USA Gymnastics set up a conference call for media with U.S. men's team members Jonathan Horton, Danell Leyva and Steven Legendre earlier today. Here are some key quotes from the Q and A:
Danell Leyva...on what has changed about his gymnastics this year:
"I feel like I"ve been doing a lot more cleaning and detailing, so I guess it's kind of showing up more in my routines now. I still look at myself as constantly striving for perfection. I can still see constant mishaps and mistakes, but people say I've gotten better. So I guess that's good."
On what's different in his high bar routine this year:
"The only thing I've done differently is to take out the full pirouette out of a giant and put the Rybalko in. My routine is the same I've done, but it's shorter and easier. The routine has the probability to be a 7.5. I've done it before."
On what's different about the year before the Olympic Games:
"I talked to someone else recently and they said that some athletes prefer not to think about it until it happens. But for me it's a little bit of the contrast. It makes me pumped. I picture myself every day more and more being there, and I get excited. I get really happy...I'm not rushing, but I'm certainly ready for it."
On whether he worries about getting hurt:
"Yes and no. That's really just in all, in elite caliber level, it's in their mind. It's not I can't get hurt, it's more like, I'm going to be really careful with this, I'm not going to stupid with this."
On how sweet it would be to win a U.S. Championship:
"I am certainly looking forward to the World Championships. That is the final goal for this year. But i'm taking everything step by step, and my first goal is to take the [U.S.] title from Jon."
On his biggest challenge going into the U.S. Championship:
"That's a good question. I guess just to be myself from last year. Just to beat the performance I did last year. To one-up the performance I did last year."
Jonathan Horton...on his rivalry with Danell Leyva:
"Danell and I always have a friendly competition, especially on high bar because we're both daredevils. It's going to come down to who sticks their landings and who points thier toes better. And in the end we'll go congratulate each other and make fun of each other. I wouldn't say high bar's mine."
On what's changed about high bar since he won Olympic silver in 2008:
"Poeple have gotten really crazy on high bar...and I've upgraded too...if I do really well, I should be able to score low 16s."
On being the U.S. team's front man through an entire Olympic cycle:
"It's definitely much more mental."
On the pressure of trying to win a third national title in a row:
"The answer is absolutely [I'm feeling pressure]. But I"m trying to focus more long term. The goal is the World Championships and Olympic Games...I feel really well prepared. I'm training really hard."
On what he took away from a lackluster personal performance at July's Japan Cup:
"You know, I can't rally explain what happened to me personally. It was a little bit of a reality check. I've turned some things around in my training...I've had some disappointing competitions this year and made some changes...For the team what I took away was that we're really strong. Danell and I didn't have the best day, we made some mistakes, but we almost took the Japanese on their home court....with Paul [Hamm] healthy, we're going to be a force to be reckoned with."
On the five men who will make the Olympic team:
"That's what so great about our team right now. it's a complete mystery. People keep asking me, youre prety much on the team, right? And honestly, I cannot say. We're that talented right now....we're the best we've ever been."
On his personal health:
"I am pretty healthy right now. I'm as healthy as I'm going to get. At almost 26 years old you're going to have some aches and pains. It's nothing I can't deal with...I am healthier than I've been in a long time."
On being the elder statesman of the U.S. team:
"I used to be the guy that was asking all the questions. I was asking Blaine WIlson and Paul and Morgan Hamm what it's like. We have a pretty experienced group of young guys. They don't ask too many questions. It hasn't been much of an adjustment. Being the captain of my college team it wasn't a big transition. [I've been the guy last up in the meet and everyone is looking at you, and you need to hit the routine.] I haven't necessarily been the best at that position in the past couple years, but...I am a team player. I want to deliver the best routine for the team."
On how often he thinks about Kohei Uchimura:
"[Laughs] All day. Every day. I think about his ability and his team's ability consstantly and it's one of the things that pushes me. And it's one thing I can't figure out, how he's so great every time. And it seems like he's mastered everything so well at 22 years old that it's like he literally doesn't make mistakes. I talked to some of the Canadian guys who went and trained with him and said that it was amazing watching him train because he watches himself on video and just kind of laughs..."
On Paul Hamm's comeback:
"He's very serious. He came and trained with me for about a week a few months ago. Before he had some big problems [torn labrum in his shoulder], and he was working really well in the gym. He's already coming back really quick. He's just one of those guys who knows how to train in any circumstances. Talking to him, I know he's very, very serious about it. I'm a big fan of Paul Hamm and looking forward to having him back."
Steven Legendre...on the difference of being in the gym a year before the Olympics:
"Each and every day you go into training with maybe just a little more pressure that's kind of pushing you, knowing its getting close and [you need to be] coming down with really good training. That's in the back of your mind and you're focusing on what you really can improve on...you're still going out there adn giving it 100 percent every day."
On what he's hoping to improve on this year:
"Floor and vault have been my strongest, and I"d like to compete those. Still rings is an event I've made some improvements on and I really hope to contribute there."
On consistency:
"I'm guessing you're talking mainly regarding floor and what seems to be event finals. Every time, and I don't know exactly if consistency is an issue, and I'm not sure if you're familiar with the equipment, but the AAI floor in America is really good, and almost every time you travel internationally the floor is not quite as good, and that adds a bit of a hardship when you travel overseas."
On whether he'd water back some of his difficulty:
"In some occasions that's definitely a possibility. It could def be a possible strategy. My mindset is to go out and compete the sets I've been trainng in the gym, which I've been training very consistently...but it's always a possibility."
On upgrades:
"I wouldn't say anything specific. I want to go out with a lot of cleanliness. I've been playing around with a Tsuk double pike on vault. It's kind of on the border whether it will be ready. I don't want to go out there and do something I'm not ready to do and hurt myself. I'd say it's about 50/50 [if I'll do it at Nationals]."
On how having a five-man Olympic team changes the way he trains:
"Honestly, it makes a very very big difference. Not only for us, but for those selecting the Olympic team. When you have less people on the team and have to compete the same amount of events, it increases the workload on everybody, and if you want to be competitive, you have to go out there and do everything. I think a lot of us that are on the bubble, we have more specific goals on what we need to improve on because you have one less guy."
Follow The Gymnastics Examiner on Facebook or Twitter, or click the "Subscribe" button above to receive the latest gymnastics news and results via e-mail.
Comments