Notre Dame Biomedical student finalist at 2012 Olympic Games

Notre Dame Biomedical Science student and World Champion gymnast, Lauren Mitchell, has been successful in reaching the final of the floor routine at the 2012 London Olympic Games. Ms Mitchell finished fifth with a final score of 14.833 – just 0.067 points from a medal position. Her routine received a score of 6.4 for difficulty, the second highest of the competition. One of Australia\u27s shining lights in gymnastics, Ms Mitchell made her Olympic debut at the 2008 Games in Beijing, China. Since then, she has claimed a World Championship crown, four Commonwealth Games gold medals and numerous national titles and World Cup medals. In her preparation for the 2012 Olympics, she took out the 2011 Australian Championships in the all around, beam, floor and vault and began her Olympic year with a gold medal in the floor at the World Cup event in Zibo, China. Vice Chancellor, Professor Celia Hammond, said the University community had been watching Ms Mitchell\u27s performance in the Games closely and was proud of her efforts in the final. Lauren\u27s placing in the world\u27s top five is just amazing. She is truly inspirational as an athlete and is a wonderful role model for young Australians, Professor Hammond said. We look forward to continuing to support her with her studies and love of gymnastics. American, Alexandra Raisman, took out the gold medal ahead of Romanian, Catalina Ponor, and Russian, Aliya Mustafina. MEDIA CONTACT: Michelle Ebbs: Tel (08) 9433 0610; Mob 0408 959 138 Leigh Dawson: Tel (08) 9433 0569; Mob 0405 441 09