Australian Gymnastics Championships to be broadcast on ONE

Gymnastics Australia and Network Ten have reached agreement for several of the premium sessions at the 2014 Australian Gymnastics Championships to be broadcast on ONE.

The free-to-air channel will screen two one-hour specials showcasing highlights from the all-around and individual apparatus finals in men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics. The 2014 Australian Gymnastics Championships are being staged at Hisense Arena in Melbourne from 21 May to 1 June.

ONE will screen the programs on the weekend before Network Ten commences its 2014 Commonwealth Games coverage. They will go to air on Saturday 19 July and Sunday 20 July at 3pm. The coverage is likely to feature a number of Victorian Men's and Women's gymnasts who are all in contention for Commonwealth Games selection. Men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics are two of the three gymnastics disciplines featured at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Network Ten is Australia's official broadcaster of the Commonwealth Games and will provide extensive coverage of every day of competition across TEN and ONE from 24 July.

“We are thrilled that Network Ten has agreed to broadcast the all-around and apparatus finals of the 2014 Australian Gymnastics Championships on ONE,” said Gymnastics Australia chief executive officer Mark Rendell.

“We are particularly pleased to be able to showcase the country’s elite gymnasts immediately prior to the Commonwealth Games where we hope they will again feature prominently in the medal count.”

While national titles will be the focus for most, athletes will also by vying for selection to the 2014 Australian Commonwealth Games Team. The event serves as the selection trial for artistic and rhythmic gymnastics. Competition will be particularly fierce in women’s and men’s artistic gymnastics with athletes competing for just five places on the Commonwealth Games team. In rhythmic gymnastics, competitors will be vying for only three Commonwealth Games places. The event will also be used to select Oceania representatives in men’s artistic, women’s artistic and trampoline gymnastics for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games being held in Nanjing, China.