Bond gymnast Michael Dobroskok is set to get his first taste of international competition after qualifying for two of the world’s biggest junior events.
In November the Bachelor of Psychological Science student will represent Australia at the Austrian Future Cup and the Olympic Hopes Cup in Czechia.
He earnt selection through an impressive performance at the 2023 Australian Gymnastics Championships where he took home three bronze medals.
Additionally, Gymnastics Australia has been monitoring his progress through video submissions since last year.
Since submitting his initial video at the end of 2022, Dobroskok has shown remarkable improvement in his performance.
“In gymnastics there’s two key focus areas, difficulty and execution,” he explained.
“I’ve always performed pretty well in difficulty, however my execution was quite low so I’ve been working really hard at improving this over the past nine months.”
His dedication is evident through his rigorous training schedule which consists of six sessions a week at the Gold Coast Gymnastics Club.
After nearly a year of assessment, Dobroskok now finds himself among the five best juniors in Australia.
“These will be the biggest events of my life so far and it’s also my first time representing my country,” Dobroskok said.
“It will also be my last ever competition as a junior, so I’m really motivated to finish on a high.
“I’ve set myself the goal of taking home at least one medal in the individual events.”
The international competitions not only represent his chance to shine on the world stage, but an opportunity to elevate his future in the sport.
As Dobroskok makes the transition from juniors to seniors, performing in these events could prove pivotal in his future gymnastics career.
In order to receive support through his senior career, Dobroskok will need to be categorised through Australia’s High Performance System.
“The categorisation levels will influence the types of services I can receive from the AIS and Gymnastics Australia,” he explained.
“If I can do well at these international events then I can boost my rank and give myself the best possible start in my senior career.”
Dobroskok expects 2024 to be a big challenge getting on the senior national body’s radar.
“If I can keep training the way that I am and ticking off small boxes as I go, I’m hoping I can catch the senior selectors’ eyes and see some more international competitions in the years to come,” he said.
“From there my next big goal will be working towards my Olympic ambitions.
“Gymnasts usually peak between in their mid-20’s and I’m still only 18, so I’m hoping that by the 2028 or 2032 Olympics I can be in my prime.”