Belmont North trampolinist Jessica Pickering was "over the moon".
It was the early hours of the morning in Europe, but the 20-year-old "got up to savour the moment" when the Australian Olympic Committee officially named the gymnastics team for Tokyo on Saturday (AEST).
Pickering's coach Brett Austine, both at Eastlake Trampoline Sports and for Australia, has been alongside her every step of the way.
"Jessica was over the moon at her selection," Austine told the Newcastle Herald from Portugal on Sunday.
"The official announcement was made between two and three [o'clock] in the morning here in Portugal. She got up to savour the moment."
An "extremely proud" Austine has seen Pickering progress from a junior at Belmont High School's training facility to Games rookie.
"I am extremely proud of her achievement," Austine said.
"To watch her progress from this little bundle of smiles to the confident and highly competent young lady who has earned a place in an elite, 16-person Olympic field is gratifying.
"Everything that has been achieved has been at a local public high school, which is of course Belmont High School."
Austine feels that Pickering arrives at her maiden Olympics in the best possible shape, having excelled at recent World Cup meets with a fourth in Portugal last weekend and fifth in Italy last month.
"Her outstanding results on tour in Europe in the World Cup series over the last six weeks have been ground breaking and a solid preparation for Tokyo. Now she is just itching to get a hold of the Aussie Olympic uniform and try it on for size," he said.
Pickering and men's trampolinist Dominic Clarke are part of an 11-strong gymnastics team, the largest Australian contingent since the Games were last held in Tokyo in 1964.
Also wearing the green and gold uniform will be Emily Whitehead, Tyson Bull, Georgia Godwin (artistic), Lidiia Lakovleva (rhythmic individual), Emily Abbott, Alexandra Aristoteli, Alannah Matthews, Himeka Onoda and Felicity White (rhythmic team).
