Monette Russo

Who is Monette Russo?

Monette Simone Russo is a former Australian Artistic Gymnast. She made Australian history by becoming the first Australian gymnast ever to win an individual World Championship medal at the 2005 Melbourne Artistic Gymnastics World Championships when she came third in the all-around competition. She competed in three apparatus finals but there were no more medals, and finished seventh on bars and fifth on beam and floor. She is more of an all-arounder than an events finalist, having no weak piece but no obviously outstanding either. During her career, she was one of the few women competing two vaults. She was also a part of the 2003 World Championships team for Australia and won a bronze medal, another first for Australian gymnastics.

Monette is also an Olympian, having helped Australia to 8th place in the 2004 Olympics. An injury prevented her from competing in the all around final.

Injury also marred Monette's 2006 season. She did compete at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, and although she had to reduce her difficulty considerably because of her injury she still helped Australia to the team gold. Having qualified to the all-around, bars and beam finals, three more medals looked likely. However, injury prevented Monette from competing in the all-around, and she fell from beam, while receiving a bronze on bars behind Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs and Shavahn Church.