The Official Website of
JOANNA HUGHES

 
Career

 
Ever since her introduction to gymnastics, when her Mother took her to her friend's local gym club, Joanna Hughes was something special. She soon joined the Cheltenham Youth Club / Victorian Institute of Sport. Straight away, Jo stood out from the crowd.

Jo was always very good in competition, and the late 1980's were her coming out party, so to speak. In 1989, Jo placed 4th all around at the Junior Nationals - aged just 11! She won the gold medals on vault and floor, as well as the bronze on beam.

 
Just one year later, at the same competition, Jo went three places better - winning the Junior National Championship. As if this wasn't enough, Jo, 12, won all four apparatus titles, establishing herself as the premiere junior in Australia, without a doubt. It was an exciting time for Australian gymnastics, which had previously struggled in international gymnastics (at the time, Australia was ranked 16th).

Having achieved all she could at the junior level, Jo moved up to the senior division in 1991. At just 13, Jo stood tall amongst the seniors, despite being the smallest. She placed 3rd all around, 2nd on floor, 3rd on beam, and became the national champion on vault.
 

Joanna performing on beam 
at the 1991 World 
Championships
 

 
Internationally, Jo was exposed to the world in 1991. Strong performances at the China Cup (10th all around, 4th floor) and Seiko Grand Prix (5th all around, 2nd floor, 4th vault) set her up fantastically for the World Championships. Jo did not complete the Trials, but she had proven herself on many occasions, and was selected for the Australian team for the 1991 Worlds. Although still 13, Jo's late birthday (December 22nd) allowed her to compete senior internationally. She met the age requirement (turning 14 in the year of competition) by a mere 8 days! Had she been born that 8 days later, she would have had to wait until 1992 to compete in the senior division.

The Worlds were a brilliant time for Jo. She helped her team to a brilliant 6th place (ten places higher than the time before). Australia had arrived on the international scene! Jo placed 19th in the all around, the highest ever finish for an Australian (until 1999). Undoubtably, Jo was not only a force in Australia, but around the world as well.

 
 

Joanna on beam at the 1994 
World Championships 
in Brisbane
 
1992 was planned as a big year for Jo, with the Barcelona Olympic Games. Unfortunately, it was not to be. Joanna dislocated her elbow during training, and was out of competition for the entire of 1992. A terrible blow for the youngster, but she was not finished.
 
 

In early 1993, Jo competed in the Australian Nationals with the new breed of Aussie gymnasts. Jo was the runner-up in the all around, and won her first national bars and floor titles.

 
The Nikon International was Jo's first international competition since the injury, where she placed 5th all around, and picked up silver on floor and bronze on beam. Jo was back, and ready to prove herself once again.

The 1994 National Championships provided Joanna with her first senior all around title. It almost seemed a long time coming, after being (arguably) Australia's top senior gymnast for three years. In event finals, Joanna won the golds on vault and bars (defending her national title), as well as the silvers on beam and floor. Jo always possessed a great strength in backing up her early results with equally successful results in later competitions.

 
The experience of competing in a World Championships in your own country is not felt by many, but Jo got the opportunity in 1994, when they were held in Brisbane. Qualifying was perhaps the career highlight for Jo, where she finished 6th on floor - becoming the second Aussie in history to qualify for an apparatus final. She was also 10th on beam, two spots away from a second final!

After such an exciting start, Jo was set to better her 19th all around in the 1991 Worlds. Her task was made tough after the first apparatus, after falling from beam. Her task was made impossible after a disasterous floor warm up. Jo sprained her ankle, and her competition was over. Not only did she have to withdraw from the AA, but also the floor final. Her medal opportunity had been taken away, but once again - Jo just became more determined to return.
 

Joanna on floor during the 
1996 Australian National 
Championships
 

 
Remarkably, Jo was able to help Australia to a bronze medal in the 1994 Commonwealth Games, just four months later. Although qualifying for the all around and several apparatus finals, Jo withdrew to protect both her ankle, and nagging elbow injury.

The 1995 Nationals begun a busy year for Jo. At this competition, Jo placed 3rd all around behind Nicole Kantek and Ruth Moniz. In finals, Jo picked up another two silver medals, on beam and floor.

Soon after, Jo was selected as part of the Australian team to tour Europe. Whilst overseas, Jo placed 4th at both the Australia v Great Britain dual and Romanian International.

 
 

Joanna competing for 
Cal State Fullerton in 
the 2000 Collegiate 
season
 
Her return to Australia marked the beginning of hard work for the Worlds, which she qualified to with ease. When in Sabae, Japan for Worlds, Jo proved her worth internationally by being the only Aussie to qualify for the all around, where she finished 32nd. She also helped the Australian team qualify for their second successive Olympics - with Jo's score the highest for the team.

Jo wanted to make an Olympic team more than anything - particularly after missing the 1992 Games through injury. The 1996 Nationals were the first step where Jo again placed third - again behind Nicole Kantek and Ruth Moniz. Three bronze medals were added to Jo's collection, from vault, beam and floor.

 
The 1996 Worlds in Puerto Rico were passed up to focus singularly on making the Olympic team, and after trials qualified easily. It was a very long time coming, but finally Jo had accomplished her dream. She was going to be an Olympian.

Atlanta was a fitting end of Jo's amateur career. Jo was the second best Aussie after the team competitions, behind Lisa Skinner. Jo had not only made it to the Olympics, but also qualified through to the all around. This was a huge achievement with all the setbacks and injuries that Jo had endured throughout her gymnastics career. Her all around campaign was hampered by an 8.350 on bars, which dropped her to 34th place. Still, qualifying for the all around in an Olympics is a big enough achievement in itself.

 
Satisfied with her career in gymnastics, Jo retired after Atlanta. Not long after, Jo started university studies and decided to try to earn a spot in the collegiate competition in USA.

Training became a regular part of life again, although not quite as strenuous as before! Before long, Jo was packing her bags for California, and a new gymnastics career in the USA.

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