© John Cheng
SAN JOSE, Calif., June 28, 2012 – Danell Leyva of Miami/Team Hilton HHonors (Universal), leads the all-around standings with a 276.500 total after the first of two days of competition at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials – Gymnastics at the HP Pavilion at San Jose (Calif.). John Orozco of the Bronx, N.Y./Team Hilton HHonors (U.S. Olympic Training Center), is second in the standings at 275.550, and Sam Mikulak of Newport Coast, Calif./University of Michigan, is third at 274.650. The first of two days of women’s competition begins tomorrow in San Jose at 5:30 p.m. Pacific Time.
The all-around standings reflect scores from the two days of competition at the 2012 Visa Championships and the first day of competition at the Olympic Trials. The U.S. Olympic Trials champion will be determined with a four-day total score.
In today’s competition, Mikulak posted the top score in the all-around (91.800) followed closely by Leyva (91.700) and Orozco (90.700).
Leyva began competition on the floor exercise with a 15.000, dismounting with a stuck double layout. The Miami-native earned scores of 14.600 and 14.750 on the pommel horse and still rings, respectively. Performing a Kasamatsu one-and-a-half, Leyva posted a 15.600 on the vault in rotation four. Moving to the parallel bars, where he is the reigning World champion, Leyva used four variations of the Peach underswing to score 15.900. In the final rotation, he earned a 15.850 on the high bar for his dynamic routine, which included a layout Kovacs release.
"Today went really, really well," Leyva said. "It was a good first day of competition, and the second day is going to be a lot of fun."
Orozco, the reigning U.S. all-around champion, was in the same rotation with Leyva. He began on the floor with a piked Arabian double mount and earned a 15.150 score. On the pommel horse, Orozco scored 14.350. In rotation three, Orozco posted a 15.200 on the still rings, executing an Azarian to L cross and one-and-a-half twisting double back dismount. He posted scores of 14.800 on vault, and 15.550 on parallel bars, sticking his double pike dismount. Orozco finished the competition on the high bar, performing a nearly flawless Liukin release move to score 15.650.
"It wasn’t necessarily my best day," Orzoco said, "I want to come back stronger for Saturday’s competition."
Mikulak’s day began on the parallel bars where his dynamic routine, which includes a unique front one-and-a-quarter to swing through, earned him a 15.700. He was equally dynamic on the high bar with three big release moves and earned 15.550. Mounting with a tucked double-twisting, double back, Mikulak posted a 15.500 on the floor before moving to the pommel horse where he added a 14.600 to his all-around total. On the still rings, Mikulak swung smoothly through tucked and piked Yamawakis to score 14.550. Mikulak’s Kasamatsu double was good for a 15.900 and completed his competition.
"I just wanted to keep calm and hit all my sets," Mikulak said after the competition. "I was pretty nervous coming into this – my first Olympic Trials – and I felt like I came out pretty well."
Jonathan Horton of Houston/Team Hilton HHonors (Cypress), was fourth in the three-day combined standings and posted an 89.650 total in the all-around today for a 271.350 overall. Horton earned his highest score of the day on the vault, where his handspring double front earned a 15.850. In addition, he posted scores of 15.450, rings; 15.650, parallel bars; 14.200, high bar; 15.100, floor exercise; and 13.400, pommel horse.
Jake Dalton of Reno, Nev./University of Oklahoma, rounds out the top five with a total score of 269.550. Dalton posted matching scores of 16.100 on the floor exercise, where he performed a stuck triple full dismount, and the vault, performing a Kasamatsu double full. Dalton also scored 15.000, still rings; 15.100, parallel bars; 14.900, high bar; and 13.350, pommel horse, giving him a 90.550 total in today’s competition.
Event leaders after three days of competition are Dalton, floor and vault; Alexander Naddour of Gilbert, Ariz./Team Hilton HHonors (USA Youth Fitness), pommel horse; Horton, rings; Leyva, parallel bars and high bar.
Single-session tickets range in price from $36-$102, including facility fees. The prices vary according to seat location and session. Four multi-session and all-session ticket packages are still available. Multi-session packages, ranging in price from $78 to $236, include a 3-day weekend package; a two-day women’s package; and a finals package featuring the final day of competition for both men and women.
All tickets may be purchased through ticketmaster.com, by phone at 800-745-3000, at all Ticketmaster outlets and the HP Pavilion Ticket Office. In recognition of Visa’s long-time support, USA Gymnastics is proud to accept only Visa at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials – Gymnastics, along with cash. For more information and details on the ticket packages, go to www.sanjose2012.com.
NBC Sports Network, formerly Versus, will broadcast the first day of men’s competition live on June 28 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. ET. Then, NBC will broadcast live coverage on television and at NBCOlympics.com of the remaining three days of competition: women’s day one, June 29, 9-11 p.m. ET; men’s final day, June 30, 4-6 p.m. ET; and women’s final day, July 1, 9-11 p.m. ET.
Television coverage of the women’s competitions on June 29 and July 1 will be tape delayed in the Pacific and Mountain time zones but available live nationwide online. For a complete schedule of NBC’s coverage, click here.
USA Gymnastics will provide coverage of podium training prior to the event, as well as post-competition interviews and more on its official YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/usagymnaticsorg.
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Online. The 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials – Gymnastics and its ancillary activities are easier than ever to follow online. Schedules and general information for both fan activities and the competition, including the official event program, start lists, live scoring and more are available at www.SanJose2012.com, which is easily viewable on smart phones and other digital devices.
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Social Media. USA Gymnastics are connecting with fans on Facebook and Twitter, providing live updates and exclusive content including videos and photos from the Visa Championships. Gymnastics fans can follow the action easily on Twitter by using the official hashtag of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials – Gymnastics, #SanJose2012.
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Fan Activities. From morning fitness at the Circle of the Palms to the Visa Fan Fest and the AT&T Block Party outside the HP Pavilion, fans will have plenty of opportunities for fun while they enjoy the exciting week of competition in San Jose. Click here for a complete schedule of fan activities.
Background information
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HP Pavilion. HP Pavilion at San Jose, managed by Sharks Sports & Entertainment, hosts nearly 100 sporting events annually including more than 40 San Jose Sharks regular season home games and the SAP Open men’s professional tennis tournament. The building hosts approximately 170 events every year — including Olympic athletes, Grammy award-winners and a variety of family and children’s favorites that account for more than 200 event days. Pollstar, the leading concert industry trade magazine, nominated HP Pavilion at San Jose as "Arena of the Year" for 2005 and 2007. In 2007, Pollstar also recognized HP Pavilion at San Jose based on non-sports attendance as fourth in North America, top 10 in the world. Over the past 10 years, HP Pavilion at San Jose has consistently been in the Top 5 in North America and top 10 in the world.
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San Jose Sports Authority. The San Jose Sports Authority is a non-profit organization whose mission is to increase the City of San Jose’s economic development, visibility and civic pride through sports. Serving as the City’s sports commission since its inception in 1991, the Sports Authority has provided leadership and support to attract and host hundreds of sporting events in San Jose and the South Bay. The Sports Authority also supports and operates community, youth and amateur sports programs, including the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame, The First Tee of San Jose, and the REACH Youth Scholarship Program. To learn more, visit www.sjsa.org.
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City of San Jose. From its founding in 1777 as California’s first city, San Jose has been a leader, driven by its spirit of innovation. Today, San Jose stands as the largest city in Northern California and the Capital of Silicon Valley—the world’s leading center of innovation. The city, the 10th largest in the United States, is committed to remaining a top-ranked place to do business, to work and to live. For more information, visit www.sanjoseca.gov.
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San Jose Convention & Visitors Bureau (SJCVB). The San Jose Convention & Visitors Bureau (SJCVB), a 25 year old organization focused on enhancing the image and economic well being of San Jose, is managed by Team San Jose, a unique customer service model that works in partnership with local hoteliers, organized labor, local arts leadership and business community to provide a one-team approach to all event-planning needs. Team San Jose manages the San Jose Convention Center and multiple theaters in Downtown San Jose, including the San Jose Civic, Parkside Hall, Center for the Performing Arts, California Theatre and Montgomery Theater. For more information, visit www.sanjose.org.
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San Jose Hotels Inc. (SJHI). San Jose Hotels Inc., is a hotels-led, non-profit business improvement district representing 35 San Jose-based hotels. SJHI leverages destination investment focused on event sponsorship, marketing and public relations to attract conventions, events and meetings to San Jose through a unique partnership with Team San Jose and the SJCVB.