Lisa Skinner

Lisa Maree Skinner (born 17 February 1981 Brisbane and lived in Clear Mountain, Brisbane, Australia) is an Australian artistic gymnast who competed at the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games. She was the first Australian gymnast to qualify for an individual event final at the Olympics. She has toured with Cirque du Soleil performing aerial hoops. Gymnastic career Skinner began gymnastics in 1987 at Lawnton Academy. Between 1995 and 2004, she was a consistent presence on the Australian team, competing at four World Championships, three Olympic Games and many other international meets. She was the Australian national champion in 1996 and 1997. Skinner made her senior international debut at the 1995 World Championships in Sabae, placing 12th with the Australian team. The next year, at the 1996 Summer Olympics, she helped Australia place 10th in the team finals and finished 36th in the individual all-around. In the following years, Skinner's international performance improved dramatically. She earned two gold medals at the 1998 Commonwealth Games: one with the Australian team, the other as an individual on the uneven bars. At the 1999 World Championships, she placed 15th in the all-around.