Nobody seemed more surprised by Jesse Silverstein's runner-up finish at the 2009 U.S. Junior Men's Championship (ages 16-18) than Jesse Silverstein.
Silverstein, 18, placed 35th all-around at the 2008 J.O. National meet, and ninth in 2009. He had been aiming to finish in the top seven in Dallas.
"I was never good before this year," said Silverstein, who trains at the U.S. Gymnastics Development Center II in Suffern, N.Y.
Perhaps it would be better to say that the results hadn't matched the potential. In Dallas last month, Silverstein attempted some of the most difficult skills of the junior men's competition, including a triple back off high bar (with his legs glued together), a double front pike off rings and a handspring double front vault.
Jesse Silverstein, 2009 J.O. National Championships, High Bar (3rd):
The handspring double was new, by the way. Silverstein normally competes a handspring front on vault, but "I added a full flip [for this meet]," he said.
Training time for Silverstein's first Visa Championships was limited by a bout of mononucleosis that kept him out of the gym for three weeks prior to his first U.S. Championships, but he was hesitant to cite the illness for his errors.
"I don't want to make any excuses," he said, noting that despite his podium finish, he fell four times, including on the handspring double front vault and the triple back off high bar.
Even so, Silverstein led the competition after five rotations and scored a 13.5 on pommel horse during the sixth. In a code of points where difficulty is so important in contending for medals, Silverstein has tried to keep himself in the hunt by paying lots of attention to execution as well.
"I don't have the most difficult gymnastics, but I try to have the best form," he said.
A little more on Silverstein: He's short (even by gymnastics standards). And he's coordinated. Literally. Silverstein was the only guy in Dallas who matched his tumbling shoes to his shorts; both were bright blue. Silverstein is hoping to do NCAA gymnastics but hasn't decided on a college yet, saying that he's looking for a "good fit."
Jesse Silverstein, 2009 J.O. Nationals, Pommel Horse (4th):
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