15. März 2006  
Melbourne / Australia  
Artistic Gymnastics

Commonwealth Games begin on Thursday: Crunch day for Russo... Tweddle withdrawn!

Monette Russo (AUS)
The 2006 Commonwealth Games are set to begin this week in Melbourne.

AUSTRALIA'S best gymnast Monette Russo has declared herself a definite starter in the women's individual all-around after being cleared by medical staff on Monday.
But head women's coach Peggy Liddick will take a more conservative approach with her star athlete and put Russo through another medical today to confirm her availability.
Russo, 17, has been struggling with an ankle injury after a short landing on a training vault but last night the Victorian schoolgirl - wearing a compression bandage - tested the painful joint during podium training at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena.
Speaking before training, Russo said she was ready to go....

Beth Tweddle at the last years Worlds in the same 'Red Laver Arena' in Melbourne

Tweddle injures ankle in training
The 20-year-old English gymnast Beth Tweddle, who won a gold and two silvers in Manchester four years ago, injured her right ankle when she landed badly during training on Tuesday.
After x-rays and an ultrasound scan, the England medical team will now wait 24 hours to assess the damage.
But now it's clear:
British star Beth Tweddle has withdrawn from the Commonwealth Games :
'It's a big disappointment as I was looking forward to the Games but as team captain I'll stay in Melbourne and cheer the team on,' she told the BBC in an interview.
'It will be difficult watching but I'll have to put the injury behind me now. In the back of my mind I was still hoping to do the asymetric bars but the doctors advised me to leave it if I wanted to be fit for the Europeans.'
The gymnastics competition gets underway on Thursday 16 March.
Australian & British press