Gymnastics is synonymous with the Olympic Games and when the 2012 London Games roll around in late July, Australia will be represented by one of our strongest-ever squads.

With world champion Lauren Mitchell heading our team, Australia will be better placed than ever before to claim an Olympic gymnastics medal.

To help prepare for the London Olympics and Paralympics, Gymnastics Australia is one of a number of national sporting organisations to benefit from increased funding from the Australian Government and additional support through the Australian Sports Commission (ASC).

The government’s funding boost through the Green and Gold Project has seen $4.5 million in additional funding allocated to assist Olympic and Paralympic sports and athletes to succeed in London.

Gymnastics has received an extra $85 000 on top of its annual High Performance funding through the ASC of $2 373 971 which includes its AIS program allocation.

The additional funding is ensuring the likes of Mitchell get the daily training and competition support they need to be at their best come the London Games, including additional physiotherapy at home and away.

Mitchell, a Beijing Olympian, who has been supported by Gymnastics Australia, the AIS and the Western Australian Institute of Sport during her career, says funding and coaching assistance allow her to focus on preparing for London.

‘The support that we receive from everyone is phenomenal. Without it we wouldn’t be able to travel to all of these international competitions and then compete and get the experience to become a world champion or be able to go to the Olympic Games or Commonwealth Games,’ said Mitchell.

The Australian Gymnastics Games squad will be named in late June 2012.

Gymnastics was one of the AIS’s original eight founding sports established with the Institute in 1981. Since 2011, AIS Gymnastics has been delivered as a camps-based program.  This means up to 20 men’s and women’s gymnasts, including Olympic squad members, attend camps at the AIS each year.