Thomas proves he's number 1

A COMMONWEALTH Games gold medal was the icing on the birthday cake for Capalaba businesswoman Sylvia Pichler.

Sylvia's son, 24-year-old Thomas, was in the Australian team to win gold in the men's artistic gymnastics events on Monday night, the day before her 52nd birthday.

Sylvia, husband Anton and Thomas's wife, Andrea, travelled from their home in Cleveland to watch Thomas compete and to celebrate her birthday.

"I said to Thomas before the event that all I wanted for my birthday was a gold medal," Sylvia told The Bayside Bulletin from her hotel in New Delhi.

"I couldn't believe it when they won because they started off a bit shaky with Thomas and Prashanth (Sellathurai) falling off the fifth apparatus.

"But they had a good comeback and made up for it on the rings to win by just two points. It was the best birthday present I've ever had," Sylvia said.

In the event, each athlete has to perform in the horizontal bars, floor, pommel, rings, vault and parallel bars with scores totalled to decide the winners.

The team - Joshua Jefferis, Prashanth Sellathurai, Samuel Offord, Luke Wiwatowski and Thomas - edged out England, which claimed silver, and Canada which won bronze.

The Aussies took prime spot on the podium despite the pre-Games loss of champion gymnast Philippe Rizzo to injury.

It was the first time an Australian men's artistic gymnastics team has won gold at the Games and it made Australia only the third nation to take home the medal.

Canada has claimed the gold four times and England twice.

Sylvia said the family would visit Thomas at the Games Village, where she would play "pseudo mum" to the five gymnasts.

"I've known these boys for many years and they have all worked hard to get where they are," Sylvia said.

"I'm not sure if we will have a birthday cake but we have been given special permission to go inside the Village for my birthday," she said.

Thomas will compete in the All Around finals tomorrow and in the Floor finals on Thursday.

"All this hard work has paid off. I'm so stoked,'' Thomas said.

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Bayside Bulletin, 05/10/2010