Tag Archives: Sam Mikulak

Hypolito Takes Home the Silver in the Men’s Floor Exercise at the 2016 Rio Games

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2016 Rio Games

The third time’s the charm for Diego Hypolito…

The 30-year-old Brazilian gymnast took home the gymnastics silver medal in Men’s Floor Exercise at the 2016 Rio Games.

Diego Hypólito

Hypolito, a former world champion on floor, had failed to medal at his first two Olympics. But now, with the 2016 Summer Olympics in his home country, he has that long coveted medal.

But that’s not all, he was joined on the podium by teammate Arthur Nory, who took home the bronze.

Diego Hypólito & Arthur Nory

Nory crouched on the floor in a fetal position, covering his face with his hands while he waited for the American Sam Mikulak, the last gymnast, to finish. When Mikulak’s score was posted, assuring Nory he would get a medal, he began sobbing as the crowd serenaded him and Hypolito with cheers of “Bra-sil! Bra-sil!”

Hypolito cried on his coach’s shoulder and then hugged Nory. The two grabbed a Brazilian flag and jumped up on a nearby podium to wave to the adoring crowd. The two medals give Brazil six medals at these Olympics, and Sunday gave the home country one of its best moments so far.

Diego Hypólito & Arthur Nory

The gold medal went to Britain’s Max Whitlock.

This was the first time Brazil had qualified a full men’s team to compete at an Olympics, and a medal of any color is sweet for Hypolito. He went to the 2008 Beijing Games as the reigning world champion on floor exercise only to fall in the final and finish sixth. Four years ago, at the 2012 London Games, he didn’t even make the final after falling in qualifying.

Hypolito, said that “winning a medal today was the most important thing in my life.”

Leyva to Replace an Injured John Orozco on the USA Mens Gymnastics Team

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Danell Leyva will compete in his second Olympics after all…

The Cuban-American gymnast, a Bronze Medal winner in the 2012 London Olympics in the Men’s All Around, will replace John Orozco at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Danell Leyva

Orozco tore the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee during training this week and will not compete in Brazil next month.

Orozco, a star four years ago when he won the national championship and qualified for the Olympic all-around finals, injured the same knee late in 2012. Orozco has also twice torn the Achilles tendon in his right leg during his career.

National team coordinator Kevin Mazeika called Orozco’s latest injury “unfortunate and heartbreaking.”

The injury is the latest in a series of personal and professional setbacks for Orozco, who also lost his mother, Damaris, in the spring of 2015.

Leyva, who appeared in his birthday suit in ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue in 2012, was left off the five-man team going to the Rio Games by the USA Gymnastics selection committee.

He was edged out by Orozco, Chris Brooks and Alex Naddour, who had a higher combination of four scores from the U.S. championships and trials than Leyva, who competed with injuries at the national meet after being bitten on his hands and left leg while trying to break up a fight between his American bulldogs. Four-time national champion Sam Mikulak and Jake Dalton made the Olympic team with no debate.

Leyva finished 10th overall at trials and 16th at nationals earlier this month. He tied with one other gymnast for the highest score on parallel bars and horizontal bar and was confident he would be chosen on the strength of those routines and his record of accomplishment.

But the five-man committee surprised many by not choosing Leyva, who has a reputation as a clutch athlete. The bigger the stage, the better he loves to perform.

“We don’t know the reason and we’re a little sad, but they are making a big mistake,” said his coach and stepfather Yin Alvarez after the decision was revealed. “Dani is obviously the only guy who can bring them a medal under pressure. Without him, how are they going to win a team or all-around medal?”

But now he’ll get his chance to show the committee and the world just what he’s capable of in the clutch.

Orozco Claims Two Individual Medals at the Pacific Rim Gymnastics Championships

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John Orozco is flying high…

The 23-year-old Puerto Rican gymnast won the gold medal in the high bar at the event finals on Sunday at the Pacific Rim Gymnastics Championships.

John Orozco

Orozco scored a 15.400 to place first, ahead of Japan’s Naoki Yamane (14.650) and fellow Latino Carlos Calvo of Colombia (14.500).

That wasn’t the 2012 Olympian’s only medal of the night…

Orozco also scored a 15.325 in the rings competition to claim the silver medal behind fellow teammate Donnell Whittenburg (15.925).

The results marked Orozco’s successful return to major competition after being sidelined by a torn right Achilles tendon since June 2015.

But Orozco and Calvo weren’t the only Latino medalists of the night.

Colombia’s Javier Sandoval won the bronze in the In the parallel bars competition with a score of 15.400, behind Whittenburg (15.800) and China’s Weifeng Cai (15.750).

The United States team rolled to the men’s team title on Friday during the opening night of the championships. The Americans were led by Whittenburg, who won the silver medal in all-around, and Sam Mikulak, who earned the bronze medal. Orozco and Alex Naddour placed fourth and fifth.

Orozco Comes From Behind to Claim U.S. Gymnastics Crown

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He’s nicknamed “Silent Ninja” by his friends for his ability to sneak up on the competition… And, that’s just what John Orozco has done at the U.S. Men’s Gymnastics Championships.

Competing in his final event on Saturday, the calculator in the 19-year-old Puerto Rican gymnast’s head told him he hadn’t done enough to catch his front-running teammate and fellow Latino gymnastics star, 20-year-old Cuban-American Danell Leyva.

John Orozco

“I was thinking to myself ‘I don’t think that will do it,’ ” Orozco said after ending his floor exercise routine.

But then the scoreboard flashed:15.500. Somewhere in the crowd, Orozco’s mother, Damaris, shrieked. The “Silent Ninja” had done it again, this time to claim the U.S. Men’s Gymnastics title.

John Orozco

The best floor score Orozco can remember ever seeing next to his name propelled him to a two-round total of 184.850 and the national title, just ahead of Leyva’s 184.800.

“He doesn’t know how to lose,” said two-time U.S. champion Jonathan Horton, who finished fourth. “He doesn’t have a weakness. He’s just a phenomenal gymnast. The one thing is, he gets in a zone and you can’t break it.”

 

Horton, Sam Mikulak, Jake Dalton and Chris Brooks also secured automatic bids to the Olympic trials in three weeks. Brandon Wynn, Paul Ruggeri, David Sender and Alex Buscaglia were awarded trial spots based on a points system developed by USA Gymnastics officials, and Steven Legendre, Glen Ishino, Alex Naddour, Joshua Dixon and C.J. Maestas received invitations from the selection committee.

Barring any calamity, Orozco and Leyva can book their flights to London as the leaders of perhaps the strongest American team since 1984. The top four on Saturday posted more than 90 points for the second straight round — the threshold for elite Olympians — giving the Americans plenty to work with as the Olympics loom.

And that — not slipping past Leyva in the final moments — is what mattered most to Orozco.

“For me it really wasn’t about winning, but it was about putting together a good routine and a good performance and showing how we’re going to do in London,” Orozco said. “Hopefully this is going to be a preview.”

“Of course I’m upset I didn’t get first and it’ll drive me to win trials,” Leyva said. “I’m upset with myself, but I’m not mad. I’m actually happy … because everybody’s doing amazing.”

Orozco may lack Leyva’s flair, but he makes up for it with quiet elegance and precision. Both were on display as he closed on Saturday.

While Leyva labored through his pommel horse routine, Orozco — with Damaris “watching” from the stands with her eyes covered — sailed over the high bar to post a score of 15.850 and draw within less than a point.

Still, Leyva appeared to have things in hand and seemed safe after a clean run on the still rings. He and stepfather/coach, Yin Alvarez, celebrated after Leyva stuck the landing, figuring his 14.550 was enough to clinch a second straight national title. Even Horton figured the drama was over.

“I was getting ready to go, but I heard (Leyva) hit the floor and in my head I went, ‘Congrats,'” said Horton.

Only problem, Orozco wasn’t quite finished.

Moving fluidly through his 45-second floor routine, Orozco channeled a breakdancer while doing a series of flares and appeared cemented to the ground at the end of each tumbling run, with not a misstep in sight.

“It’s definitely the best floor routine I’ve ever done,” Orozco said.

Orozco knows if he and his teammates can match their scores in London, the U.S. is a threat to reach the top of the podium for the first time in 28 years. Though he didn’t win an individual gold this weekend, Orozco finished among the top eight in all six events. It’s that kind of consistency that can help guide a team to Olympic glory.

Orozco’s not ready to think about it, but Horton is. The 26-year-old helped the U.S. land a bronze in Beijing four years ago, then added a silver on high bar. He knows what will happen if the U.S. can duplicate its top scores from this weekend at the O2 Arena next month.

“We’re going to freak a lot of people out,” Horton said. “We’re going to make a lot of people go ‘Wow, Team USA is no joke.’ “