Lauren Mitchell OAM is a gymnast and Olympian who was awarded a Scholarship within the 2011 Sport Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship and Mentoring Program she was paired with Lyn McKenzie as her Mentor.
Lauren was born in Subiaco, Western Australia, in 1991 and first represented Australia at the World Championships in 2007. She finished 5th on Beam, before winning silver on Beam and bronze on Floor at the World Cup that year.
In 2008, Lauren led the Australian team to its best Olympic Games result of 6th and became the first Australian female to win a World Cup final, taking gold on Beam.
Lauren made more history in 2009. She was the first Australian female to medal in an individual apparatus at a World Championship, with silver on Beam and Floor in London, as well as taking fourth in the All-Around.
Injury interrupted Lauren’s season in 2010, but she still won historic gold medals in Uneven Bars, Beam, All-Around and Team events at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi. Accustomed now to creating history, Lauren then won Australia’s first world title with gold in Floor at the World Championships in 2010, defeating Russian champion Aliya Mustafina.
In 2012, Lauren competed in her second Olympic Games, finishing 5th on Floor, then took part in the national championships, World Cup events and Commonwealth Games in 2014, winning two silver medals in Glasgow.
Injury plagued Lauren in 2015, so after winning a national title she withdrew from the World Championships and World Universiade Games. She bounced back in 2016 to win gold in Beam and bronze on Floor at the Australian Gymnastics Championships.
Lauren’s final international competition was the World Challenge Cup in Portugal in 2016. She made the final in Beam but had to withdraw due to injury, and soon after announced her retirement.
Honours & Achievements
- 2007: World Championships, Bronze (Beam) & Silver (Floor).
- 2008: Beijing Olympic Games, Gold (Beam).
- 2009: World Championships, Silver on Beam & Floor – First Australian female to medal in an individual apparatus at a World Championship.
- 2010: Commonwealth Games, Gold in Uneven Bars, Beam, All-Around and Team events.
- 2010: World Championships, Won Australia’s first world title with gold in Floor.
- 2011: Sport Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship Holder.
- 2012: Glasgow Commonwealth Games, 2x silver.
- 2016: Australian Gymnastics Championships, Gold (Beam) and Bronze (Floor).
