INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., March 5, 2012 – USA Gymnastics Men’s National Team Coordinator Kevin Mazeika of Houston today was named head coach for the U.S. Men’s Olympic Team that will compete in the 2012 Olympic Games, July 27-August 12, in London, pending approval by the U.S. Olympic Committee. He was selected by the Men’s Program Committee.
Mazeika is fresh off leading the U.S. Men’s Team to a bronze medal finish at the 2011 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, making it the first time since 2003 that the U.S. Men were on the World Championships team medal podium.
Mazeika, who was the men’s head coach for both the 2004 and 2008 U.S. Olympic Teams, became the national team coordinator in December 2009. Prior to that, he was the men’s program manager at the Houston Gymnastics Academy and owner of Mazeika’s Elite Gymnastics. Among the athletes he personally has coached are 2008 Olympian Raj Bhavsar and 2000 Olympian Sean Townsend.
While Mazeika was serving as head coach, the diverse group of athletes and coaches that make up the U.S. Men’s Team, has recorded some of the USA’s most successful performances in recent history. For the first time, the U.S. men won team medals in back-to-back Olympic Games. In 2008, the U.S. men followed up the 2004 Olympic silver team medal with the team bronze, representing the U.S. men’s best Olympic team finishes since they won the team gold medal in 1984. 2004 was the men’s first team medal in a non-boycotted Olympics since 1932. Mazeika also was the head coach for the 2011, 2007, 2003 and 2001 World Championships Team. The U.S. Men’s Team earned the team silver medal at both the 2001 and 2003 World Championships and the bronze in 2011.