Gymnastics Australia is vowing to fight the Western Australian Institute of Sport's decision to shut its elite gymnastics centre in Perth, with a public protest planned for Wednesday afternoon. 
The Institute announced on Tuesday that it would be closing its women's artistic gymnastics program at the end of 2016, claiming it did not expect the sport to contribute to its international success targets in the near future. 
WAIS is the last institute in Australia to operate a full women's artistic gymnastics program.
The move, which blind-sided Gymnastics Australia and girls and women training at the facility, has been labelled "cruel" and "appalling" by Gymnastics Australia president Jaqui Briggs-Weatherill.
 "We're seeking to overturn what we see as a short-sighted decision," she told Radio 6PR on Wednesday.
"We had no warning or consultation about this program being cut.
"Gymnastics is refreshing its talent. We've got a great depth of young athletes there ready for the Commonwealth Games in 2018 on the Gold Coast and the 2020 Olympics."
The move to close the facility, which has been operating for 28 years, comes on the eve of the Rio Olympics and has been described as a huge blow to women's sport.
The WA government-funded centre has produced nine Olympians, 10 Commonwealth Games representatives and several World Championship medals including former world champions Lauren Mitchell and Allana Slater.
Radio 6PR caller Sonja said her 10-year-old daughter trained 34 hours a week at the centre.
"I just don't know what it's going to do for gymnastics in this country because I don't see us making another Olympic team in the near future after this decision... they just don't have the depth across the country," she said.
"My daughter just came second at nationals, in the level 10 pool, [the facility] had a second, third, fourth and fifth, what do you think that does to gymnastics in this country?
"The government's spending millions of dollars trying to teach people to get their kids into sport, what's the point in sending your little daughter to go to a sport that has no future?
"Where do our values lie if it all just comes down to tallying up medals?"
Perth father, Craig, voiced similar concerned for his eight-year-old and 12-year-old daughters who both attend the facility.
"I am just absolutely livid by the way this has been approached and the way they've treated the parents of the organisation," he said.
"These girls, they're the fittest kids in the state, they're the strongest kids in the state, and this is about to break their will."
WAIS in a statement on Tuesday said the decision to cut the program came following a thorough review process that prioritised WA sports contributing to international sporting success.
WAIS executive director Steve Lawrence said it had been a difficult decision to make.
"The decision was taken to ensure WAIS can continue to maximise WA athlete opportunities within the available resources, to represent Australia," he said.