In a sport dominated by teenagers, gymnast Jonathan Horton has something most of his potential U.S. teammates don’t have: Olympic experience. For that reason, he has to be at the 2012 Summer Olympics, unless he scores low on Day 2 of the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials.
At the end of Day 1 on Thursday, Horton was No. 4 all-around, with a score of 271.35 after six rotations. He was also the best on the team on the rings, scoring 46.35.
He’s on the outside looking in when it comes to being the top American gymnast, and he has less of a chance than John Orozco and Danell Leyva to bring home a gold medal. However, Horton won an individual silver in the high bar and team bronze in Beijing.
That competitive experience is invaluable on a team of teenagers.
If somebody who is 26 can be called a seasoned veteran, that’s what Horton is. It has shown in the last year, as he recovered from a serious foot injury to be the oldest competitor at the 2012 trials.
“I think there's a sense of calm about him,” coach Tom Meadows said to ESPN. “I can see a difference in him. There's a little bit of a different mentality. There's apprehension, but at the same time, I can see the calmness in him. He's much more under control.”
Horton is the only returning gymnast from 2008, so he’s been there before and will be able to guide his younger teammates through the pressures of the world’s biggest stage. He’s no slouch in the gym, either.
Along with his high bar silver in Beijing, Horton won all-around gold at the 2010 national championships and 2011 World Cup.
However, an uncharacteristic slip on the high bar during the first day of competition and mediocre scores on the subsequent two rotations leave Horton needing a better performance on Saturday to assure the selection committee doesn’t overlook him.
Leadership will be important in guiding a young U.S. team to success, but the committee won’t want to burn a spot on a less-than-effective gymnast just because he is a good leader.
As long as Horton shows that he can hang with the kids—which he can—he will get a spot in London.
Brad Davis Logan Morrison Mike Stanton Josh Bailey Mark Eaton Trent Hunter
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