berths available for their boat class at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games.
The crew of Brock Ingram, Jeremy McGrath, Davinia Lefroy, Kate Murdoch and coxswain Jo Burnand must finish top two at the final Paralympic Qualification regatta in Gavirate.
UNIFORM UNVEILED
Olympic athletes and hopefuls Sally Pearson, Kyle Chalmers, Madison Wilson, Morgan Mitchell, Brooke Stratton, Holly Lincoln-Smith, Stephanie Talbot and Adam Gibson helped unveil the official adidas uniforms to be worn by the team in Rio.
The uniforms feature the CLIMACHILL technology which will help counteract the hot and humid conditions athletes are set to face in Rio.
WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
THERE was some shattering news for Australian gymnasts this week but top results by other Australian women on the world stage. READ MORE
ADAM Scott will not take part in the Rio Olympics after announcing he would not be available for selection. READ MORE
WITH a new starting stance modelled on sprint queens Flo-Jo and Gail Devers, Australian champion Sally Pearson will run her first full hurdles race next month against kids and at least one man. READ MORE
Women’s rugby sevens on course for World Series title after bronze in Canada. READ MORE
HE is a teenage man-child who races adults in a swimming pool and breaks them. He will be an Olympian in a few months and already has a lucrative deal with adidas. READ MORE
Matildas coach Alen Stajcic wary of ‘tricky’ group at Rio Olympics but says side has medal ambitions. READ MORE
Rio Olympics 2016: Cate and Bronte Campbell make team, wrestlers selected and shooting young guns READ MORE
Originally published as Rio Olympics 2016: Nicole Kidman ‘luck’ for sailors, Opals named, shooter, gymnasts on song
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