Human Interest |
Further Personal Information |
Residence |
Brisbane, QLD, AUS |
Sport Specific Information |
Club / Team |
Gold Coast Gymnastics; QAS HPC: Gold Coast, QLD, AUS |
Further Personal Information |
Higher education |
Business - Griffith University: Australia |
General Interest |
Injuries |
A rib injury sustained while training on the high bars prevented him from taking part in the 2011 national championships in Australia. (thomaspichler.com.au, 13 Jan 2012)
After returning in 2010 from his knee reconstruction, he injured his ankle at the 2010 Pacific Rim selection trials in April that year, ruling him out for four weeks. (thomaspichler.com.au, 13 Jan 2012)
He underwent a knee reconstruction after he damaged his anterior cruciate ligament in a skiing accident in 2009. It took him almost a year to get back into shape. (thomaspichler.com.au, 29 Jul 2010; ninemsn.com.au, 23 Aug 2010)
Throughout 2008 he was struggling with a shoulder injury, which prevented him from competing on the rings and pommel horse. (thomaspichler.com.au, 23 Aug 2010) |
Memorable sporting achievement |
Winning gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi and finishing 11th on the floor at the 2011 World Championships. (Athlete, 09 Jan 2012) |
Hero / Idol |
Belarusian gymnast Vitaly Scherbo. (thomaspichler.com.au, 23 Aug) |
Ambitions |
To compete at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. (thomaspichler.com.au, 23 Aug 2010) |
Sport Specific Information |
Name of coach |
Sergei Chinkar |
Training Regime |
He trains 28 hours per week - twice on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and once on Saturday and Sunday. Morning sessions are reserved for strength sessions and afternoon sessions for apparatus training. |
When and where did you begin this sport? |
He started the sport at age six at the Comets Gymnastics Club in Brisbane, Australia. |
Further Personal Information |
Occupation |
Student |
Sport Specific Information |
Coach from which country? |
Russia |
General Interest |
Other information |
HEART CONDITION He was born with a hole in his heart and spent the first five and a half years of his life in Austria. Doctors suggested he relocate to a warmer climate, so in early 1992 he and his family moved to Brisbane, Australia. (thomaspichler.com.au, 13 Jan 2012) |
Hobbies |
Cars, music, holidays, relaxing, sleeping. (Athlete, 09 Jan 2012; gymnastics.org.au, 01 Feb 2012) |
Superstitions / Rituals / Beliefs |
He does not shave the day before or the day of competition. (gymnastics.org.au, 01 Feb 2012) |
Sport Specific Information |
Why this sport? |
My sisters did gymnastics and I followed them. |
International Debut |
Year |
2005 |
Further Personal Information |
Languages |
English, German |
General Interest |
Awards and honours |
He won the Gymnastics Queensland Men’s Elite Gymnast of the Year award in 2010.
He was given the Australian Institute of Sport with a Sport Achievement Award in 2010.
He was named Queensland Academy of Sport Gymnast of the Year in 2010 and 2004.
He claimed a Queensland Academy of Sport Sportsmanship Award in 2005 and 2006.
In 2004 he was named Junior Gymnast of the Year by Gymnastics Australia as well as Gymnast of the Year by the Queensland Academy of Sport. (thomaspichler.com.au, 13 Jan 2012) |
Further Personal Information |
Family |
Wife Andrea |