ST. LOUIS, June 26, 2016 – USA Gymnastics today announced that Danell Leyva of Miami/Team Hilton (Universal Gymnastics), Akash Modi of Morganville, N.J./Stanford University, and Donnell Whittenburg, Baltimore, Md./Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center), are the replacement athletes for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Men’s Gymnastics Team. Mark Williams, head coach for the University of Oklahoma’s men’s gymnastics program, was named head coach for the 2016 squad.
Replacement athletes train and prepare along with the U.S. Olympic Men’s Gymnastics Team and are on deck to step in should one of the Olympic team members withdraw from the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The members of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Men’s Gymnastics Team, pending approval by the United States Olympic Committee, are: Chris Brooks of Houston, Texas/Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center); Jake Dalton of Sparks, Nev./Team Hilton (University of Oklahoma); Sam Mikulak of Newport Coast, Calif./Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center); Alex Naddour of Queen Creek, Ariz./Team Hilton (USA Youth Fitness); and John Orozco of Bronx, N.Y./Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center).
The women’s team will be named following the conclusion of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Women’s Gymnastics, scheduled for July 10 at SAP Center at San Jose (Calif.). All athletes named to the U.S. Olympic Team are subject to the approval of the United States Olympic Committee.
The members of the Men’s Selection Committee are: Steve Butcher; David Durante, athlete representative; Kevin Mazeika, men’s national team coordinator; Kip Simons; Yoichi Tomita; and Dennis McIntyre, USA Gymnastics vice president of men’s program (non-voting).