Gymmin' Miel!

One is a 49 kilogram pocket rocket gymnast and the other is a weightlifter three times her size, but both possess the key to Olympic Games success - genetic predisposition.
Lauren Mitchell and Damon Kelly have almost nothing in common and their sports require completely different skills. But an Australian Institute of Sport senior physiologist, Philo Saunders, says their respective genes are crucial to becoming world-class athletes.
So, what makes an athlete perfect for their sport? It is a combination of oxygen capacity, muscle make-up and the hunger for success.
For world champion Mitchell, it is her speed, flexibility and aerial awareness. For weightlifter Kelly, it is his ''big quads and big arse''.
''Sometimes you get someone who breaks the mould. But if you're genetically not disposed to a certain sport, you're just not going to be good at it,'' Saunders says.''Some people are just faster because they've got that fast-twitch muscle fibre make-up. You can change it to a certain degree, but there's a limit you reach while others just push through it naturally.''
The breakdown is pretty simple.

Pole vaulters are tall, muscular, possess explosive speed and have a big vertical jump. Gymnasts are the same but shorter with superior flexibility.

When Saunders gets athletes in the AIS laboratory and tests anthropometry, body composition, height, weight, muscle mass and maximal oxygen capacity, he discovers their full potential.Lauren Mitchell is the perfect size for gymnastics - 158 centimetres tall and weighs 49 kilograms - and is flexible.The average age of the Australian gymnastics squad is 21 and the average weight is 49kg, making them some of the smallest in London.''Gymnastics has really evolved over the last three Olympiads; it's no longer the little, mini, pixie 14-year-olds,'' Australian head coach Peggy Liddick says.''You need the vaulters who are the short, fireplug, pocket rockets.''The shorter they are, the faster they twist and turn … and pound for pound, they're probably as strong as a 100 kilogram weightlifter and can perhaps even lift more.''I want guts. I want the kid climbing the curtains and up the poles. gymnastics is about being courageous.''Lauren Mitchell fits all the body types, but she's not that co-ordinated. She's like a bulldog, she just won't quit or let go.''

THERE'S no hiding in the shadows for Lauren Mitchell.
As the days and months to the Olympic Games are ticked off, the spotlight will shine brighter on the 20-year-old West Australian as she endeavours to become Australia's first female medallist in gymnastics.
The 2010 floor world champion has been fine-tuning her routines in Canberra for the past few days as part of an Australian competition camp at the AIS.
Since that breakthrough victory, Mitchell's preparations have been solely focused on being at the top of her game in London.
Even if it meant sacrificing a podium place at last year's world titles.
Mitchell unveiled an upgraded floor routine last year which she believes will give her the best chance of making history at the Olympic Games.
"Last year for me was like a test to see where I was and if I could put a few new moves into my routine in a competition environment," she said.
"That proved that I could.
"Even though I hit my routine it just wasn't the best on the day.
"Now I kind of know how to make it better so I'm that much more confident going into this year."
The floor and the beam are Mitchell's two main events, with a persistent shoulder injury meaning she is unable to train on the bars.
Mitchell described the injury as "kind of like a stress fracture" brought on by constant pounding during her long career, and puts in doubt her chances of competing in the all-around competition at the Olympics.
"We're not sure yet, we're playing it by ear," she said.
"Peggy [Australian coach Peggy Liddick] wants to put the best team out, and obviously if my bars isn't good enough then I won't be going up in bars anyway."
The Australian team flies out for competitions in the United States and Canada on Tuesday ahead of the national championships in May.
A final selection camp will be held in Canberra in June.
With only five female gymnasts, down from the usual six, making the cut for the Olympics, every chance to impress selectors is crucial, including the Pacific Rim Championships in Seattle later this month.
The biannual event features gymnastic powerhouses China, the US and Russia.
"There's a lot of big names there so it gives us a good view of where we're at before the Olympics," Mitchell said.