It is a testament either to John Orozco's talent on four events or the U.S.'s lack of all-around depth that the 19-year-old Bronx native was able to run away with the all-around at Winter Cup by 5.5 points.
Orozco, who finished fifth all-around at the World Championships in October, set himself up well for a run at the U.S. title (and more importantly, the Olympic Games) by winning "Winter Nationals," a meet that in spite of all his prior accomplishments -- including three back-to-back junior U.S. titles -- he has never done well at.
Via The Associated Press:
“I’ve had the worst luck at this meet the last few years,” Orozco said, rehashing the times over the past five years he’s either fallen ill or not been able to compete at all in Las Vegas because of injuries. “This meet, I just tried to get over all that and I said, ‘Nobody can change it but me.’ I said I’m just going to try to change it, and start on a new note.”
What's confounding about Orozco is that he's not actually that strong on vault or floor, the U.S.'s best events. That's mostly because of an Achilles rupture in 2010, and on floor especially he's compensated with skills that aren't as flashy as what he was throwing before the injury. His Achilles did lead to become one of the top pommel horse gymnasts in the nation ("I decided to turn my weakest event into my best event," he said smartly at last year's U.S. Championships), and combined with his strengths on rings, parallel bars and high bar, his place on the Olympic team seems almost non-negotiable provided he remains healthy and competition-ready.
Ditto Danell Leyva, who finished fourth after a number of falls on his best events (parallel bars and high bar) over the two-day meet. Leyva, the current U.S. all-around champion and World champion on parallel bars, looks like he needs more time to refine his routines, but there's no question the intense 20-year-old from Miami will be prepared when it really matters. And this meet was not the meet that really matters.
That's likely comforting to Paul Hamm, whom the AP reported did not stick around to watch finals after not making it through Thursday's qualifying round. Hamm's career to this point has been almost nothing but victories (he cemented his last comeback by winning the 2008 Winter Cup by a seven-point margin), and not making the national team. But if there's one thing Paul Hamm is good at, besides gymnastics overall, it's making a comeback. He did it in the men's all-around final at the 2004 Olympics. He did it again in 2008. Despite the inauspicious start in Vegas, he may be able to pull something out this year.
The spot for the floor/vault guy seems more likely to go to one or two of five gymnasts: Winter Cup runner up Steven Legendre, who jumped from fifth to second in the standings after a strong night two, or maybe his former Oklahoma University teammate Jake Dalton, who is almost as explosive on the leg events and tends to score better in the execution department. Dalton did not actually compete those events at Winter Cup, likely saving himself for later in the season.
Also in contention for that spot are 2008 U.S. champion David Sender, who is also excellent on rings, Illinois standout Paul Ruggeri, the alternate to the 2010 World Championship team, and Chris Brooks, a member of the 2010 World team and alternate to the 2011 one, who made strong strides by showing clean, hard and (mostly) consistent routines on every event.
2010 World team member Brandon Wynn, the U.S.'s top gymanst on rings, also made a strong statement at Winter Cup, finishing third overall. Wynn could be this quad's Kevin Tan -- a gymanst put on the Olympic team because he adds an entire point or two the team score on rings.
Two-time U.S. champion Jonathan Horton, who I'd put on the Olympic team if he can get back to looking like he has for the past two summers, is coming off a foot injury, competed only on pommel horse, and didn't do it very well this time out. But you have to respect Horton for his commitment to being a top all-arounder, recognizing a weakness on horse and doing his absolute best to become better on it. He's succeeded at that, and his determination will serve him well. Horton's not shy about his expectations or his beliefs that the U.S. team can live up to them.
Finally, Cal's Glen Ishino, a strong all-around type when he's healthy (which has not been the past couple of years), made a huge impression by outscoring the field on pommel horse, the event the U.S. worries about most.
Given that Orozco is looking more and more like a lock for the team, Leyva isn't bad on horse either, and the general agreement is that the team needs a specialist like Ishino or Alex Naddour to round out their potential, pommels might actually be considered a strong event for the U.S. men in London.
Wonders never cease, right?
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