WA gymnasts home in on Glasgow

They are the veterans of Australian gymnastics and this week Lauren Mitchell and Olivia Vivian will fly the flag for WA as they try to book their tickets to Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games.

The experienced pair face a tough task at the national gymnastics championships in Melbourne, with only five spots available for the Games and a strong Victorian team ready and waiting.

Both need to be strong across a range of apparatus to win their place with four of the five selected required to compete in every event. But Mitchell, 22, said she was feeling confident and was pretty close to the standard she achieved at the 2012 Olympics.

The two-times Olympian and 2010 floor world champion was at the peak of her powers four years ago at the Delhi Games, winning four gold medals.

Mitchell recently achieved consecutive fourth places on the floor in World Cup events in Doha and Korea and has since raised the difficulty in both her pet event and the beam, as well as getting the vault to an acceptable level. She said her body was in reasonable shape.

"I have got some of the highest difficulty (on floor and beam) within Australia so hopefully if I can deliver that on the day then that will boost my chances," Mitchell said.

"This part of the preparation there are always little niggles. But we're looking after our bodies a lot more now than we did when we were 15, 16."

Mitchell, who is studying medical imaging part-time this year, said she would reassess her future in the sport after Glasgow.

"To be honest I didn't even think I would be here," she said.

"Right before London I was like: 'London I'm done, that's it'.

"So I am just taking it one step at a time, one competition at a time and we will see how the body and the mind holds up."

For Vivian, it's about enjoying every competition.

The 24-year-old, who is a specialist on the uneven bars, is daring to dream of her first Commonwealth Games appearance.

"I am on the older side of gymnastics and you never know which competition could possibly be your last so my plan is to go in and enjoy every single routine I get to compete," Vivian said.

"But Glasgow definitely is a pretty sweet goal and target to aim for."

Vivian came home from Korea with her first ever World Cup medal after winning bronze on the bars, despite having a badly injured left hand.

She said the hand issue had prevented her from upgrading her difficulty on the event she has made her own.

But it has allowed her to give more time to the vault and beam.

"It (Korea) was more of a mental challenge and an obstacle to find a way to handle the pain and get through the routine," Vivian said. "It's still sore but we have been pretty smart and strategic leading up to nationals."

The duo said it was nice to be able to lean on each other during training.

If they both make the team, it would be the biggest competition they have teamed up in since the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

"We give each other tips all the time," Mitchell said.

"We are at that level now where we can do that, we have that mutual respect now."