News, Notes & Quotes

Redemption

After a disappointing 13^th place finish at the 2006 World Championships, the U.S. men’s team had something to prove. And that’s exactly what they did today.

They proved that they are fighters. They proved that they have the talent. And they proved that they still are among the best teams in the world.

With a fourth place qualification finish, the U.S. team cemented its berth for the 2008 Olympics and earned a spot alongside the other top eight teams for Thursday’s medal team medal round.

“It feels great to accomplish our goal,” Sasha Artemev said after a five-for-five performance. “The team was awesome today, looked great. People stepped up whenever someone missed. You know, we didn’t count one missed routine today, so that’s what you wanna do in this type of meet….I think everyone was just more calm than last year. They knew they were more prepared. I think confidence had something to do with it. Everybody knew that we were ready. More ready than we were last year, way more. And we showed it in the workout, and we’d showed it in the podium [training session] and now we’ve shown it in the meet.”

For the six individuals who took to the competition floor today and for the men’s program as a whole, it was a day of redemption. Since that 13^th place finish last year, national team members have been hounded by the media with questions about the shocking finish last year, the state of the program, and the prospect of not qualifying for the 2008 Olympics. And as Olympic medalists Paul and Morgan Hamm return to the sport after earning degrees from the Ohio State University, many wondered if they would be the only saviors for the team.

We came here today trying to prove the world wrong, “Jonathan Horton said definitively after the meet. “And I think that’s exactly what we did.

“The comments [that people made over the last year] drove me crazy. And I know for me and for some of the other guys, that’s what really fueled us. The media, other teams around the world, things being said on the internet like ‘The USA is done with this sport. It’ll be a while before we’re ever good again.’ You know, Paul and Morgan Hamm, those guys are unbelievable athletes. But, when you tell a team that they can’t do it without those two guys, that really eats at you. We knew we could do it. And we went out there and proved everyone wrong.”

In addition to the team qualifying for finals, Horton qualified to compete in the all-around competition, while David Durante is the first reserve for that competition. Guillermo Alvarez qualified for floor exercise; Artemev for pommel horse; and Kevin Tan for still rings.  All-around finals are Sept. 7, with the individual event finals on Sept. 8-9.

“I think that our team is even stronger in finals, because [with the] three-up, three-count [format], we’re a better team,” Horton said. “We have some weaknesses five-up, four [scores count]. There’s no doubt in my mind that we can win a medal. We can be on the podium.”

The Best of Times, the Worst of Times

For 12 teams today, it was a time of joy and celebrating. For 12 different teams, it was the end of a journey as a team. The field of 24 potential men’s gymnastics teams for the 2008 Olympics were narrowed to the final twelve that will battle it out for gold, bronze and silver in Beijing. Qualifying, in rank order from today’s finish, are:

1 China

2 Japan

3 Germany

4 United States

5 Russia

6 Romania

7 Spain

8 Korea

9 France

10 Italy

11 Canada

12 Belarus

The teams that did not qualify a full team include:

13 Ukraine

14 Switzerland

15 Great Britain

16 Puerto Rico

17 Brazil

18 Greece

19 Australia

20 Netherlands

21 Bulgaria

22 Portugal

23 Kazakhstan

24 Latvia

German Giants

The capacity crowd that showed up to cheer on their German men’s team to a third place prelims finish was the type of crowd that every home team dreams of. Largely decked out in the country’s colors of black, red and yellow, the crowd was quiet at all of the right times, and boisterous when the Germans needed it the most. When the team was on pommel horse, there was dead silence. On floor, as a gymnast was in the corner preparing for a final tumbling pass, the crowd cheered and clapped loudly to provide that extra little boost of adrenaline. When a score flashed that they didn’t like, they sure let the judges know it. And when they saw good gymnastics, they roared in approval!

“It’s just awesome, you know,” German standout and crowd favorite Fabian Hambüchen said after the meet. “The crowd was [a big inspiration]. We started very well on vault, and then from apparatus to apparatus, we became stronger, and stronger, and stronger, and the crowd helped us with that. I just want to say thank you to [the fans]. It was motivation, especially for [our last event] rings. I loved it!”

Music Mix

After hearing Euro-versions of the “greatest hits of the ‘80s” on the arena sound system as background music for days, the playlist finally got shuffled today! A Motown mix kicked off the afternoon sessions. And when the Germans took to the floor in the evening, Queen’s “We Will Rock You” was played from time to time following a good set, leading the crowd to stomp and cheer along. It almost felt like you were at an NBA game or a hockey game from time to time!

At the conclusion of the final subdivision, the German fans took to their feet and remained in applause for several minutes. All of the members of the German team ran back on to the podium and onto the center of the floor exercise mat for an encore bow. A song familiar to the Germans, that apparently was an anthem used by another sports team earlier in the year, played as the crowd sang along.  “The song really fits to us,” Hambüchen explained later. “It says, ‘If not now, then when?’” 

Rough Day for Russia

After a great podium training session, Russia’s dream of winning gold here potentially came crashing down with two athletes suffered injuries on vault in their first rotation in the qualification round. Former world champion Nikolai Kryukov injured his knee on a handspring double front. After a nearly perfect flight, he landed with his leg somewhat locked and was visibly in pain immediately. Later in the line-up, teammate Anton Golotsutskov landed a super-difficult handspring double front, half-out short and crunched his foot/ankle. He limped off the podium as well. Golotsutskov didn’t even think about competing his Tsuk double pike double that he had practiced with ease in podium training. Had it been any other competition, both Russians likely would have withdrawn, but given the importance of qualifying a full team to the Olympics, both gutted through their other events.

Kryukov competed parallel bars, high bar and pommel horse after the injury. On high bar, Kryukov was nearly flawless, wowing the audience with a nice Gaylord before dismounting with a double-twisting double layout. Knowing the pain he was in, some in the audience had to turn their head away when he dismounted, which was undoubtedly painful. He could barely walk, but he had to do it for the team. Golotsutskov competed floor, pommel horse and rings after the injury. During floor warm-ups, he tumbled a round-off, back handspring, back tuck, and could barely manage that. He huddled with his coaches after the warm-up to craft a routine to get in the required 10 elements. When he took to the floor, he opened with a 1 ½ to front full, and continued with a round-off, back handspring, layout full and moved into a Fedorchenko sequence. After a wide-arm press to handstand, he tumbled a pained round-off Arabian, and dismounted with a round-off, back handspring, back tuck. He had done his best and the coaches appreciated the valiant effort, as did the audience that was watching the drama play out before them.

In the same rotation with Japan, the Russians weren’t concerned about where they stood against the defending Olympic champions. They were likely just happy that they were able to power through to secure that coveted Olympic spot and hopeful that their score would hold up for a chance at the finals where this time, the three-up, three-count format would be a blessing.

At the end of subdivision one, the tally was Japan: 370.725 to Russia’s 362.175.

“It was a lot of pressure for everyone and [Kryukov and Golotsutskov] did that for the team,” Russia’s Maxim Deviatovski said. “It was very hard for us. We have to be in the top 12. We have been working for this for four years. We must go to the Olympics.”

“I did not do this for nothing,” said Kryukov with a huge ice pack around his injured knee. He had few words, but the dejected look on his face said at all. In podium training, he looked to be in the best shape he’d been in years. Now, he could only hobble out of the competition venue and wait through the day and the next to see if his team’s score would hold up.

And it did. Ultimately landing in fifth after all of the teams had performed, Russia has qualified to the 2008 Olympics and has earned a spot in finals. Though not confirmed, a Russian journalist said that Golotsutskov’s foot is broken and that it was a “miracle that he was able to make it through that floor routine.” He is not expected for finals. As for Kryukov, there is apparently a chance that he may be part of the line-up for pommel horse only.

Great Expectations

The ascent of the Japanese men’s program to the top of the medal podium in Athens in 2004 was a clear statement to the world that the program that had owned gold at the Olympics from 1960 to 1976 was back. And with the resurrection and the storied history of the program comes great expectations from a nation that relished success on the world stage. “In Japan, yes, the world games are important,” Japan’s Makoto Okiguchi said through a translator. “But the Olympics is a whole different level. Because we won the gold in Athens, our country expects us to win a gold medal at the next Olympics, to bring it home.”

Highlight Reel

If he’s not already on your gymnastics radar screen, file this name away: Makoto Okiguchi of Japan. On day one of qualification, the 21-year-old Okiguchi thrilled the crowed with high explosive gymnastics. Here’s a look at his vaults and floor routine:

Vault 1: Tsuk triple twist 16.2 (7.0 A)

Vault 2: 15.675 (6.2 A)  

Floor:  Half-in (straight leg straddle), ½ out to immediate punch front 1 ¼; 1 ½ to full to front 2 ½; 2 ½ to Rudi; triple full side pass; Fedorchenko; full-in dismount!

6.7 A + 9.0 B for 15.7

Up Next

Wednesday’s competition will feature the final round of the women’s team competition.

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Photos by Grace Chiu